"I can't sleep."
"Why do you think that is?"
"Because I keep seeing him."
"Who is he?"
"He's a spirit."
"How do you know he's a spirit, Chihiro? What does he tell you?"
"It's just one of those things you know. It seems like I have met him before, but I don't know where. He tells me that I don't need to cry anymore. That he'll take care of me. He tells me that he watches over me like I watch over Hikari."
"How do you watch your sister?"
"I take her everywhere with me. We do everything together. I want to be close before I have to go on tour. My parents don't do anything with either of us. It was a miracle that Hikari was even conceived. They can't stop fighting."
"Chihiro, your parents try to do as much as they can for you and your sister. They work hard, they put food on the table, and they love you. What more could you want?"
"They don't do anything but argue! They have ignored me since I was eight years old! They never took care of Hikari! I had to do it! My friends helped! All I have left is Hikari, and I'm not letting anyone take her from me." Chihiro said, her voice rising, "I am not going to take anymore if this. You can't help me. I don't have a problem. You want to find the real issue? Look for my mom and dad, they'll be at their house."
"Don't you mean your house?"
"No. I moved out." Chihiro said and then walked to the door. She opened it in one movement and left the doctor's office for good.
* * * * * * * * *
"dakara..
nanimo iwanai de
kimi wa tada sukoshi ima wa obieteiru dake dakara
nanimo iwanai de
kimi wa tada sukoshi kanashimi no naka ni iru dake dakara
saigo no toki no naka de inori o sasageru
tsuki no mahou wa shalle a le rille
amai koe de sasayaku kara
mou ichido dake kanau kara
te o tsunaide kimi to waraitai
yume no naka de.
kioku no naka de kitto mata aeru ne.
kimi no egao ga torimodoseru nara
hohoenda kimi ga iru nara
kanashimi wa yasashisa ni kawaru yo
'tooi kioku no mama de.' negai o komete
tsuki no mahou wa shalle a le rille
kimi ga namida o wasureru nara
yasashisa ni furerareru nara
kimi no soba de nemuritai
tsuki no mahou ga kieru nara
sayonara ga mata otozureru kara ima omoi ga tsutawaru nara
te o tsunai de kimi to odoritai
Hikari no naka e kaeru beki basho e
Mata dokokade kimi to aeru kara"
Chihiro's voice echoed throughout the large coliseum. This was her dream. To sing in front of millions and finally be heard. She wondered if Rei and Mika could hear. Could they hear the screams of happiness? Did they know that that song was for them? Did they know that she missed them? Chihiro blinked back her tears and waved to her fans. She stepped off the stage. It was over. The last concert of her tour.
The seats were sold out across Japan. She sang with such passion, and such conviction, that she was easily a household name. Sen. No longer Chihiro. Chihiro was for her friends and Hikari. Sen was for those that hardly knew her. That was why she sang as someone else. Why she became someone else completely on stage.
The clock struck Twelve.
It was her seventeenth birthday.
She tried not to be upset. This was the first birthday of Hikari's that she had missed. She wasn't going to make it home today. The next day, though, she and Hikari would spend together. She had somewhere to go first.
She pulled up to the cemetery in the same yellow Echo as before. She climbed up the steep incline just as before. She crouched in front of the graves of her two best friends and cried. Just as she had before. The pain was smaller than it had been, but Chihiro was still upset. This time last year the three of them were laughing and having fun. They were lounging in the springtime sun and making jokes. Then Chihiro would go home to Hikari and Mika and Rei would spend their time together alone.
Chihiro pulled her acoustic guitar off her back and sat cross-legged on the ground. She grabbed the choker from around her neck and began strumming chords with the triangular stone that Rei had given her. It was just the right shape of a guitar pick, and she hadn't had the heart to throw it away.
"I miss you guys." She said, over the quiet tones of her music, "I wonder sometimes if you can hear me. If you can see me sing. I only do it for you. Someday I'll perform for you. I'll get to be on a stage in heaven somewhere and you'll see me play my guitar and sing." Chihiro smiled, "I'm seventeen today. That means Hikari's six. She's growing up so fast. Can you believe it? They accelerated her a year, Rei. She's in second grade now. She's the youngest in her class. She's so small."
