Title: Hope
Author: Red Light District
Rating: PG
Feedback: Yes please!!!
Summary: A strange, little reunion between Kohaku and Chihiro. H/C angst.
Author's Notes: This is the product of watching Spirited Away about 10 times in half as many days and too much depressing music. I'm not completely satisfied with this so I might revise it later on. Also, I haven't read very much SA fanfiction other than Zefyr's story *bows down and genuflects* so I apologize if I've inadvertently stolen something.
~ ~ ~
He should have known. It would have been too good to be true. After all, he'd heard the stories... he'd known the rules. Humans cannot leave the spirit realm with any knowledge of it. So she would return to the dubious safety of humanity and remember him as nothing more than a dream-if that.
But he had hoped.
It had been that painful hope which compelled him to end his apprenticeship to Yubaba and follow Chihiro to the human realm. By the time he got out, a few years had passed in her world and he still had to find her...
Once more his hope and faith in their love sustained him. He would find her and despite all odds she would remember him, then they could live happily ever after.... That had been his dearest wish and third mistake. Damn him for a fool.
~ ~ ~
It had been about three human years since he'd last seen her when his relentless search had finally paid off. He had found his Chihiro, and he'd spent the past few days following her because he was too afraid to approach. He'd wanted to see the life she'd created or herself... her life without him.
One day on her way to school he trailed after her and tried to muster the courage to speak to her. As he alternately prayed for a chance or for her memories to remain intact, he took the opportunity to observe her unnoticed.
She was so carefree; he could see it in the way she practically skipped to school. In time she would grow into a conficdent, lovely woman. Then, almost as if some kind spirit had heard his plea she dropped some of her school papers.
"Oh!" she gasped and she whirled about to collect them only to find a young man already holding out her homework in a neat stack.
"Thank you very much. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost any of that!"
"You're quite welcome then," he smiled. "After all I wouldn't want you getting into trouble."
She blushed slightly. "Well, thank you again... I'm sorry... I don't even know your name. Where do you go to school? I haven't seen you around here before."
"My name is Kohaku... and I'm just visiting."
"Oh! I used to live near a river with the same name. How odd-I mean..." she trailed off awkwardly.
"That's alright," he said smoothly. "I know my name is a bit odd."
"No, it's not that odd," she protested. "In fact, it's a very nice name."
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before he answered, "Thank you."
Chihiro blushed again and glanced at her watch before murmuring, "I should probably go now..."
"Of course. I apologize for detaining you. I wouldn't want you to be late."
"No, no don't worry about it. Thanks again and it was nice to meet you Kohaku!"
He sighed gently as he watched her race away without a second look-just like the last time.
~ ~ ~
Now he knew for certain that it was true. She would live her life on Earth remembering nothing of her time with him. And why should she? What were a few days in the spirit realms compared to a lifetime here? It was irrelevant that those days with her had saved a homeless river god from death or worse... He had spent the last three years without her needing her, wishing for her sweetness to be a balm to his lonely soul, and now that he had found her it was useless. Her memories had been wiped clean. Yes, those days meant nothing to her now... and he would keep it that way.
---
The End?
I'm not sure if I should continue this or not.... I mean... it's just so nice and angst-filled as it is. It made a fairly decent one-shot (only in my world). As always, please review.
Author: Red Light District
Rating: PG
Feedback: Yes please!!!
Summary: A strange, little reunion between Kohaku and Chihiro. H/C angst.
Author's Notes: This is the product of watching Spirited Away about 10 times in half as many days and too much depressing music. I'm not completely satisfied with this so I might revise it later on. Also, I haven't read very much SA fanfiction other than Zefyr's story *bows down and genuflects* so I apologize if I've inadvertently stolen something.
~ ~ ~
He should have known. It would have been too good to be true. After all, he'd heard the stories... he'd known the rules. Humans cannot leave the spirit realm with any knowledge of it. So she would return to the dubious safety of humanity and remember him as nothing more than a dream-if that.
But he had hoped.
It had been that painful hope which compelled him to end his apprenticeship to Yubaba and follow Chihiro to the human realm. By the time he got out, a few years had passed in her world and he still had to find her...
Once more his hope and faith in their love sustained him. He would find her and despite all odds she would remember him, then they could live happily ever after.... That had been his dearest wish and third mistake. Damn him for a fool.
~ ~ ~
It had been about three human years since he'd last seen her when his relentless search had finally paid off. He had found his Chihiro, and he'd spent the past few days following her because he was too afraid to approach. He'd wanted to see the life she'd created or herself... her life without him.
One day on her way to school he trailed after her and tried to muster the courage to speak to her. As he alternately prayed for a chance or for her memories to remain intact, he took the opportunity to observe her unnoticed.
She was so carefree; he could see it in the way she practically skipped to school. In time she would grow into a conficdent, lovely woman. Then, almost as if some kind spirit had heard his plea she dropped some of her school papers.
"Oh!" she gasped and she whirled about to collect them only to find a young man already holding out her homework in a neat stack.
"Thank you very much. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost any of that!"
"You're quite welcome then," he smiled. "After all I wouldn't want you getting into trouble."
She blushed slightly. "Well, thank you again... I'm sorry... I don't even know your name. Where do you go to school? I haven't seen you around here before."
"My name is Kohaku... and I'm just visiting."
"Oh! I used to live near a river with the same name. How odd-I mean..." she trailed off awkwardly.
"That's alright," he said smoothly. "I know my name is a bit odd."
"No, it's not that odd," she protested. "In fact, it's a very nice name."
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before he answered, "Thank you."
Chihiro blushed again and glanced at her watch before murmuring, "I should probably go now..."
"Of course. I apologize for detaining you. I wouldn't want you to be late."
"No, no don't worry about it. Thanks again and it was nice to meet you Kohaku!"
He sighed gently as he watched her race away without a second look-just like the last time.
~ ~ ~
Now he knew for certain that it was true. She would live her life on Earth remembering nothing of her time with him. And why should she? What were a few days in the spirit realms compared to a lifetime here? It was irrelevant that those days with her had saved a homeless river god from death or worse... He had spent the last three years without her needing her, wishing for her sweetness to be a balm to his lonely soul, and now that he had found her it was useless. Her memories had been wiped clean. Yes, those days meant nothing to her now... and he would keep it that way.
---
The End?
I'm not sure if I should continue this or not.... I mean... it's just so nice and angst-filled as it is. It made a fairly decent one-shot (only in my world). As always, please review.
