Disclaimer: I don't own nobody 'cept the little additions to the cast I make. No sue, please. And....uh...no flaming. Or else. Yeah...*Edges away*
Six years past. It was six years from the day she'd become part of the world across the river. Six long years since she'd been spirited away. The young girl Chihiro, had crashed in and out of the spirit world. She'd made an impact on it, and yet when she left, the world went on as if she'd never disturbed it. For two years after she'd left, after she'd forgotten, she visited the strange tunnel often, drawn to sitting near and peering into for hours on end. She would go almost every day to visit. After that, her visits became less frequent, dwindling to once a week, twice a month, once a month, a few times in the year. Until she stopped coming. She stopped going to see the place that mystified her, the place that haunted her dreams with it's forgotten secrets. The place where she was spirited away. (A/n: She got spirited away... go figure...)
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She was asleep. Her white tank-top spotted with granite in a couple of places. Her blue jeans a streak of black ink on one thigh, where Chihiro had probably wiped her hands without thinking. Her long brown hair was covering her face. Chihiro was one of those girls who'd been very plain and unremarkable as a child. But as she grew up, she developed into a very attractive young woman. Though she doubted it was really anything remarkable.
"Hey, Chihiro...CHIHIRO!" The black-haired girl called to the lifeless girl in the desk, "CHIHIRO! WAKE UP!"
She came to full alertness, "What? Where?! What'd I do this time??" She frantically looked around, her brown hair flying about wildly
"Calm down. You just drifted off." Her green eyes showed the laughter her mouth would not permit, "Class is over. We're gonna miss lunch!"
"Oh, okay. I'm coming...just let me get my stuff together." The dark-eyed girl gather her books and tucked them into her backpack, taking extra care not to mess up her art notebook, "Where's Ms. Kelsey at?"
"She left. Said she had some business to attend to that didn't concern any of us." Merina replied blandly, "Hey, you're forgetting something."
Chihiro turned. She'd left behind the assignment they'd sketched during class. She took it in her hands, studying it. It was the same boy as before. He was smiling lightly at her, his eyes reflecting loving friendship, and his hand was held out to her, warm and welcoming. She'd gotten only halfway through coloring it before she'd slipped away into a dreamland. His black hair and blue-green eyes were rather strange alone on the page.
"Didn't you draw this weirdo last time," her friend question as they left the classroom to join the flow of students
"He's not a weirdo." Chihiro replied defensively, "I don't know why I draw him. I don't think about it when it happens. It just...appears I guess."
"Whatever. Hey, Chihiro, look!! Look, there he is!!!" Merina suddenly said, prodding the air in front of her
"Who? Where?!" She said, looking frantic for the second time in ten minutes. Her eyes fell on the local heartthrob, a six foot black-haired blue-eyed beauty who had the most innocent personality in the history of humanity, "Oh, it's just him. I told you not to freak out every time HE walks by. Maybe if it were Michael Jacks-"
"How can I not freak out?? He's like a god... There's a rumor going around that he's single now, and he's looking for someone who fits your description." She said, winking and jabbing Chihiro with her elbow
"Oh shut up, he's not my kind of guy. Who could go for someone so....so... DIM?" She said, looking pointedly at the stupid grin the boy was giving a giggling ninth grader
"Whatever you say, Chihiro. It's your call." She said, "So, are you coming tonight? Ms. Kelsey said there'd be a lot of college people there. Maybe a couple will come see our department."
"Maybe..." She said, holding the door open to the pavilion, "Mom might need me to watch Ryu tonight. She and dad were talking about going out to eat."
"Aw...man. You always get stuck babysitting the runt. He's, what? Two years old now? He can baby-sit himself! When I was two I already knew how to cook for myself."
"When you were two your parents abandoned you for extended periods of time and you learned how to make spaghetti o's." Chihiro stated as they neared an empty table, "Besides it's no big deal. I like spending time with Ryu. He's not bratty or anything and he knows how to use the toilet."
"Don't all two-year-olds know how to use the toilet?" Merina looked a little surprised to hear that they didn't, "Oh...whoa. The things I would have never known if I hadn't met you."
"When you have a baby you'll know. And if your boyfriend has anything to say about, that'll be all to soon."
Merina blushed and scowled, "That pervert is not my boyfriend. He's just an irritating, deluded fool who thinks he has a chance with me. "
"Had you heard how cocky that sounded you would've slapped yourself," Chihiro smiled, "Besides, he's not all that bad. He's handsome. And he makes you laugh. And he helps you study anytime you ask him to."
"Whatever." Ah, the classic death of conversation, "Whatever."
Chihiro dragged a hand through her long brown hair and stretched. As she was yawning the wind picked up and she frantically tried to grab all the papers she'd had out before they flew off. The wind blew harder. Her papers safely tucked away she looked around. Nobody else was bothered by the fierce wind. It only seemed a breeze to them. The gust pulled harder on Chihiro. That familiar feeling...that the wind is trying to blow you away...
She leaped up, grabbing her back as she went, and bolted towards the street. She could hear Merina yelling from behind her. Pulling me away... She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She was one block from home. She stopped there long enough to throw her bag in the door and leave again. Down the slope... She flew across the grass, trying not to loose control on the steep sloping. Faster...