She stopped strumming her guitar when the first raindrops fell. She stood up then, letting the heavenly tears flow down her hair and her face and her body. The storm was warm and comforting, telling her that everything would be all right, and that she could move on. She pulled a second necklace from under her shirt and held it between her fingers. It was a small golden ring. She kept it with her always so that if she ever saw Rei again, she could return it. She never got the chance, so she wasn't going to pass another up.
She got back into her car and drove home. Home was a large penthouse apartment. It was bare, but it was more welcoming than the home her parents provided. It was at the top floor of the complex, and Chihiro had to ride the elevator all the way to the top, often getting stopped by fans or friendly neighbors.
She stumbled through her door and pulled a warm blanket around her. She cuddled onto her couch and flicked on the Television. News channels were reporting accidents and sports scores, and Chihiro ignored them. They simply didn't interest her. She was dozing off when the phone rang.
* * * * * * * * *
"What do you mean you don't know what happened?" Chihiro screamed at the officer. She was standing in the pouring rain next to the wreckage of her parents' luxurious Audi. The sun was lowering in the sky.
"She's perfectly fine. The paramedics already examined her. Your father and mother, however, were badly injured. They were flown to a bigger hospital in Kyoto. You need to take your sister home with you, otherwise, we'll find a foster care center for her to stay at."
"How long?"
"I don't know that yet, but judging from the looks of them, it could be for a long period of time. It will take at least six months for them to heal."
"Okay. I'll take her with me." Chihiro said. Her parents were in a car accident. They were badly hurt. Hikari was standing next to a tall oak tree among a small collection of miniscule houses. Chihiro looked down the beaten road.
It was that forest.
""Kari! Come here with me, baby." Chihiro called to her sister and grabbed her when she was close enough. Chihiro hugged her sister as hard as she could. She began to cry.
"Chi! What's wrong?" Hikari asked.
"Were you wearing your seatbelt, Hikari? Why aren't you hurt? You should be dead right now!" Chihiro said. Her voice was barely above a whisper, "Why are you okay when mom and dad aren't. The impact of the crash should have killed someone as small as you." Hikari breathed sharply and wrenched herself from Chihiro's grasp. She took off down the dirt road.
"Hikari!" Chihiro called. A hand grabbed her arm.
"Miss Ogino, it's okay for you to take your sister home with you. We'll be in contact with you soon." Chihiro nodded, in a hurry to catch Hikari, but was stopped again, "One more thing, can I have your autograph?" Chihiro stopped.
"My little sister just ran off into the woods by herself, and you want an autograph?" Chihiro ran away from him, ignoring his calls.
"How about a date? I don't see a ring on your finger! You're known for being single, right?"
Chihiro sprinted through the forest. The haunt of her childhood. She had to get to Hikari. She could hear muffled sobs up ahead and watched as her sister, the only thing left in her life ran through the bright red tunnel into the Mahou no Sekai. Chihiro stopped dead in her tracks. Hikari was gone. She had gone into the meadow. Chihiro had nothing left.
Chihiro's feet moved of their own accord. They took her through the tunnel and into the train station. Hikari wasn't there. The sun was beginning to set. Chihiro could see lights up ahead and chose to run toward them. Hikari had to be there. She ran down the front of the station and through the meadow.
The water rushed in upon her in seconds. It swirled around her ankles and dragged her under its dark sapphire surface. Chihiro fought the current, hoping to save herself. She had to get to Hikari. She swam toward the lights to no avail. The water was too strong. Her limbs went stiff from exhaustion. She fell beneath the water's surface.
* * * * * * * *
Chihiro felt like she had been stabbed repeatedly with a blunt knife. She was shaking with pain and cold. She rolled to her stomach and vomited water. A soft crooning voice sounded in her ears, and a comforting hand gently stroked her back. Chihiro sat back on her haunches. She calmly stiffened her body.
She grabbed the unknown person's arm and flipped him over her shoulders to the ground.
The boy had the greenest eyes she'd ever seen.
