Disclaimers Notice: I once heard a wise old proverb that stated 'good
things come to those who wait', well wouldn't you think something good
like.oh I don't know..ownership to Spirited Away would be mine by now? I
mean I have waited!
Authors Beginning Note: more Questions to be answered, that is all,
Chapter 24
Where is Kohaku?
~*~ 3 Months Later ~*~
I sat gazing out the window. sigh
"Kohaku, it's been three months! Where are you!"? I whisper to myself. Three months, and he was not found. We looked everywhere we could. We had people look for him even. They searched every Infirmary there was, and yet none matched the description. So where can he be?
"Chihiro!" I looked over my shoulder.
"Hi Arelinita." I said and gazed back out the window. Over across the vast green plains, the railroad ties, and the endless sky.
"Chihiro, why do you do this to yourself? We searched for him and didn't find him. If he were going to come back he would surely have done so by now, his wounds would surely have been healed by now! Even our most injured patient was let out last week. Why don't you move on? Why won't you let yourself let go so that you can move on and be fully happy with your life here? He's DEAD! Do you hear me Chihiro! He is DEAD!" She yelled the last three sentences. I didn't flinch. She knew me too well. It's odd how she knows my thoughts so well, but when I think about it, maybe not as strange as it seems.
"He will come Arelinita. You'll see. He will come." I said patiently. I turned around and looked into her tear filled eyes and watched as one escaped her eyes and slipped down her rosy cheek.
"What makes you think so? Why? Chihiro why?" She whispered. I walked over to her and hugged her.
"Because my heart tells me so. Because I believe in him. He will come. You will see." I said. She pushed me away.
"Why won't you let us leave it be Chihiro! I want to grieve his death but you won't let me! Don't you think I card for him too?" I winced at that. Arelinita and I had had more than a few discussions like this, but I always cringed in guilt when she said things like this.
"If you care for him so much, why won't you believe in him?" I asked softly. It was the first time I had an actual reply to give, and it hurt to say those words, but they are true. She looked at me, at first with fury and then she slid to the floor to cry. I walked over to her and knelt down.
"Your right Chihiro, and I'm sorry.it's just.it's so hard!" She cried in exasperation. I wiped away her tears.
"I know, but he will come, trust me." I said and she nodded. After a few moments she was fine and stood up with my help. She wiped the tears off on her new silk Kimono. It was quite pretty on her, The light pink accenting the colors in her features, and the white and lavender rose petal design on it, with a nice blue sash. She really did look quite lovely. Yes, ever since she became Head Mistress of the bathhouse she was able to wear some really nice Kimono's. She was almost required to. But more than her looks, she ran the bathhouse smoothly. If there were any doubts of her capabilities in anyone's minds, than they were quickly swept away. In fact, some say she ran it much better than even Yubaaba. She's nice and kind, but not wimpy. She does tend to loose her temper sometimes, but no harm is done. But most of all, Arelinita is happy, and I am glad. I smile at her.
"What?" She said, almost worried.
"It's nothing." I say shaking my head.
"Well, if you're sure. I have to go and greet some important customers. Don't stay in here all day, you have work to do at one point too, remember." She said, a smile back on her face.
"Yes Mistress Arelinita." I said mockingly. She stuck her tongue out at me and left. I smiled and turned back to the window. It's amazing the things that have happened. It's even more amazing that my parents allowed me to live here.
~*~ Flashback~*~
"Chihiro! How could you.you just.left! Leaving us only a note!"
"Mom.I can."
"Chihiro, never again."
"But dad."
"No but's. You could have been killed. You of all people."
"Dad, I had to! Kohaku was in danger. I told you both what happened."
"That is no excuse. From now on, you are band from that world, you silly irresponsible girl!"
"But dad, I have to! I have to go! If you don't let me...I'll..I'll die." I said, my anger flushed away and replaced with tears, for I knew in my heart, that it was true. Silence. Neither said a word, and Mom's tears were silently running down her face. Her hair was in a disheveled mess. I hated putting them through it, but I had to.
"Is that.is that really what you want to do?" Mom asked hesitantly. I nodded.
"Than, if it really your true hearts desire, than you may go back and live there to your hearts content."
"But honey."
"Shh, dear. It is her life, shouldn't she be able to decide her path in life? She is after all no longer our young little ten year old girl. She is already sixteen, almost old enough to marry, and old enough for such decisions." Mother gazed in fathers eyes. At last his shoulders slumped. He walked over to me and put his big strong hands on my shoulders and looked me right in the eye. Before embracing me in his strong thick arms.
"Your mother is right. I am ashamed to say that I didn't see it right away. I guess you really have grown up. I guess, you must do, what you feel you must do. Just please, be happy, and don't forget us." And then he began to cry.
"I promise I won't." Then Mother came and hugged me. Her wet tears drenching my shirt.
