Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.
Chapter 31: Dark Forest
The next day Chihiro and Kohaku were allowed to go look for Asuko again, after the reassured Zeniiba that Mat wouldn't mess up again. Zeniiba had a very busy night so she couldn't baby-sit. Chihiro and Kohaku asked Kamajii who was happy to watch his 'great-granddaughter'.
Chihiro and Kohaku flew off to the Dark Forest which was their only lead. It was about midnight when they reached the Dark forest, Kohaku scanned the ground for Asuko. After awhile Kohaku just scanned for any signs of life.
"Kohaku maybe since its dark and the forest is called the Dark forest we can't see its inhabitant from so far away," said Chihiro. Kohaku changed back into his human form in midair, but he seemed to slowly fall to the ground.
Kohaku held onto Chihiro's hands and said, "You really want to walk in the Dark forest, in the dark?"
"Well we can't wait for sunrise," replied Chihiro, her feet touched the ground just outside the forest.
"We aren't splitting up," said Kohaku.
"Wouldn't dream of it," smiled Chihiro. Chihiro gripped Kohaku's hand tighter, she walked to the edge of the forest. As soon as Chihiro and Kohaku went to step into the forest a red force field appeared and throw them back about ten feet into a huge clump of rocks. They were unconscious.
----------
Mat had scrubbed the big tub for hours and not a customer came, Mat didn't know what was better. Yes Mat had no one to tend to and he had scrubbed every last fleck of sludge, some of which he could tell had been there for twenty years or so. But it bored Mat, he had to just sit there and wait for a spirit who needed a bath, or new mold to grow, which would happen sooner Mat didn't Know.
----------
Asuko stood by the table patiently waiting to be dismissed, "Human! You'll be giving me a bath tonight," said Master Hiyae, "You two are dismissed."
"Thank you Master Hiyae," said Gingko and Asuko together bowing and walking into the kitchen.
"Thank you for letting me give you a bath Master Hiyae," mocked Asuko discussed.
"Which is better giving him a bath or his toe nails?" asked Gingko laughing.
"Eating horse shit," replied Asuko.
----------
It was sunrise when Kohaku woke up, Chihiro was still unconscious next to him. Kohaku picked up Chihiro's head and tried to wake her up, after a minute she opened her eyes, "What happened Kohaku?" said Chihiro, putting a hand on her head.
Caw "Not Allowed," Caw replied a large crow, sitting on a branch in the forest.
"And what exactly is not allowed?" asked Kohaku.
"NOT ALLOWED," Caw, replied the crow.
"Love isn't allowed in the Dark forest," grumbled the rocks behind Kohaku and Chihiro.
Chihiro sat up and looked at the rocks, "Who are you? And does that mean we can't go into the forest?"
"Me? That I have forgotten, no one ever asks me. Not to many people who are in love want to enter the forest. The forest spirit forbids it, along with many other things. You can enter just not holding hands," grumbled the rocks.
"Thank you," said Kohaku getting up and walking towards the forest.
"Why do you want to enter the forest?" asked the rocks.
"We're searching a human friend of ours have you seen her?" said Chihiro.
"Perhaps, what year did she disappear?" said the rocks.
"Year?! Its only been a few days," said Kohaku.
"Then nope I've been sleeping since the last person tried to enter the forest. A mean human girl, I think she was human, I can't remember it was a hundred years ago," said the rocks.
"Well thank you Stein(a/n: German for Stone(I don't speak Japanese, only English, German, and the smallest amount of Spanish)) you've been a big help," said Chihiro walking to the edge of the forest.
"Stein? Ah yes my name, Thank you, you are a very nice couple. I should warn you then..." Kohaku and Chihiro stepped into the forest, "The forest doesn't allow togetherness... in the beginning at least...I think."
Chihiro reached for Kohaku's hand the forest seemed encompassing like she was in the middle and not on the edge. Chihiro found no hand, "Kohaku! Kohaku! Where are you?! You said no splitting up! Kohaku!"
----------
"Chihiro! Where are you?! Chihiro!" yelled Kohaku.