He only smiled when her eyes widened. She was disappearing. She screamed with all of her might. He covered his ears and winced. Then he grabbed her arms and held them softly at her side. He pulled a small berry from his pocket and offered it to her.
"Eat this. It will make you solid again." He said. His voice was deep, but it was smooth as the water's surface. Cautiously, she took what she had been offered and ate the small fruit. She quickly solidified, "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked. She shook her head, "What do I call you?" he asked.
"Sen." She said. He frowned slightly, "Have you seen a little girl. She's seven years old and I followed her through this tunnel. I have to find her."
"No. I haven't seen anyone other than you." He said and fingered her necklace, "Come with me Sen." She followed, speaking the entire way.
"Please, help me find her. She's just a little girl, you can't leave her alone in a place like this." Chihiro gave a yelp of surprise when a dark shadow passed by her legs. She latched onto the boy's arm and walked slowly behind him.
"The Mahou no Sekai is no place for a human. I'll have to hide you and send you home tomorrow. You'll be spending the night in my quarters." Chihiro nodded faintly.
"Who are you, exactly?" She asked.
"Haku. My name is Haku." She smiled.
"Haku. That's one of my favorite names. I never knew why, it just sounds so pretty." She said and blushed slightly when he raised his eyebrows at her questioningly. They came upon a large wooden bridge and Chihiro gasped when she read the title above the large doors. Aburaya. The bathhouse of the spirits.
"When we step onto the bridge, take a deep breath and hold it. If you breathe on the bridge, my spell will break, and you will become visible. It might be best for you to close your eyes and concentrate only on the sound of my voice. That way, no surprises." Chihiro nodded and did as she was told. She concentrated on every word that he spoke. He greeted fellow spirits and the workers of the bathhouse, taking time to whisper comforting words under his breath to her. Eventually they made it across and Chihiro took a breath of relief. She held onto his arm and they made their way into the bathhouse together.
They went up a series of elevators until they reached a small wooden staircase. Haku climbed behind Chihiro am studied her carefully. She had grown older and prettier. Her eyes still held the same glint of mischief and kindness, but she didn't have any idea who he was. She wanted to be called Sen. He didn't think Sen pretty enough for her, but complied anyway. He couldn't give himself away. He couldn't tell her that he knew her.
They went into his room and he pulled out an extra futon for her to sleep upon. He pulled a cord in the far corner by the window and turned to his guest.
"There is a bathroom through that door there. If you would like to shower you may. I am sending for some clothes. I must go and attend to my business, but I will return by morning." He said. There was a sharp knock at the door. Haku answered it and gave directions to the person on the other side. Chihiro walked to the balcony and looked out at the night.
"Do you need anything to eat, Sen?" Haku asked, walking up behind her.
"No thank you. Will you ask around for my sister? She goes by the name Hikari." Haku smiled and nodded. He excused himself and left. Chihiro opened the door adjoining the main bedchamber and took a quick shower. The sound of the door knocking caught her by surprise. She wrapped a towel around herself, pulled the door open swiftly and gasped.
Mika was standing before her, good as new.
A/N: Aha! That one's done! And look! I didn't kill anybody, and Haku's in there. I hope you liked it, let me know how you feel! I am going to try to get one more out by Thursday.
The song, U + K is Gackt's insanely happy, dancing kitty song! Go Gackt! Lyrics are below. This one's really good! Once again, I don't own it or the SA characters. I'm just borrowing them.
U + K
So.
Don't say anything
You're just a little bit frightened now so
Don't say anything
You're just a little bit in grief now so
In the last act, offer your prayers
The magic of the moon is. shalle a le rille
Because we whisper in sugary voices
If just one more wish comes true
I want to join hands with you and laugh
Inside of the dream.
Inside of the memory, we'll definitely meet again.
If you can regain your smile
If your laughing self returns
Sadness will turn to kindness
"As that far off memory was." with all your desires
The magic of the moon is. shalle a le rille
If you can forget your tears
If you can touch your kindness
I want to sleep near you
If the magic of the moon vanishes
Because good-byes are visited again
If we can follow our feelings right now
I want to join hands with you and dance
Inside of the light, the place we should return to,
Because I'll meet you again somewhere
"Why do you think that is?"
