Reaching Out
Author: AleuFireGoddess
Summary: Chihiro returns to the spirit bathhouse after 5 years. The only thing she wants is to see her friends again, especially Haku. But some serious changes have been underway since her departure, at the bathhouse and with herself, and things aren't as they were. How will she reach out to the people she loves and get things back to normal? Rated PG-13 for adult language and possibly some adult content as well. Just being careful! No flaming because I am FLAME RETARDANT!! ^^v
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or the characters involved nor do I intend to make money off of this story. So don't sue us, cuz we da po' folk!
Chapter: 2 Changes
She smiled, picking up speed as she reached the last bend of gravel road and sailed over the statue guarding the tunnel. "Haku.. I'm coming for you!"
Quick legs flew over the ground like wind and soon all her senses picked up the familiar sensations of aburaya. Yet something in the aura seemed darker, less happy then before. She slowed her pace as she reached the bridge.
It was early, so no one was about, and that didn't bother her. But upon entering the large palace-like building, she was met with complete silence and dry air.
"..Haku? Are you there? Anyone? Yu-baaba..Bou..Rin? It's me, Chihiro!" she called.
Silence met her like a knife. It seemed suspicious, that no one would have heard her. Especially one of those nosey aogaeru, at least. She lifted her golden eyes upward, and she listen carefully. She then heard footsteps and a familiar voice, yet so far away. "Chihiro? My.. Chihiro?!" the voice spoke. "Ahh.. But no. My Chihiro had the purest dark eyes and cedar brown hair.." It said maliciously. "No, take this one away. Seize the human!!"
"Wait, Haku! It is me! It's--" She was stopped mid-sentence as one of the punier frogs pounced her on the stomach. "Miken? (I made it up for him. Special, aren't I?) What are you doing?!" she asked angrily. She felt the fire being brought up within her.
"You are not Miss Ogino! Imposter!" Miken shouted, but she flung him off easily and raced swiftly to the outside stairway.
With ease she sped down the rickety steps leading to the boiler room. "Please let Kamajii remember me! I need some help here!" she thought frantically.
She reached the rusted door, wrenching it open quickly (all it needed was 'one big jerk' ^.~) and slamming it behind her. Her speed had left all of her attackers behind for the meantime, which hopefully gave her a little bit of time to recuperate.
"Kamajii? Little susuwatari? It's.. Chihiro," she spoke into the darkness quietly. Saying her name seemed to have gotten her into trouble before, and she was wary.
"Hmph! About time you return, Chihiro. Much has gone about since your departure. Too much. It might have been best for you not to return," said the boiler man gruffly, though behind a mustache hid a smile.
She hurried up to him, giving him a quick hug. She slipped off her shoes, and the working soot balls scuttled at her feet, leaving their coal behind. She threw some kompeitou and they cheered silently.
"What is going on, Kamajii? I told them of my return and I was attacked!" Chihiro said. "Why would they do that? I mean, Haku told them to do it. Haku!!"
"Ah, but child, you know not of the experience they went through when you left." He took a deep breath, and began the tale.
"Haku left immediately to tell Yu-baaba he knew of his name and also of her secrets, thus making him immune to attack and quite under defense. He forced her to leave the bathhouse, and all was well until about 3 years ago.
"He became quite miserable, for he had been unable to contact you by any means. He was terribly in love with you, child, you know this. In his misery, he became cold with anger and unhappiness. This was passed on the upper-level workers and they are all drones to his army. I live down here with the boilers: immune to all that above-ground non-sense. Anyone who even mentions your name is executed immediately!" He finished pompously.
"But then Kamajii.. wouldn't that mean that.. He would be happy to see me come back?" she asked. This bothered her deeply. Didn't he remember her?
As if on cue, the spider-spirit spoke. "He only remembers you as a 10 year old child, not a young grown women. Forget not that your features have changed. Honey eyes! Ebony hair! Much different."
"But how did you.." she stopped talking. It wasn't worth asking. He just.. Did. "So, how do I get through to them? To him? I wanted to come back.. To see his eyes."
"Well, I would normally suggest a nice crumpet over tea but for now I think- -"
At that moment the door burst open and Miken hopped in to find Chihiro there. "Finally found you, Miss. I do believe you, honestly, but Master Haku refuses to listen. I was almost killed. Instead I was sent to find you and tell you to get off the premises at once or you shall be executed! He wishes to find the true Chihiro, not another imposter. I suggest you leave, Miss."