----------
Caw "Not Allowed" Caw, crowed a thousands crows that were throughout the whole forest.
----------
"Not allowed? Can't you say something else? I'm lost in the Dark forest alone this can't be good!" cried Chihiro, she fell to the ground as tears streamed down her face. Each tear seemed to bring the darkness in closer, the sadness, till all Chihiro could see and feel was black.
----------
The forest spirit laughed, "Sadness is allowed, fear, doubt, and pain as well. You're a source for this now, a well, a fountain... until you kill yourself."
----------
Kohaku began to feel scared he had no clue where Chihiro was, he just wanted to breakdown and cry. He heard a faint sound of crying, it seemed to feed the forest, make it bigger, darker. Kohaku could feel the energy, the sad energy, and another a dark energy. Kohaku gathered up his courage and walked towards the energies(which where in the same direction)
It seemed to Kohaku that he had been walking days, his whole body ached from head to toe. In reality it had only been 36 minutes.
Kohaku stumbled onto a black foggy ball that was radiating the sad energy. He peered in the ball with lazy eyes, he could see Chihiro crying, and twirling a knife, that didn't belong to her.
Kohaku punched the black ball, "Chihiro! No! Think of the future of Me of Ryu!" yelled Kohaku, Chihiro didn't seem to hear him.
The dark energy got stronger, the forest spirit said, "The pain is unbearable, the fear to strong. Her doubt and sadness, will kill her. You'll be alone in this dark forest."
"No I wont!" Kohaku yelled a knife appeared in front of him, intended for Kohaku to kill himself, or to stab Chihiro's bubble killing her. Kohaku gripped the knife and held it over the black ball, the spirit urged him on. Kohaku lifted the knife as if to slash the ball, but then whipped it at the spirit. The knife stuck into a tree, but missed the spirit, "Chihiro! Don't kill yourself, I need you, Ryu needs you. I love you Chihiro! I can't live without you!"
"Not Allowed," Caw, said a crow as it landed on the spirits shoulder.
"I don't care you can't have us for your sorrow!" yelled Kohaku. The pain in Kohaku's feet was to much, the fear in his heart weighed him down. Kohaku fainted into Chihiro's black ball.
The forest spirit laughed he turned around to retrieve the knife Kohaku had thrown.
One of Chihiro's tear drops fell on Kohaku's face, it stirred him only but a little. Kohaku mumbled only one word, "Love." Chihiro's tears stopped, she gripped the knife and stood up.
The forest spirit was still laughing when he dislodged the knife. The spirit could feel a change in the energy behind him. The Spirit whipped around to find that Chihiro held the knife all but three inches from the Spirit.
The Spirit just smiled wider and laughed, "Anger also feeds the forest child, and murder as well, but you can never really kill me!"
"Who ever said anything about Anger?" said Chihiro backing up to Kohaku. Chihiro gently woke up Kohaku and helped him stand up, "See there Kohaku the edge of the forest just a few steps away, we are leaving." Chihiro put her arm around Kohaku's waist and leaned him on her shoulder. Chihiro still held the knife in the direction of the Spirit, who was still laughing, he knew though the edge was close they wouldn't make it.
Chihiro almost dropped Kohaku, who wasn't fully awake yet, in an attempted to keep Kohaku from falling to the ground, Chihiro dropped the knife, and grabbed Kohaku with two hands. The knife fell to the ground and clinked against another piece of metal under the dead leaves.
Chihiro brushed away the dead leaves to reveal a set of keys, Chihiro could clearly read one of the key chains, "Happy Birthday Asuko, Love Yoshi."
Kohaku woke up a little more and stood on his own two feet Chihiro loosened her grip and reached down for the key chain. Chihiro picked up the key chain and left the knife.
Chihiro still holding onto Kohaku began to walk to the edge of the forest. Caw "Not Allowed," Caw. Cawed the crow.
"I know, but you've got to break some rules or life wont be fun," replied Chihiro taking another step.
