^.^ Thanks for the reviews. Eheh. I'm working on chapter three, but it's going kinda slow cause I got so many other things I'm trying to work on. I'll post it ASAP though, K?
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"The baby is due any day now. Lin's really getting antsy about it. She bites my head off all the time. And she's eating the most disgusting things. She made a vegetable salad the other day, and then poured chocolate all over it. Then she decided it needed something else and added cheese and ketchup. It's horrible."
Zeniba laughed, "Well Lin is a unique girl to begin with. So naturally, when she's pregnant she'll be ten times that. Oh, well. Has she decided on name for the child yet?"
"Yeah... She decided to name her Sen. After Chihiro. I said it would be odd calling someone Sen after the real Sen had left. She threw a book at my head." He chuckled, sipping his tea
Zeniba sat down across from him, smiling. She took a sip of her own tea and smiled wider when No Face mimicked her movements. There was along, semi-comfortable silence. Kohaku looked into his tea, seeing his own reflection in the dark liquid. It was all he could do after Chihiro left to drag himself out of bed in the mornings. Yubaba had destroyed his and Lin's contracts with little fuss thanks to her son. He's been a big help, and occasionally Haku would see him at Zeniba's but it wasn't often. All his friends had drifted away, except for Lin. She'd stuck with him. Kicked him once or twice to cheer him up, and taught him how to cook for himself. And now she was expecting her first child and neither of them could hold their anticipation very well.
Everyone had grown up and moved on. Sen was a fond memory. Life couldn't revolve around the past. And Chihiro had moved on too, he assumed. Then he cursed himself mentally for letting her invade his thoughts again. (And then Sabi got tired of typing and decided to go to bed a dream about her boyfriend and leave the story for another day. G'night.) (Okay I'm awake again. ^.^;;) He looked at Zeniba, and then to No Face. They had moved on. Why couldn't he? Why, even when his thoughts should be more focused on Lin and the new baby, could he not forget about that simple human girl. She hadn't even stayed very long. He wanted to slap himself. He's was practically obsessing over it!
He didn't notice Zeniba was talking to him, he looked up, his face surprised, "Huh? What?"
She grumbled, "Get your head out of the clouds boy, I was telling you about the treasure. I found the most wonderful little treasure today. Oh, you'll just die when you see... Hold on. I'll go check on it..."
She stood and walked out of the room, disappearing into the dark hallway. Once out of Haku's line of sight she grinned to herself. She hadn't thought it would be a good idea to show him just yet, but she couldn't help herself. He looked so sad. She knew he'd smile when he saw; he'd have to. She peeped into the dark room. Nothing moved. The pale light from the moon and stars above poured into the room from the window above the bed. She looked around the room a moment. There was a thick soft carpet on the ceramic tiled floor. A chest sat at the end of the end of the bed with a silver tray on it, laden with a glass of water and a plate of cookies. They were untouched and there was still a small lump beneath the over-stuffed blanket on the bed.
~~
She couldn't run with Ryu squirming in her arms but she was walking as fast as she possibly could. The toddler had somehow managed to end up upside down, looking out on the world clapping and kicking his feet with glee. It was all Chihiro could do to keep from dropping him or breaking her nose. She grunted and hauled him up and around so she could look him in the eyes.
"Ryu!" She hissed, "Please, I need you to CALM DOWN. How on earth do you expect us to get out of here with you flailing like that?!?!"
"I wan stay! You can't may me weave!" He glared at her, his cheeks puffing in a pout, "I'm staying hewre! You jus don wan no fun!"
He jumped and scrambled out of her arms. She had to set him down just so she didn't drop him on his head. He took off the instant she let go of him. She stood for a moment looking at the spot where he'd stood.
"RYU!! No! Come back, you don't know what's out there!" She tore after him, her legs and lungs protesting violently
She followed him to the clock tower in front of the bath house, but she saw no trace of him. She felt her eyes burn with tears. She looked around the clock, up the tree, she even looked over the rails of the bridge. She felt a tear run down her face as the train whizzed by. She turned, looking helplessly at the streets. The wind blew hard from behind her, her hair whipping into her face. She turned. Her eyes widened. To her right the sun was on the horizon. It was setting. She caught the lights turning on out of the corner of her eye.
"Where do I go... I have to go somewhere. But Ryu..." She verbally debated her next move, "I don't have a choice... Ryu, I promise I'll come back for you."
She turned and hauled herself up on the side of the bridge. She jumped. She dove into the water, arcing and flying along like a torpedo. Her head spun, but she forced her arms and legs to work anyway, desperate to get to the tracks. She had to. Once there she knew there was somewhere she could go. Someone who would surely help her out of this wretched hell.
She climbed out of the water and tore off down the tracks. The farther she got the more she thought about how hopeless and stupid this was. What if this was a different place? Or she was going the wrong way? Or maybe she would never get there... So many things ran through her mind. But she kept running.
She ran a mile. Then she walked a mile. Then she ran again, then walked again, then ran again. She did this all through the night, diving off the tracks when the train rushed past. Then on into the morning she went, glancing at the sky. Half expecting a dragon to go flying above her. She didn't want to see it though. She didn't want to see any of this. Two or three times she found herself crying as she ran. Hundreds of times she wondered where Ryu was. She screamed at herself, yelling over and over at herself for being such a coward and running without him. But she didn't stop moving. She ran, her stomach aching from hunger and her muscles sore. Her eyes dry and her vision blurred.