"Because I keep seeing him."
"Who is he?"
"He's a spirit."
"How do you know he's a spirit, Chihiro? What does he tell you?"
"It's just one of those things you know. It seems like I have met him before, but I don't know where. He tells me that I don't need to cry anymore. That he'll take care of me. He tells me that he watches over me like I watch over Hikari."
"How do you watch your sister?"
"I take her everywhere with me. We do everything together. I want to be close before I have to go on tour. My parents don't do anything with either of us. It was a miracle that Hikari was even conceived. They can't stop fighting."
"Chihiro, your parents try to do as much as they can for you and your sister. They work hard, they put food on the table, and they love you. What more could you want?"
"They don't do anything but argue! They have ignored me since I was eight years old! They never took care of Hikari! I had to do it! My friends helped! All I have left is Hikari, and I'm not letting anyone take her from me." Chihiro said, her voice rising, "I am not going to take anymore if this. You can't help me. I don't have a problem. You want to find the real issue? Look for my mom and dad, they'll be at their house."
"Don't you mean your house?"
"No. I moved out." Chihiro said and then walked to the door. She opened it in one movement and left the doctor's office for good.
* * * * * * * * *
"dakara..
nanimo iwanai de
kimi wa tada sukoshi ima wa obieteiru dake dakara
nanimo iwanai de
kimi wa tada sukoshi kanashimi no naka ni iru dake dakara
saigo no toki no naka de inori o sasageru
tsuki no mahou wa shalle a le rille
amai koe de sasayaku kara
mou ichido dake kanau kara
te o tsunaide kimi to waraitai
yume no naka de.
kioku no naka de kitto mata aeru ne.
kimi no egao ga torimodoseru nara
hohoenda kimi ga iru nara
kanashimi wa yasashisa ni kawaru yo
'tooi kioku no mama de.' negai o komete
tsuki no mahou wa shalle a le rille
kimi ga namida o wasureru nara
yasashisa ni furerareru nara
kimi no soba de nemuritai
tsuki no mahou ga kieru nara
sayonara ga mata otozureru kara ima omoi ga tsutawaru nara
te o tsunai de kimi to odoritai
Hikari no naka e kaeru beki basho e
Mata dokokade kimi to aeru kara"
Chihiro's voice echoed throughout the large coliseum. This was her dream. To sing in front of millions and finally be heard. She wondered if Rei and Mika could hear. Could they hear the screams of happiness? Did they know that that song was for them? Did they know that she missed them? Chihiro blinked back her tears and waved to her fans. She stepped off the stage. It was over. The last concert of her tour.
The seats were sold out across Japan. She sang with such passion, and such conviction, that she was easily a household name. Sen. No longer Chihiro. Chihiro was for her friends and Hikari. Sen was for those that hardly knew her. That was why she sang as someone else. Why she became someone else completely on stage.
The clock struck Twelve.
It was her seventeenth birthday.
She tried not to be upset. This was the first birthday of Hikari's that she had missed. She wasn't going to make it home today. The next day, though, she and Hikari would spend together. She had somewhere to go first.
She pulled up to the cemetery in the same yellow Echo as before. She climbed up the steep incline just as before. She crouched in front of the graves of her two best friends and cried. Just as she had before. The pain was smaller than it had been, but Chihiro was still upset. This time last year the three of them were laughing and having fun. They were lounging in the springtime sun and making jokes. Then Chihiro would go home to Hikari and Mika and Rei would spend their time together alone.
Chihiro pulled her acoustic guitar off her back and sat cross-legged on the ground. She grabbed the choker from around her neck and began strumming chords with the triangular stone that Rei had given her. It was just the right shape of a guitar pick, and she hadn't had the heart to throw it away.
"I miss you guys." She said, over the quiet tones of her music, "I wonder sometimes if you can hear me. If you can see me sing. I only do it for you. Someday I'll perform for you. I'll get to be on a stage in heaven somewhere and you'll see me play my guitar and sing." Chihiro smiled, "I'm seventeen today. That means Hikari's six. She's growing up so fast. Can you believe it? They accelerated her a year, Rei. She's in second grade now. She's the youngest in her class. She's so small."