The Spirit stopped laughing, he was stunned that Chihiro had made it so close to the edge and the edge of the forest hadn't receded. Chihiro and Kohaku were just about to cross out of the forest, when the Spirit snapped out of his trance. The Spirit ran to stop Chihiro, Kohaku was already safely out of the forest.
Before Chihiro stepped out or the forest she turned to the spirit, "It's NOT ALLOWED."
Chihiro felt weak when she stepped out of the forest, the huge weight of sadness had been lifted. Chihiro fell to the ground next to Kohaku, she had no clue where she was.
"At least we wont have to go back in there," said Kohaku after a few minutes.
"Umm.... Kohaku, in the forest I found Asuko's keys," said Chihiro. Both Kohaku and Chihiro fell asleep.
It was in the an hour before sunset, when Kohaku woke up. Kohaku changed into a dragon and picked up the sleeping Chihiro and flew home.
Author's Note: Anyone who might be thinking that this story is almost finished may I remind you of the sour Yuuko and naturally of course Rin and Shu. If you would like to use Stein( most obviously my creation an English speaking German rock in a Japanese based world), the Dark Forest Spirit, or the Dark Forest(which fed and grew remember, IT'S ALIVE, and sadly not Jello... so much sadness :( ...he he he) go ahead but I request you give me creation credit. And the same with the not so 'nice man' if someone has also created a Dark Forest/Spirit. I hold creation for this one, and if somehow the other Dark Forest/Spirit is just like mine, I'm sorry I didn't previously know, and anyways Great Minds do think alike, right? Anyone who might not enjoy the few crossovers from this story and my other story 'Trapped' (Which have to be like slim to none) I am the author of both stories and therefore its allowed. For Example, Stephen King has done a basic idea and spun two movies from it. (I've only read one of the books to the two movies, I'm thinking of 'Rose Red' and 'The Haunting'(I'm pretty sure is the name of the movie) and the book to 'Rose Red'(great book called: 'The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer My Life at Rose Red') is a prequel to the movie.) Please No one get mad at my Stephen King example. Only an example. Well happy reading.
~ Na
Chapter 31: Dark Forest
The next day Chihiro and Kohaku were allowed to go look for Asuko again, after the reassured Zeniiba that Mat wouldn't mess up again. Zeniiba had a very busy night so she couldn't baby-sit. Chihiro and Kohaku asked Kamajii who was happy to watch his 'great-granddaughter'.
Chihiro and Kohaku flew off to the Dark Forest which was their only lead. It was about midnight when they reached the Dark forest, Kohaku scanned the ground for Asuko. After awhile Kohaku just scanned for any signs of life.
"Kohaku maybe since its dark and the forest is called the Dark forest we can't see its inhabitant from so far away," said Chihiro. Kohaku changed back into his human form in midair, but he seemed to slowly fall to the ground.
Kohaku held onto Chihiro's hands and said, "You really want to walk in the Dark forest, in the dark?"
"Well we can't wait for sunrise," replied Chihiro, her feet touched the ground just outside the forest.
"We aren't splitting up," said Kohaku.
"Wouldn't dream of it," smiled Chihiro. Chihiro gripped Kohaku's hand tighter, she walked to the edge of the forest. As soon as Chihiro and Kohaku went to step into the forest a red force field appeared and throw them back about ten feet into a huge clump of rocks. They were unconscious.
----------
Mat had scrubbed the big tub for hours and not a customer came, Mat didn't know what was better. Yes Mat had no one to tend to and he had scrubbed every last fleck of sludge, some of which he could tell had been there for twenty years or so. But it bored Mat, he had to just sit there and wait for a spirit who needed a bath, or new mold to grow, which would happen sooner Mat didn't Know.
----------
Asuko stood by the table patiently waiting to be dismissed, "Human! You'll be giving me a bath tonight," said Master Hiyae, "You two are dismissed."
"Thank you Master Hiyae," said Gingko and Asuko together bowing and walking into the kitchen.
"Thank you for letting me give you a bath Master Hiyae," mocked Asuko discussed.
"Which is better giving him a bath or his toe nails?" asked Gingko laughing.