~*~*~ Be a Flashback No More ~*~*~
It was so hard saying goodbye to them, but I'm glad that I did come. Maybe someday I'll see them again. I doubt it. Granny said after I came back that the way was completely sealed. But maybe.there is always a chance of miracles like that.
A cool breeze sweeping the grass and making the grass blow and look like rolling waves in the sea. It caressed my cheek and left as soon as it came. Sighing again I shifted my standing position.
I can feel so many questions dance in the back of my head it almost hurts. Like three months ago. When the three of us, Granny, Arelinita, and I sat there in front of the fire place and I asked question upon question, but even though they never seemed to stop coming, Granny did her best to answer all of them.
~*~ Be a Flashback Again ~*~
"Granny, when Kohaku and I were being eaten, why is it that, all of the sudden my memories came to me. Only, your spell didn't work this time and it was worse than before. It felt like my head was being ripped open."
"It was because the nothingness was eating your memories. It ate away the spell I had put on it, and of course your memories being forced to come, it hurt. So in other words, you filled him with your memories as well." I sat quietly pondering what she had just said.
"It was very wise of you to have thought of filling him in like that, if not a little naïve." I smiled, and then another question crossed my mind.
"Haku.he said he wanted my power. What power was he talking about? I'm only human! I have no powers. And why did his wrist get burned when he touched me there, and not before?" It was Granny's turn to think about this one. After a few moments Arelinita unexpectedly answered.
"You're wrong. You are powerful Chihiro. You are kind, strong, and full of innocence and love. That is the best kind of power there is, and the strongest kind of magic. How could he understand such a thing? He was emptiness, and could not feel emotions."
"Arelinita is right, and as for your other question, I can only guess that the love and emotions you felt were at a high point. He couldn't stand the touch of you and your passion that burned inside. It melted away his ugly cold nothingness. At least that is the best thing I can think of that could possibly have happened." I nodded. It made sense. I let out a sigh before asking more questions.
~*~ Flashback Be Gone ~*~
I sighed again.
"I guess I should get back to work. I can think about things like this later." I looked down at my grumbling stomach.
"I need food too, but I could have swore that I had eaten only a few hours ago." I growled again.
"Al right, al right! I'll get food first, than work." I walked out of the room, that I was lucky to not have to share with anyone, since I was one of the head workers, and skipped out in search for food.
Authors Ending Note: I hope this chapter finished explaining most of your questions. Otherwise, I'm just going to have to tell you in my next authors note instead of incorporating it into my story.
I hope you like! Still more to come!
Authors Beginning Note: more Questions to be answered, that is all,
Chapter 24
Where is Kohaku?
~*~ 3 Months Later ~*~
I sat gazing out the window. sigh
"Kohaku, it's been three months! Where are you!"? I whisper to myself. Three months, and he was not found. We looked everywhere we could. We had people look for him even. They searched every Infirmary there was, and yet none matched the description. So where can he be?
"Chihiro!" I looked over my shoulder.
"Hi Arelinita." I said and gazed back out the window. Over across the vast green plains, the railroad ties, and the endless sky.
"Chihiro, why do you do this to yourself? We searched for him and didn't find him. If he were going to come back he would surely have done so by now, his wounds would surely have been healed by now! Even our most injured patient was let out last week. Why don't you move on? Why won't you let yourself let go so that you can move on and be fully happy with your life here? He's DEAD! Do you hear me Chihiro! He is DEAD!" She yelled the last three sentences. I didn't flinch. She knew me too well. It's odd how she knows my thoughts so well, but when I think about it, maybe not as strange as it seems.
"He will come Arelinita. You'll see. He will come." I said patiently. I turned around and looked into her tear filled eyes and watched as one escaped her eyes and slipped down her rosy cheek.
"What makes you think so? Why? Chihiro why?" She whispered. I walked over to her and hugged her.
"Because my heart tells me so. Because I believe in him. He will come. You will see." I said. She pushed me away.
"Why won't you let us leave it be Chihiro! I want to grieve his death but you won't let me! Don't you think I card for him too?" I winced at that. Arelinita and I had had more than a few discussions like this, but I always cringed in guilt when she said things like this.
"If you care for him so much, why won't you believe in him?" I asked softly. It was the first time I had an actual reply to give, and it hurt to say those words, but they are true. She looked at me, at first with fury and then she slid to the floor to cry. I walked over to her and knelt down.
"Your right Chihiro, and I'm sorry.it's just.it's so hard!" She cried in exasperation. I wiped away her tears.