She stopped strumming her guitar when the first raindrops fell. She stood up then, letting the heavenly tears flow down her hair and her face and her body. The storm was warm and comforting, telling her that everything would be all right, and that she could move on. She pulled a second necklace from under her shirt and held it between her fingers. It was a small golden ring. She kept it with her always so that if she ever saw Rei again, she could return it. She never got the chance, so she wasn't going to pass another up.
She got back into her car and drove home. Home was a large penthouse apartment. It was bare, but it was more welcoming than the home her parents provided. It was at the top floor of the complex, and Chihiro had to ride the elevator all the way to the top, often getting stopped by fans or friendly neighbors.
She stumbled through her door and pulled a warm blanket around her. She cuddled onto her couch and flicked on the Television. News channels were reporting accidents and sports scores, and Chihiro ignored them. They simply didn't interest her. She was dozing off when the phone rang.
* * * * * * * * *
"What do you mean you don't know what happened?" Chihiro screamed at the officer. She was standing in the pouring rain next to the wreckage of her parents' luxurious Audi. The sun was lowering in the sky.
"She's perfectly fine. The paramedics already examined her. Your father and mother, however, were badly injured. They were flown to a bigger hospital in Kyoto. You need to take your sister home with you, otherwise, we'll find a foster care center for her to stay at."
"How long?"
"I don't know that yet, but judging from the looks of them, it could be for a long period of time. It will take at least six months for them to heal."
"Okay. I'll take her with me." Chihiro said. Her parents were in a car accident. They were badly hurt. Hikari was standing next to a tall oak tree among a small collection of miniscule houses. Chihiro looked down the beaten road.
It was that forest.
""Kari! Come here with me, baby." Chihiro called to her sister and grabbed her when she was close enough. Chihiro hugged her sister as hard as she could. She began to cry.
"Chi! What's wrong?" Hikari asked.
"Were you wearing your seatbelt, Hikari? Why aren't you hurt? You should be dead right now!" Chihiro said. Her voice was barely above a whisper, "Why are you okay when mom and dad aren't. The impact of the crash should have killed someone as small as you." Hikari breathed sharply and wrenched herself from Chihiro's grasp. She took off down the dirt road.
"Hikari!" Chihiro called. A hand grabbed her arm.
"Miss Ogino, it's okay for you to take your sister home with you. We'll be in contact with you soon." Chihiro nodded, in a hurry to catch Hikari, but was stopped again, "One more thing, can I have your autograph?" Chihiro stopped.
"My little sister just ran off into the woods by herself, and you want an autograph?" Chihiro ran away from him, ignoring his calls.
"How about a date? I don't see a ring on your finger! You're known for being single, right?"
Chihiro sprinted through the forest. The haunt of her childhood. She had to get to Hikari. She could hear muffled sobs up ahead and watched as her sister, the only thing left in her life ran through the bright red tunnel into the Mahou no Sekai. Chihiro stopped dead in her tracks. Hikari was gone. She had gone into the meadow. Chihiro had nothing left.
Chihiro's feet moved of their own accord. They took her through the tunnel and into the train station. Hikari wasn't there. The sun was beginning to set. Chihiro could see lights up ahead and chose to run toward them. Hikari had to be there. She ran down the front of the station and through the meadow.
The water rushed in upon her in seconds. It swirled around her ankles and dragged her under its dark sapphire surface. Chihiro fought the current, hoping to save herself. She had to get to Hikari. She swam toward the lights to no avail. The water was too strong. Her limbs went stiff from exhaustion. She fell beneath the water's surface.
* * * * * * * *
Chihiro felt like she had been stabbed repeatedly with a blunt knife. She was shaking with pain and cold. She rolled to her stomach and vomited water. A soft crooning voice sounded in her ears, and a comforting hand gently stroked her back. Chihiro sat back on her haunches. She calmly stiffened her body.
She grabbed the unknown person's arm and flipped him over her shoulders to the ground.
The boy had the greenest eyes she'd ever seen.