At last she came to the place. She finally saw it. She finally came to swamp bottom. The little light hopping out to greet her. She saw her. She saw her one and only hope to get her brother back. "Granny..." And she collapsed.
~~
She gently laid a hand across the blankets. No movement other than the light breathing. She smiled and gently shook. Still no response. She sighed and shook a little harder, calling the girls name. She heard a muffled groan from beneath the thick quilts.
"Chihiro, dear, I know you're tired, but you must wake up. I'm sure you'll be pleased if you do. I have a little surprise for you. Come on now, that's a good girl. Up you get." She smiled as the girl finally sat up and looked at her
"Granny...? What time is it? It's dark out..." She said dully, looking out the window
"Yes, it's only been a few hours, dear. But I had to wake you up. You'll be thrilled when you see. I've got someone you will want to see."
Her heart leapt. Ryu? The old woman left the room, a smile planted on her face. She heard voices in the kitchen. Her eyes strained to see through the wall and into the next room. She heard the woman returning, a second set of footsteps with her. Those weren't Ryu's steps... Whose then? She Planted her feet on the floor and stared as the woman, now holding a lamp, approached. She didn't realize she was leaning forward until the woman walked in and she nearly fell over. She stared at the floor for a long while, not daring to look up. She felt two sets of eyes on her. Slowly...ever so slowly... She moved her gaze upward to stare into the aqua eyes of the second person.
Chihiro was the one to break the heavy silence, "Do...I know you...from somewhere...? You look....so familiar..."
He stared at her, his mouth open in shock, then he turned to the old woman, "Is this a joke?! Who... How... Why... When... What's going on?!?!?!"
The old woman smiled, "Chihiro, surely you remember Haku? Well, you will if you don't already. Kohaku...this is Chihiro. She stumbled upon my island just a few hours before you did, my boy. My, my, my. Just look how you've grown, little one. It's been so long! Six whole years, right? Tsk. Too long if you ask me. Oh, well. We'll have time to catch up tomorrow. As for now, you'll have to settle back into your memories. Haku, dear, you will stay won't you?"
"I...uh... But Lin-" He stuttered, never taking his eyes off Chihiro...God, how she's changed... But is she still the same on the inside...?
"Will be fine by herself for a little while. Honestly, you're always worrying about her and she picks on you like she doesn't care a bit. A strange woman..."
Chihiro poked in, "Lin? Is she...here?" She squirmed under that stares of both people, "I mean... I remember... In that dream. Lin was the one who looked out for me in the bath house...Right?" She mumbled foolishly
The old woman grinned, "Oh! That's wonderful! See, her memory's returning already, Kohaku. Lin moved out of the bath house some time ago. She and Haku live in the city now. She'll be so happy you remembered her. She'll make a point of reminding our boy here you remembered her too. Ehehehehe." The old woman cackled as she hobbled over to sit by Chihiro
"Granny..." Chihiro whispered nervously, "Is this for real?"
"It is indeed child..." She spent a long moment looking from Chihiro to Haku and back again, "Do you remember Kohaku?"
Chihiro looked at the boy, "His face is familiar..."
"Is that all?"
"Well... He doesn't look like the boy I remember. Haku's hair was longer..." Kohaku silently cursed Lin for talking him into cutting it; the one person he wanted to recognize him couldn't because of a stupid hairdo, "I suppose he would've gotten taller while I was gone... But he's so much stronger than I remember..."
The woman laughed, "Well, he has matured quite a bit. Now, I think I'll go to bed. Old women need their sleep, you know. Haku, there's some things in the closet over there you can make yourself a spot on the floor here. I'm afraid there aren't any other beds... They're all soaking in a wash."
What a coincidence...
Chihiro watched blankly as the old woman retreated from the room, heading off down the hall to settle into her own bed. Kohaku stared at the girl. She's so...beautiful... But she's just like the girl I remember at the same time... How can I sleep in the same room with her?! Can't I make a palette somewhere else??? Her gaze shifted to him. He smiled nervously.
"So...how is Lin? Are you two living together?" She asked, trying to get settled in this alternate reality, "The way Granny talks, you guys have been doing wonderfully..."
"Chihiro..." He said sadly, hoping she wasn't upset with him
She grinned at him, "No, no, no. I'm happy you guys are ok. I was worried about something happening to you. Yubaba isn't exactly friendly. She still runs the bath house?"
He sighed and sat next to her on the bed, "Yes she does. I left the bath house the very day that you...returned to your world... Lin followed suit about a month later... We've been living together since then..."
"So she's doing well?" She smiled, happy that her friends had done better than she in the past six years
"Very well. She's expecting her first child." He said, smiling at the thought of Lin's huge stomach, "Her first children. They're going to be twins."
Chihiro gawked at him, "She's...PREGNANT?!?!?! Oh my god... I would have never pictured it. Lin having children."
He laughed, "I never thought I'd see the day either, but believe me. She's definitely pregnant. That cow can be seen from a mile away. She can be heard from that distance as well."
Chihiro gave a half-hearted laugh and lied back in the bed, "I don't think that's a very nice way to talk about the woman who's having your baby..."
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K, I think I'll end it there. ^.^;; Yeah... Nice place for an ending... .;;; I am NOT on drugs! God forsaken people keep looking at me funny... . . Bai-bai for now...