She looked at the floor, the fire rising high within her. "So, I face execution?" she growled. Miken trembled, but nodded. "Then so be it! Tell Master Haku that I wish to be killed before him than banished from this land" Fires burned at her fingers and she pointed at him.
"Tell him.. Mistress Sen of a Thousand Fires has said this." The confused frog looked absolutely terrified, and she angrily sent him away on a cloud of fire sent straight to Haku.
Kamajii looked quite amazed as well. "Well, Chihiro. Where did that come from? I never knew that you were.. Magically inclined."
She looked up at him with her amber eyes, the fire inside of her dying down. "I..don't know anymore, Kamajii. I can't even control it at all!" She burst out in tears, dropping to her knees. "I just get angry and I.. I hurt people!"
The susuwatari looked up at her with huge eyes and they busied themselves keeping her bare legs warm. She smiled, laughing as they tickled her skin.
The boiler man looked down on her. "Well, child, I suspect that you are a true fire spirit, stuck in a human-like form. Much like Haku is stuck in human form, though he is the Kalaku River spirit. Soon you will adapt. But for now I suggest you leave here since Haku now knows you abode here. I need not the trouble, you know."
"I understand completely, Kamajii. I shall be leaving immediately for my execution, or something like it. Hope to see you there, old friend."
She threw the last of her kompeitou to the soot and gave the spider-spirit one last hug before slipping back on her tennis shoes and leaving as loudly as she came, the slam echoing behind her. She opted not to go back the way she came; her enemies would quickly be coming for her capture. Instead she leaped onto a pipe above her, holding onto it tightly as she shimmied across. The mold covered her hands and her grip loosened.
When she was almost across, she came along a most particularly damp and moldy section of pipe and her hands could no longer hold on. She looked up, searching for a way to get up, but no savior came to her and she fell, plummeting down to the rocky railroad tracks.
~*~*~
A/N: Ah-ha. I finally found a good way to end this chapter. Been trying to find a way and I got to this point and I was all "Whoa. Cliffhanger-y!" Weee! So, there's chapter 2. Enjoy 'n' stuff. Read 'n' review. Love 'n' peace, baby! "^^v
Author: AleuFireGoddess
Summary: Chihiro returns to the spirit bathhouse after 5 years. The only thing she wants is to see her friends again, especially Haku. But some serious changes have been underway since her departure, at the bathhouse and with herself, and things aren't as they were. How will she reach out to the people she loves and get things back to normal? Rated PG-13 for adult language and possibly some adult content as well. Just being careful! No flaming because I am FLAME RETARDANT!! ^^v
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or the characters involved nor do I intend to make money off of this story. So don't sue us, cuz we da po' folk!
Chapter: 2 Changes
She smiled, picking up speed as she reached the last bend of gravel road and sailed over the statue guarding the tunnel. "Haku.. I'm coming for you!"
Quick legs flew over the ground like wind and soon all her senses picked up the familiar sensations of aburaya. Yet something in the aura seemed darker, less happy then before. She slowed her pace as she reached the bridge.
It was early, so no one was about, and that didn't bother her. But upon entering the large palace-like building, she was met with complete silence and dry air.
"..Haku? Are you there? Anyone? Yu-baaba..Bou..Rin? It's me, Chihiro!" she called.
Silence met her like a knife. It seemed suspicious, that no one would have heard her. Especially one of those nosey aogaeru, at least. She lifted her golden eyes upward, and she listen carefully. She then heard footsteps and a familiar voice, yet so far away. "Chihiro? My.. Chihiro?!" the voice spoke. "Ahh.. But no. My Chihiro had the purest dark eyes and cedar brown hair.." It said maliciously. "No, take this one away. Seize the human!!"
"Wait, Haku! It is me! It's--" She was stopped mid-sentence as one of the punier frogs pounced her on the stomach. "Miken? (I made it up for him. Special, aren't I?) What are you doing?!" she asked angrily. She felt the fire being brought up within her.
"You are not Miss Ogino! Imposter!" Miken shouted, but she flung him off easily and raced swiftly to the outside stairway.
With ease she sped down the rickety steps leading to the boiler room. "Please let Kamajii remember me! I need some help here!" she thought frantically.
She reached the rusted door, wrenching it open quickly (all it needed was 'one big jerk' ^.~) and slamming it behind her. Her speed had left all of her attackers behind for the meantime, which hopefully gave her a little bit of time to recuperate.