"Eating horse shit," replied Asuko.
----------
It was sunrise when Kohaku woke up, Chihiro was still unconscious next to him. Kohaku picked up Chihiro's head and tried to wake her up, after a minute she opened her eyes, "What happened Kohaku?" said Chihiro, putting a hand on her head.
Caw "Not Allowed," Caw replied a large crow, sitting on a branch in the forest.
"And what exactly is not allowed?" asked Kohaku.
"NOT ALLOWED," Caw, replied the crow.
"Love isn't allowed in the Dark forest," grumbled the rocks behind Kohaku and Chihiro.
Chihiro sat up and looked at the rocks, "Who are you? And does that mean we can't go into the forest?"
"Me? That I have forgotten, no one ever asks me. Not to many people who are in love want to enter the forest. The forest spirit forbids it, along with many other things. You can enter just not holding hands," grumbled the rocks.
"Thank you," said Kohaku getting up and walking towards the forest.
"Why do you want to enter the forest?" asked the rocks.
"We're searching a human friend of ours have you seen her?" said Chihiro.
"Perhaps, what year did she disappear?" said the rocks.
"Year?! Its only been a few days," said Kohaku.
"Then nope I've been sleeping since the last person tried to enter the forest. A mean human girl, I think she was human, I can't remember it was a hundred years ago," said the rocks.
"Well thank you Stein(a/n: German for Stone(I don't speak Japanese, only English, German, and the smallest amount of Spanish)) you've been a big help," said Chihiro walking to the edge of the forest.
"Stein? Ah yes my name, Thank you, you are a very nice couple. I should warn you then..." Kohaku and Chihiro stepped into the forest, "The forest doesn't allow togetherness... in the beginning at least...I think."
Chihiro reached for Kohaku's hand the forest seemed encompassing like she was in the middle and not on the edge. Chihiro found no hand, "Kohaku! Kohaku! Where are you?! You said no splitting up! Kohaku!"
----------
"Chihiro! Where are you?! Chihiro!" yelled Kohaku.
----------
Caw "Not Allowed" Caw, crowed a thousands crows that were throughout the whole forest.
----------
"Not allowed? Can't you say something else? I'm lost in the Dark forest alone this can't be good!" cried Chihiro, she fell to the ground as tears streamed down her face. Each tear seemed to bring the darkness in closer, the sadness, till all Chihiro could see and feel was black.
----------
The forest spirit laughed, "Sadness is allowed, fear, doubt, and pain as well. You're a source for this now, a well, a fountain... until you kill yourself."
----------
Kohaku began to feel scared he had no clue where Chihiro was, he just wanted to breakdown and cry. He heard a faint sound of crying, it seemed to feed the forest, make it bigger, darker. Kohaku could feel the energy, the sad energy, and another a dark energy. Kohaku gathered up his courage and walked towards the energies(which where in the same direction)
It seemed to Kohaku that he had been walking days, his whole body ached from head to toe. In reality it had only been 36 minutes.
Kohaku stumbled onto a black foggy ball that was radiating the sad energy. He peered in the ball with lazy eyes, he could see Chihiro crying, and twirling a knife, that didn't belong to her.
Kohaku punched the black ball, "Chihiro! No! Think of the future of Me of Ryu!" yelled Kohaku, Chihiro didn't seem to hear him.
The dark energy got stronger, the forest spirit said, "The pain is unbearable, the fear to strong. Her doubt and sadness, will kill her. You'll be alone in this dark forest."
"No I wont!" Kohaku yelled a knife appeared in front of him, intended for Kohaku to kill himself, or to stab Chihiro's bubble killing her. Kohaku gripped the knife and held it over the black ball, the spirit urged him on. Kohaku lifted the knife as if to slash the ball, but then whipped it at the spirit. The knife stuck into a tree, but missed the spirit, "Chihiro! Don't kill yourself, I need you, Ryu needs you. I love you Chihiro! I can't live without you!"
"Not Allowed," Caw, said a crow as it landed on the spirits shoulder.
