Choices

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Happy Reading!

-Na

Chapter 4: A Loss or a Gain? (Three years later)

"Midori wait for me" yelled Chihiro running out of the school and half falling into her best friend Midori. The events from three years ago had died down and people had begun to trust Chihiro. She even had a boyfriend, Miyu, but Miyu was a whole other story. Miyu was a great guy really he was nice, and he loved Chihiro with his being, and Chihiro she liked him of course, loved him maybe, but to marry him, no. Miyu just waited patiently for Chihiro to open up, for Chihiro to kiss him. And Chihiro knew the day she kissed him, would most likely be the day he asked her to marry him. It wasn't that Chihiro was a prude or anything she just new it wasn't true love, and wanted her first kiss to be with someone who stopped her heart, who like a puzzle their hands fit perfectly, the world has to be seen in their eyes. Chihiro didn't wanted to look into his eyes and be able to read him like a book, but much, much more as well: the past, present, and future of not just them but the world. And in Miyu made her heart skip not stop, his hands to big and rough, and his eyes held nothing. Midori was often the one to ask why Chihiro dated Miyu or at least why doesn't she break it off. Chihiro didn't know why she had said yes to Miyu but now that she had (last year) she just couldn't bring herself to break his heart and break up with him.

A yellowish hand slipped into Chihiro's. Chihiro turned to see the black haired, brown eyed, and yellowed skin from the sun half South Korean that was her boyfriend, Miyu. Chihiro smiled and said, "Hey sweetie."

"Hey, so where were you last night? We like waited all night and you didn't show," replied Miyu.

"Both of you? I'm sure Midori was off grinding with some random guy and not waiting for me," laughed Chihiro.

"Hey!... well ok, but he didn't wait either I went back to the concession stand and Miyu wasn't there," countered Midori.

"Well what do you expect after standing there for a few hours, I drank a lot of punch and had to go to the bathroom!" replied Miyu.

"Anyways you'll never guess who I saw at that party last night!... Kaeko! Did you see her Miyu? I mean she was your ex-girlfriend and all," said Midori.

"Oh really? I didn't see her," replied Miyu nervously as he hurried to change the subject, "and you Chihiro what did you do?"

"Well I was going to go to the party but my mom said not until my room was clean and every drawer and door could close with ease," replied Chihiro cringing at the thought of the five hours of work, she didn't want to just throw every thing way.

Midori looked shocked, "Even the desk? You have only added to those drawers, never removed anything for six years."

"Three years thank you very much," corrected Chihiro.

"Well did you find anything interesting?" asked Miyu.

"Yeah actually this old train ticket," replied Chihiro pulling out said ticket from her pocket, "do either of you know where it came from?"

Both Miyu and Midori examined the orange and white train ticket, and both shook their heads. "Did you go to the train station and ask?" replied Midori.

"Oh yes I'm going to ride a bus for an hour at midnight to ask them if this train ticket I found in my drawer belonged to them," sarcastically said Chihiro rolling her eyes.

"Ok whatever I have to go home now and do homework, which I suggest you two do for once," replied Midori turning down her own street. Miyu's was the next street on the right but he kept on walking with Chihiro.

"Are you coming to my place?" asked Chihiro as they approached her upward slopping road.

Miyu rubbed the back of his head nervously "No sorry, umm... I have a... Biology project due... umm... and I must collect some plant samples, so yeah... I'm going to the woods... don't you have History or something like that?"

"Yeah well in twenty minute if you hear a scream, then I have history homework. Bye," said Chihiro laughing as she waved goodbye to Miyu and walked up her long sloping road that lead to her little blue house. In the morning it was no problem when the walk was all down hill, but that is when her parents could give her a ride. In the afternoon the walk home was long and uphill the lack of a car in her life left such pleasures as walking twenty minutes to the bottom of her road and then another twenty minutes uphill. And some people ask why she doesn't do any sports.

Chihiro pulled out her house key as she approached the blue house on the corner. Chihiro placed a hand on the doorknob, surprisingly the doorknob turned and the door swung genteelly open. Chihiro hesitated before stepping in the house she was a bit nervous the door should have been locked and she should be alone, "Hello?"

"Oh hello sweetie your home," replied a voice from the kitchen.

"Mom? You got off work early and you didn't pick me up from school!?" replied Chihiro now frustrated.

"I thought you could use the exercise, and besides I couldn't leave the roast in the oven, now could I?" replied Yuuko as Chihiro walked into the kitchen and swung her backpack down.

Chihiro pulled out her agenda and looked to see what was due the next day. Chihiro screamed load enough so that if Miyu was paying attention then he most likely would have heard the blood curdling scream.

"Oh don't tell me you forgot your history project is due tomorrow?" replied Chihiro's mom not at all surprised.

"What am I going to do the project on?" said Chihiro in a panic searching through her papers.

Yuuko sighed, "I told you a week ago do the project on those 'Spirit' houses and shrines in the forest."

"That's a great idea!" yelled Chihiro throwing math books and such out of her backpack only leaving history papers. Chihiro grabbed an apple, a chocolate bar, a digital camera and ran out the door and down the grassy field. It was faster then the road.

