A/N: Well, this is chapter two, I hope you like it.. Sorry it's taking so
long, I have soooooo much homework, and some other problems, too. I'm doing
my best; my goal is to write a chapter a week so people don't forget about
me. Thanks to Hot Flamin Ryro, Daemon Slayer, Loki-Obsesser, Mistress of
Weird, Darkmoon-on-dragonwings, ElvenWitch13 and Warcrafter for reviewing..
*thinks harder* ummm I believe that is all.. Thanks! n__n
Oh, and since I don't know how to make italics, thoughts will be like /this/.
And sorry for the previous mistake with Chihiro's parent's names. I have learned that they are Akio and Yuko Ogino. Thanks for putting up with me!
~DarkPresence
Chihiro's footsteps echoed as she walked through the tunnel. It was cold and dark, but her steps were sure as she moved closer and closer to her fate. She could see a light and quickened her pace. Finally, she emerged into the "waiting room" filled with benches. Yellow, green, blue and red light fell on her face from the window as she hastened through the room. She was practically running now, thinking only of Haku. Time seemed to slow down, then to stop as she left the building. Wind streamed all around her, another perfect day. She looked around in the late afternoon light, but, receiving the third shock of the day, something was wrong.
Chihiro did a double take, discovering that what she saw was true: all the buildings were gone. Not a restaurant in sight, not even statues of some bath house customer. There was a slight mist over the lush, green hills, and as she stared, it seemed to thicken. She sank to her knees and let out a moan of anguish. There she sat, losing all track of time, sometimes sobbing uncontrollably, other times laughing hysterically. Finally, when it was too dark to see anything, she stopped crying and stood up. She turned to go, but something caught her eye. A light! Hoping it was the bathhouse, she ran to it as fast as she could. After a good ten minutes of running she caught up with it.
"Haku!" she screamed, for the light was coming from a pale boy with eyes turned steely and long, dark hair. "Haku, what's going on? Where's the bathhouse? Oh, Haku!"
The boy kept walking as if Chihiro wasn't there. Tears filled her eyes once again as she ran in circles around him calling his name. But still, he walked on. Feeling desperate, she screamed one other thing that came to her mind. "KOHAKU! KOHAKU RIVER!"
And just as before, there was a shattering noise. The boy blinked and shook his head, gazing around. He spotted Chihiro and his eyes lit up. She smiled back, still dumbfounded, but once again happy. Questions swirled through her head and she opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced when Haku put a finger to his lips and shook his head. He motioned her to follow, then started sprinting the way she came, back toward the entrance. Looking back, she could she a flickering light, which she realized was fire. /Just another question to put on my list/ she thought. She grabbed the hand that Haku offered and together they went even faster, running no longer a problem with his magic to help.
And finally, they were there. Tiptoeing through the small room, he started to cast another spell, one of protection. "In the name of the wind, and water within me, protect us!" he murmured. An eerie silence filled the room, telling Chihiro that the spell made the room soundproof. Now they were free to talk.
"Haku, what's going on? Where's the bathhouse? Can you tell me? What was that fire?"
"Chihiro, calm down. The truth will all come out soon enough. But you must listen carefully as I tell you what I know, absolutely no interruptions, alright?" She nodded, and shut her mouth. Dark shapes were moving closer to the building, a sinister presence creeping, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She nodded again, and Haku started his tale.
"Once I saw that you were safely back in the realm of humans, I went to have that talk with Yubabba. She was being surprisingly nice, making me drowsy with food and wine. She agreed to release me into your world, and free me of work, so I signed the release contract and was turning to leave when she caught me off guard. My back was to her because I was opening the door, then she hit me with a spell. So, once again, she had my name in her possession. She made me obey her. While this was happening, there was a revolt in the bathhouse. The frogs decided that their pay wasn't high enough, so they, erm, took things into their own hands. I'm sorry, to say, they burned down the bathhouse. When I left, it was totally gone. The only trace that it existed was the huge fire still going. Damn! There's nothing left! Can you understand that? My home, everyone's home. It's where the spirits replenish themselves! All gone, there's nothing left! And now, they're trying to take over the human world. We can't let that happen, you know that, Chihiro. And I need your help. We have to save your world, since we couldn't save this one. First, we must find Zeniba and get her help. After that. well, who knows. But you have to cooperate. Our lives depend on it."