He only smiled when her eyes widened. She was disappearing. She screamed with all of her might. He covered his ears and winced. Then he grabbed her arms and held them softly at her side. He pulled a small berry from his pocket and offered it to her.
"Eat this. It will make you solid again." He said. His voice was deep, but it was smooth as the water's surface. Cautiously, she took what she had been offered and ate the small fruit. She quickly solidified, "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked. She shook her head, "What do I call you?" he asked.
"Sen." She said. He frowned slightly, "Have you seen a little girl. She's seven years old and I followed her through this tunnel. I have to find her."
"No. I haven't seen anyone other than you." He said and fingered her necklace, "Come with me Sen." She followed, speaking the entire way.
"Please, help me find her. She's just a little girl, you can't leave her alone in a place like this." Chihiro gave a yelp of surprise when a dark shadow passed by her legs. She latched onto the boy's arm and walked slowly behind him.
"The Mahou no Sekai is no place for a human. I'll have to hide you and send you home tomorrow. You'll be spending the night in my quarters." Chihiro nodded faintly.
"Who are you, exactly?" She asked.
"Haku. My name is Haku." She smiled.
"Haku. That's one of my favorite names. I never knew why, it just sounds so pretty." She said and blushed slightly when he raised his eyebrows at her questioningly. They came upon a large wooden bridge and Chihiro gasped when she read the title above the large doors. Aburaya. The bathhouse of the spirits.
"When we step onto the bridge, take a deep breath and hold it. If you breathe on the bridge, my spell will break, and you will become visible. It might be best for you to close your eyes and concentrate only on the sound of my voice. That way, no surprises." Chihiro nodded and did as she was told. She concentrated on every word that he spoke. He greeted fellow spirits and the workers of the bathhouse, taking time to whisper comforting words under his breath to her. Eventually they made it across and Chihiro took a breath of relief. She held onto his arm and they made their way into the bathhouse together.
They went up a series of elevators until they reached a small wooden staircase. Haku climbed behind Chihiro am studied her carefully. She had grown older and prettier. Her eyes still held the same glint of mischief and kindness, but she didn't have any idea who he was. She wanted to be called Sen. He didn't think Sen pretty enough for her, but complied anyway. He couldn't give himself away. He couldn't tell her that he knew her.
They went into his room and he pulled out an extra futon for her to sleep upon. He pulled a cord in the far corner by the window and turned to his guest.
"There is a bathroom through that door there. If you would like to shower you may. I am sending for some clothes. I must go and attend to my business, but I will return by morning." He said. There was a sharp knock at the door. Haku answered it and gave directions to the person on the other side. Chihiro walked to the balcony and looked out at the night.
"Do you need anything to eat, Sen?" Haku asked, walking up behind her.
"No thank you. Will you ask around for my sister? She goes by the name Hikari." Haku smiled and nodded. He excused himself and left. Chihiro opened the door adjoining the main bedchamber and took a quick shower. The sound of the door knocking caught her by surprise. She wrapped a towel around herself, pulled the door open swiftly and gasped.
Mika was standing before her, good as new.
A/N: Aha! That one's done! And look! I didn't kill anybody, and Haku's in there. I hope you liked it, let me know how you feel! I am going to try to get one more out by Thursday.
The song, U + K is Gackt's insanely happy, dancing kitty song! Go Gackt! Lyrics are below. This one's really good! Once again, I don't own it or the SA characters. I'm just borrowing them.
U + K
So.
Don't say anything
You're just a little bit frightened now so
Don't say anything
You're just a little bit in grief now so
In the last act, offer your prayers
The magic of the moon is. shalle a le rille
Because we whisper in sugary voices
If just one more wish comes true
I want to join hands with you and laugh
Inside of the dream.
Inside of the memory, we'll definitely meet again.
If you can regain your smile
If your laughing self returns
Sadness will turn to kindness
"As that far off memory was." with all your desires
The magic of the moon is. shalle a le rille
If you can forget your tears
If you can touch your kindness
I want to sleep near you
If the magic of the moon vanishes
Because good-byes are visited again
If we can follow our feelings right now
I want to join hands with you and dance
Inside of the light, the place we should return to,
Because I'll meet you again somewhere