"I don't care you can't have us for your sorrow!" yelled Kohaku. The pain in Kohaku's feet was to much, the fear in his heart weighed him down. Kohaku fainted into Chihiro's black ball.
The forest spirit laughed he turned around to retrieve the knife Kohaku had thrown.
One of Chihiro's tear drops fell on Kohaku's face, it stirred him only but a little. Kohaku mumbled only one word, "Love." Chihiro's tears stopped, she gripped the knife and stood up.
The forest spirit was still laughing when he dislodged the knife. The spirit could feel a change in the energy behind him. The Spirit whipped around to find that Chihiro held the knife all but three inches from the Spirit.
The Spirit just smiled wider and laughed, "Anger also feeds the forest child, and murder as well, but you can never really kill me!"
"Who ever said anything about Anger?" said Chihiro backing up to Kohaku. Chihiro gently woke up Kohaku and helped him stand up, "See there Kohaku the edge of the forest just a few steps away, we are leaving." Chihiro put her arm around Kohaku's waist and leaned him on her shoulder. Chihiro still held the knife in the direction of the Spirit, who was still laughing, he knew though the edge was close they wouldn't make it.
Chihiro almost dropped Kohaku, who wasn't fully awake yet, in an attempted to keep Kohaku from falling to the ground, Chihiro dropped the knife, and grabbed Kohaku with two hands. The knife fell to the ground and clinked against another piece of metal under the dead leaves.
Chihiro brushed away the dead leaves to reveal a set of keys, Chihiro could clearly read one of the key chains, "Happy Birthday Asuko, Love Yoshi."
Kohaku woke up a little more and stood on his own two feet Chihiro loosened her grip and reached down for the key chain. Chihiro picked up the key chain and left the knife.
Chihiro still holding onto Kohaku began to walk to the edge of the forest. Caw "Not Allowed," Caw. Cawed the crow.
"I know, but you've got to break some rules or life wont be fun," replied Chihiro taking another step.
The Spirit stopped laughing, he was stunned that Chihiro had made it so close to the edge and the edge of the forest hadn't receded. Chihiro and Kohaku were just about to cross out of the forest, when the Spirit snapped out of his trance. The Spirit ran to stop Chihiro, Kohaku was already safely out of the forest.
Before Chihiro stepped out or the forest she turned to the spirit, "It's NOT ALLOWED."
Chihiro felt weak when she stepped out of the forest, the huge weight of sadness had been lifted. Chihiro fell to the ground next to Kohaku, she had no clue where she was.
"At least we wont have to go back in there," said Kohaku after a few minutes.
"Umm.... Kohaku, in the forest I found Asuko's keys," said Chihiro. Both Kohaku and Chihiro fell asleep.
It was in the an hour before sunset, when Kohaku woke up. Kohaku changed into a dragon and picked up the sleeping Chihiro and flew home.
Author's Note: Anyone who might be thinking that this story is almost finished may I remind you of the sour Yuuko and naturally of course Rin and Shu. If you would like to use Stein( most obviously my creation an English speaking German rock in a Japanese based world), the Dark Forest Spirit, or the Dark Forest(which fed and grew remember, IT'S ALIVE, and sadly not Jello... so much sadness :( ...he he he) go ahead but I request you give me creation credit. And the same with the not so 'nice man' if someone has also created a Dark Forest/Spirit. I hold creation for this one, and if somehow the other Dark Forest/Spirit is just like mine, I'm sorry I didn't previously know, and anyways Great Minds do think alike, right? Anyone who might not enjoy the few crossovers from this story and my other story 'Trapped' (Which have to be like slim to none) I am the author of both stories and therefore its allowed. For Example, Stephen King has done a basic idea and spun two movies from it. (I've only read one of the books to the two movies, I'm thinking of 'Rose Red' and 'The Haunting'(I'm pretty sure is the name of the movie) and the book to 'Rose Red'(great book called: 'The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer My Life at Rose Red') is a prequel to the movie.) Please No one get mad at my Stephen King example. Only an example. Well happy reading.
~ Na