Oh, and since I don't know how to make italics, thoughts will be like /this/.
And sorry for the previous mistake with Chihiro's parent's names. I have learned that they are Akio and Yuko Ogino. Thanks for putting up with me!
~DarkPresence
Chihiro's footsteps echoed as she walked through the tunnel. It was cold and dark, but her steps were sure as she moved closer and closer to her fate. She could see a light and quickened her pace. Finally, she emerged into the "waiting room" filled with benches. Yellow, green, blue and red light fell on her face from the window as she hastened through the room. She was practically running now, thinking only of Haku. Time seemed to slow down, then to stop as she left the building. Wind streamed all around her, another perfect day. She looked around in the late afternoon light, but, receiving the third shock of the day, something was wrong.
Chihiro did a double take, discovering that what she saw was true: all the buildings were gone. Not a restaurant in sight, not even statues of some bath house customer. There was a slight mist over the lush, green hills, and as she stared, it seemed to thicken. She sank to her knees and let out a moan of anguish. There she sat, losing all track of time, sometimes sobbing uncontrollably, other times laughing hysterically. Finally, when it was too dark to see anything, she stopped crying and stood up. She turned to go, but something caught her eye. A light! Hoping it was the bathhouse, she ran to it as fast as she could. After a good ten minutes of running she caught up with it.
"Haku!" she screamed, for the light was coming from a pale boy with eyes turned steely and long, dark hair. "Haku, what's going on? Where's the bathhouse? Oh, Haku!"
The boy kept walking as if Chihiro wasn't there. Tears filled her eyes once again as she ran in circles around him calling his name. But still, he walked on. Feeling desperate, she screamed one other thing that came to her mind. "KOHAKU! KOHAKU RIVER!"
And just as before, there was a shattering noise. The boy blinked and shook his head, gazing around. He spotted Chihiro and his eyes lit up. She smiled back, still dumbfounded, but once again happy. Questions swirled through her head and she opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced when Haku put a finger to his lips and shook his head. He motioned her to follow, then started sprinting the way she came, back toward the entrance. Looking back, she could she a flickering light, which she realized was fire. /Just another question to put on my list/ she thought. She grabbed the hand that Haku offered and together they went even faster, running no longer a problem with his magic to help.
And finally, they were there. Tiptoeing through the small room, he started to cast another spell, one of protection. "In the name of the wind, and water within me, protect us!" he murmured. An eerie silence filled the room, telling Chihiro that the spell made the room soundproof. Now they were free to talk.
"Haku, what's going on? Where's the bathhouse? Can you tell me? What was that fire?"
"Chihiro, calm down. The truth will all come out soon enough. But you must listen carefully as I tell you what I know, absolutely no interruptions, alright?" She nodded, and shut her mouth. Dark shapes were moving closer to the building, a sinister presence creeping, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She nodded again, and Haku started his tale.
"Once I saw that you were safely back in the realm of humans, I went to have that talk with Yubabba. She was being surprisingly nice, making me drowsy with food and wine. She agreed to release me into your world, and free me of work, so I signed the release contract and was turning to leave when she caught me off guard. My back was to her because I was opening the door, then she hit me with a spell. So, once again, she had my name in her possession. She made me obey her. While this was happening, there was a revolt in the bathhouse. The frogs decided that their pay wasn't high enough, so they, erm, took things into their own hands. I'm sorry, to say, they burned down the bathhouse. When I left, it was totally gone. The only trace that it existed was the huge fire still going. Damn! There's nothing left! Can you understand that? My home, everyone's home. It's where the spirits replenish themselves! All gone, there's nothing left! And now, they're trying to take over the human world. We can't let that happen, you know that, Chihiro. And I need your help. We have to save your world, since we couldn't save this one. First, we must find Zeniba and get her help. After that. well, who knows. But you have to cooperate. Our lives depend on it."