"I know, but he will come, trust me." I said and she nodded. After a few moments she was fine and stood up with my help. She wiped the tears off on her new silk Kimono. It was quite pretty on her, The light pink accenting the colors in her features, and the white and lavender rose petal design on it, with a nice blue sash. She really did look quite lovely. Yes, ever since she became Head Mistress of the bathhouse she was able to wear some really nice Kimono's. She was almost required to. But more than her looks, she ran the bathhouse smoothly. If there were any doubts of her capabilities in anyone's minds, than they were quickly swept away. In fact, some say she ran it much better than even Yubaaba. She's nice and kind, but not wimpy. She does tend to loose her temper sometimes, but no harm is done. But most of all, Arelinita is happy, and I am glad. I smile at her.
"What?" She said, almost worried.
"It's nothing." I say shaking my head.
"Well, if you're sure. I have to go and greet some important customers. Don't stay in here all day, you have work to do at one point too, remember." She said, a smile back on her face.
"Yes Mistress Arelinita." I said mockingly. She stuck her tongue out at me and left. I smiled and turned back to the window. It's amazing the things that have happened. It's even more amazing that my parents allowed me to live here.
~*~ Flashback~*~
"Chihiro! How could you.you just.left! Leaving us only a note!"
"Mom.I can."
"Chihiro, never again."
"But dad."
"No but's. You could have been killed. You of all people."
"Dad, I had to! Kohaku was in danger. I told you both what happened."
"That is no excuse. From now on, you are band from that world, you silly irresponsible girl!"
"But dad, I have to! I have to go! If you don't let me...I'll..I'll die." I said, my anger flushed away and replaced with tears, for I knew in my heart, that it was true. Silence. Neither said a word, and Mom's tears were silently running down her face. Her hair was in a disheveled mess. I hated putting them through it, but I had to.
"Is that.is that really what you want to do?" Mom asked hesitantly. I nodded.
"Than, if it really your true hearts desire, than you may go back and live there to your hearts content."
"But honey."
"Shh, dear. It is her life, shouldn't she be able to decide her path in life? She is after all no longer our young little ten year old girl. She is already sixteen, almost old enough to marry, and old enough for such decisions." Mother gazed in fathers eyes. At last his shoulders slumped. He walked over to me and put his big strong hands on my shoulders and looked me right in the eye. Before embracing me in his strong thick arms.
"Your mother is right. I am ashamed to say that I didn't see it right away. I guess you really have grown up. I guess, you must do, what you feel you must do. Just please, be happy, and don't forget us." And then he began to cry.
"I promise I won't." Then Mother came and hugged me. Her wet tears drenching my shirt.
~*~*~ Be a Flashback No More ~*~*~
It was so hard saying goodbye to them, but I'm glad that I did come. Maybe someday I'll see them again. I doubt it. Granny said after I came back that the way was completely sealed. But maybe.there is always a chance of miracles like that.
A cool breeze sweeping the grass and making the grass blow and look like rolling waves in the sea. It caressed my cheek and left as soon as it came. Sighing again I shifted my standing position.
I can feel so many questions dance in the back of my head it almost hurts. Like three months ago. When the three of us, Granny, Arelinita, and I sat there in front of the fire place and I asked question upon question, but even though they never seemed to stop coming, Granny did her best to answer all of them.
~*~ Be a Flashback Again ~*~
"Granny, when Kohaku and I were being eaten, why is it that, all of the sudden my memories came to me. Only, your spell didn't work this time and it was worse than before. It felt like my head was being ripped open."
"It was because the nothingness was eating your memories. It ate away the spell I had put on it, and of course your memories being forced to come, it hurt. So in other words, you filled him with your memories as well." I sat quietly pondering what she had just said.
"It was very wise of you to have thought of filling him in like that, if not a little naïve." I smiled, and then another question crossed my mind.
"Haku.he said he wanted my power. What power was he talking about? I'm only human! I have no powers. And why did his wrist get burned when he touched me there, and not before?" It was Granny's turn to think about this one. After a few moments Arelinita unexpectedly answered.
"You're wrong. You are powerful Chihiro. You are kind, strong, and full of innocence and love. That is the best kind of power there is, and the strongest kind of magic. How could he understand such a thing? He was emptiness, and could not feel emotions."
"Arelinita is right, and as for your other question, I can only guess that the love and emotions you felt were at a high point. He couldn't stand the touch of you and your passion that burned inside. It melted away his ugly cold nothingness. At least that is the best thing I can think of that could possibly have happened." I nodded. It made sense. I let out a sigh before asking more questions.
~*~ Flashback Be Gone ~*~
I sighed again.
"I guess I should get back to work. I can think about things like this later." I looked down at my grumbling stomach.
"I need food too, but I could have swore that I had eaten only a few hours ago." I growled again.
"Al right, al right! I'll get food first, than work." I walked out of the room, that I was lucky to not have to share with anyone, since I was one of the head workers, and skipped out in search for food.
Authors Ending Note: I hope this chapter finished explaining most of your questions. Otherwise, I'm just going to have to tell you in my next authors note instead of incorporating it into my story.
I hope you like! Still more to come!