"Kamajii? Little susuwatari? It's.. Chihiro," she spoke into the darkness quietly. Saying her name seemed to have gotten her into trouble before, and she was wary.
"Hmph! About time you return, Chihiro. Much has gone about since your departure. Too much. It might have been best for you not to return," said the boiler man gruffly, though behind a mustache hid a smile.
She hurried up to him, giving him a quick hug. She slipped off her shoes, and the working soot balls scuttled at her feet, leaving their coal behind. She threw some kompeitou and they cheered silently.
"What is going on, Kamajii? I told them of my return and I was attacked!" Chihiro said. "Why would they do that? I mean, Haku told them to do it. Haku!!"
"Ah, but child, you know not of the experience they went through when you left." He took a deep breath, and began the tale.
"Haku left immediately to tell Yu-baaba he knew of his name and also of her secrets, thus making him immune to attack and quite under defense. He forced her to leave the bathhouse, and all was well until about 3 years ago.
"He became quite miserable, for he had been unable to contact you by any means. He was terribly in love with you, child, you know this. In his misery, he became cold with anger and unhappiness. This was passed on the upper-level workers and they are all drones to his army. I live down here with the boilers: immune to all that above-ground non-sense. Anyone who even mentions your name is executed immediately!" He finished pompously.
"But then Kamajii.. wouldn't that mean that.. He would be happy to see me come back?" she asked. This bothered her deeply. Didn't he remember her?
As if on cue, the spider-spirit spoke. "He only remembers you as a 10 year old child, not a young grown women. Forget not that your features have changed. Honey eyes! Ebony hair! Much different."
"But how did you.." she stopped talking. It wasn't worth asking. He just.. Did. "So, how do I get through to them? To him? I wanted to come back.. To see his eyes."
"Well, I would normally suggest a nice crumpet over tea but for now I think- -"
At that moment the door burst open and Miken hopped in to find Chihiro there. "Finally found you, Miss. I do believe you, honestly, but Master Haku refuses to listen. I was almost killed. Instead I was sent to find you and tell you to get off the premises at once or you shall be executed! He wishes to find the true Chihiro, not another imposter. I suggest you leave, Miss."
She looked at the floor, the fire rising high within her. "So, I face execution?" she growled. Miken trembled, but nodded. "Then so be it! Tell Master Haku that I wish to be killed before him than banished from this land" Fires burned at her fingers and she pointed at him.
"Tell him.. Mistress Sen of a Thousand Fires has said this." The confused frog looked absolutely terrified, and she angrily sent him away on a cloud of fire sent straight to Haku.
Kamajii looked quite amazed as well. "Well, Chihiro. Where did that come from? I never knew that you were.. Magically inclined."
She looked up at him with her amber eyes, the fire inside of her dying down. "I..don't know anymore, Kamajii. I can't even control it at all!" She burst out in tears, dropping to her knees. "I just get angry and I.. I hurt people!"
The susuwatari looked up at her with huge eyes and they busied themselves keeping her bare legs warm. She smiled, laughing as they tickled her skin.
The boiler man looked down on her. "Well, child, I suspect that you are a true fire spirit, stuck in a human-like form. Much like Haku is stuck in human form, though he is the Kalaku River spirit. Soon you will adapt. But for now I suggest you leave here since Haku now knows you abode here. I need not the trouble, you know."
"I understand completely, Kamajii. I shall be leaving immediately for my execution, or something like it. Hope to see you there, old friend."
She threw the last of her kompeitou to the soot and gave the spider-spirit one last hug before slipping back on her tennis shoes and leaving as loudly as she came, the slam echoing behind her. She opted not to go back the way she came; her enemies would quickly be coming for her capture. Instead she leaped onto a pipe above her, holding onto it tightly as she shimmied across. The mold covered her hands and her grip loosened.
When she was almost across, she came along a most particularly damp and moldy section of pipe and her hands could no longer hold on. She looked up, searching for a way to get up, but no savior came to her and she fell, plummeting down to the rocky railroad tracks.
~*~*~
A/N: Ah-ha. I finally found a good way to end this chapter. Been trying to find a way and I got to this point and I was all "Whoa. Cliffhanger-y!" Weee! So, there's chapter 2. Enjoy 'n' stuff. Read 'n' review. Love 'n' peace, baby! "^^v