"Shut up!" She yelled at the eerie voice of the wind, "This isn't happening. It'll be the same as ever." She told herself
She skidded to a halt on the dirt road. There to her right were the little shrines. The little houses she'd pointed out so many years ago. She took off running again. She watched the trees to her right, watching the little statue go by. She ran faster. She ran until she came to it. To the entrance. To the tunnel she'd dreamed about for so long. She walked towards it, standing just one inch from the opening. The wind blew gently, urging her in. She took a step forward. Nothing happened. She began walking, her brown sandals making soft padding noises as she went.
She walked through the tunnel, through the familiarly strange room, and out into the meadow of her dreams. The meadow she'd dreamt had lead her to the river between the worlds. She began walking. Do I hear a train? She ignored the sound. She could hear the wind, almost as if it were singing. Singing of your return...
She reached the bed of rocks. Her whole body shook. She didn't smell anything. No hint of the food that had gotten her into trouble last time. She crossed the rock bed, and went up the steps. The frog at the top of the stairs had seemed strange in her dreams. Now it's small hunched figured seemed eerie and foreboding. Like she would find something waiting for her she never wanted to find. She reached the top of the steps. She stood still, looking out around her. the same as I remember.... She pulled her flying hair into a loose ponytail.
She took another step, and began walking again. Down the street of restaurants. She recognized one of them. The one her parents had eaten at the last time around. She walked to the end of the street. She looked left, then right. And she took the same turn she'd taken so long ago in her dreams. Why am I here... Why am I doing this? It's so stupid... She was standing in front of the large red lamp. The lamp she'd seen when she was ten years old. She slowly turned her head, slowly shifted her gaze to the right. And there it was. There was the bath house. There was Yubaba's home. She ran to the bridge and looked over the edge.
As if on cue, the train went by. Pulling out of it's tunnel and rumbling along across the tracks. She stopped, gazing blindly at the water. She thought about her little brother. She had to leave. Any excuse to go home... But as she turned to her left, she was shocked out of her mind. There was her little brother, twigs in his brown hair and happiness shining in his blue eyes.
"Sissy!" He shouted gleefully, waddling towards her, "Yay! I came too, see?" He smiled
"You...followed me here. How, Ryu?" She said, fear ebbing back into her heart and mind, "Why? Why did you follow me to this place..."
She picked him up in her arms, turning to look at the bath house. All I have to do is run home... Run home now and get across the river... Get across and never look back. Yeah right. Fate had other plans.
~~
"Haku! It's so nice to see you again. I'm glad you came to visit me. It's been such a long time. How is life going in the city?" The old woman said as she let the tall boy into her home. Zeniba smiled at her visitor.
His hair was shorter than she remembered, only about an inch long. He wore black pants and a t-shirt the same color as his hair. His face was as warm and friendly as it had been the last time she'd seen him, but she could see in his eyes he wasn't feeling as happy as he acted.
He smiled, "It's been alright. Lin found a really nice place. It's perfect. Big enough for three people, but cheap enough for one. We've been there about two years now. She told me to send her regards to you." He laughed
"That's wonderful dear. You should've visited me sooner though. You make yourself comfortable. I'll make us some tea." The old white-haired sorceress watched him carefully as she left
"How are you, no face?" She heard the boy asking the spirit that lived with the old woman, "Have the times treated you both well?"
She brought tea out for the young man, smiling. He returned the smile, but she saw the hidden sadness in his eyes. The regret he lived with and the regret of regretting.
"Don't smile if you don't mean it. It only makes things worse." She said, watching the grin drop from his mouth and his eyes dart downward, "You still miss her after all this time."
He looked away. He'd always avoided that particular conversation. He didn't want to talk about it. Six years ago he'd met a girl. A girl that had saved his life. A girl that he'd never wanted to let go of for the rest of his life. And he'd sent her home, knowing she wouldn't remember anything that'd happened here. Knowing she'd never come back and he could never go and get her. He remembered the words they'd spoken...
~ Flashback~
"Can we meet again?" Uncertainty shimmered in her dark eyes
"I'm sure." He reassured himself more than her, his heart aching
"Promise?" She held hope in her heart, and she trusted he would not lie to her. Not about this
"Promise." And with that he let her go, her smaller hand slipping out of his. As she was leaving, following her restored parents, he saw her stop, her head turning to look. No...But she didn't. She turned back and followed her mother and father. And she left. She forgot.
And he stood there, heart broken, and let a small tear fall down his cheek. But there was nothing else to do. Nothing else he could do. He'd made the decision and everything would work out. Yeah. Right.
~End Flashback~
The old woman patted his shoulder kindly and set his cup in front of him. No Face put a comforting hand on his shoulder as well. All three of them had a tender spot in their hearts where the girl had once been. She appeared, turned everything upside down, and then disappeared. He smiled at them both and brought up something else, anything else.
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Kk. Lemme know if you like it... I have chapter two ready to post and I'm working on chapter three. All I'm asking for is one review on another of my stories. Pick one any one and lemme know what you think, Okies? ^.^;; Huggles and snuggles for the readers!