Chihiro slid to a stop on the gravel path that stretched out before her. In the direction of her house, to Chihiro's right she saw the 'Spirit' houses. Chihiro took out her camera and snapped a few pictures of the houses. Then Chihiro herself examined them. They were old and made of stone, sadly she couldn't just say a field mouse built them, but she could say that they are houses in which mice live in.

Chihiro knelt down on the ground and put an ear close to the houses in hopes to hear the squealing of spring born mice. She did hear a noise that came from the house nearest her ear, so soft and faint it was barely heard.

"Kamajii gave Sen his remaining four train tickets that would carry her to the sixth stop, of Swamp Bottom where Yu-Baaba's twin sister Zeniiba lives..." said the first soft voice.

"Will Sen ever come back?" asked a second voice.

"Will I ever finish a story? Well she was given a choice six years ago, and three years ago she chose to forget us... so I doubt it."

"But Haku, isn't he dying?"

"Yeah of a broken heart, the cause and cure for his pain in Sen. But if she returns to Aburaya Yu-Baaba will turn her to coal."

"Why not a pig?"

"You ask too many questions. If she was a pig then they would have to wait till she was fat enough to eat, but coal she would be dead sooner."

"I see, how do you know so much?"

The first voice sighed, "I over heard Rin and Haku talking."

"Do you know Sen's real name?"

"Yes..."

"What is it?" the second voice asked excited.

"Chihiro. Now be quiet I smell human!"

Chihiro quickly stood up she couldn't have heard what she had heard. It wasn't that this Sen's real name was Chihiro. Chihiro knew no Rin, no Haku, no Zeniiba, and no Yu-Baaba. The Chihiro part was just a coincident, another girl named Chihiro, since there is millions of people and Chihiro can't be the only Chihiro in the world. She was shocked to have heard something from the houses let alone hear it in her own language!

Chihiro just shook it off as, to much exercise and not enough food. Chihiro pulled out the apple and bit into it's juicy red flesh taking a large chunk of the soft white meat with the skin and chewing it, before she took another bite. Chihiro continued to walk down the path, three pictures of strange talking houses were not enough. Besides Miyu should also be somewhere in these woods, why not surprise him.

Off to Chihiro's right was a smiling egg shaped rock covered in moss. Chihiro took a couple pictures and then wondered its meaning. She wasn't about to check if it talked or not, but it did seem to have some purpose. It was smiling so maybe it was a welcome, but then Chihiro remembered the stories about this forest, 'whoever goes in, doesn't come out.' Even if people know that someone was going to the woods right before they disappeared, everyone would mysteriously forget and the searches would never set a foot into the woods. But such things only happen if you step foot off the path, right?

Chihiro flicked the apple stem to the ground, she had eaten her apple and though she was still hungry, she could live till dinner or until she walked half way up the hill to her house. Chihiro heard a small noise that didn't at all sound forest like or ferocious. Chihiro looked up and nothing could have prepared her for the shock she saw. The satisfaction in her stomach drained to near starvation of a hunger. Her mind played all possibilities, and quickly settled on the 'keep walking, and don't draw attention.' Chihiro quickly walked past her shock and almost ran into another smiling rock covered in green moss. The purpose was now known, it was a warning for humans. Chihiro just wanted to get away, far away and for some reason her mind forgot the turn around and run home option. But then again her mind wasn't at all ready to be asked why she was sad.

The black tunnel that Chihiro now had walked almost out of, paid her no mind as she it. She cared not for the rustling of leaves and the sound of a leaky roof, the musty smell, none of it. Her thoughts were solely on one thing, Was she sad? Yes not more then five minutes before did she see her boyfriend making out and groping his ex-girlfriend Kaeko, in the woods. But strangely it didn't make her sad, angry yes. He had been so nervous that day especially when it came to Chihiro and talking about the appearance of Kaeko. He could have just broken up with her instead of cheating on her. Chihiro did see though that it wasn't a surprise, she didn't love Miyu, she never kissed him, and she would have waited forever and plus some for the 'Mr. Right', and it had always been obvious that Miyu cared not for the 100% 'Miss. Right' and he would not wait.

But now as Chihiro stood in a slightly better lit room, she noticed the room she was in it was in fact better lit then the void of darkness behind her. There was a few stained glass windows shining red, blue, gold, and green on the benches and on the fountain. Though the fountain was filled with dead leaves and not water, it was the same for the corners but strangely the benches seemed sturdy, and used. Chihiro's hunger grew it was defiantly a time for a hot bath while eating chocolate ice cream, or any ice cream. Forget the bath some chocolate would be good right now, or something sweet, or greasy, a burger and fries. Food in general would do wonders for Chihiro's anger and be trail fueled hunger.

A faint sound of a train in the distance was heard and Chihiro just smiled, train's have restaurants right? Chihiro quickly walked out of the red building and into the bright light of a setting sun, it would be a few hours but the sun hung low in the sky and splashed an abundant amount of light on the land. Chihiro nimbly made her way across the small rocky river and up the grassy green hill. To the far side she could see a town and off to the side in the middle on the field were the train tracks. Chihiro headed towards the train tracks, even from her position the town looked deserted, and if the few houses that were close to Chihiro were all disserted it was most likely that she stumbled upon a ghost town.

Chihiro stepped up on the train platform and smiled a train ride would do her good, just the endless rolling landscape would calm her and give her a second to think. Chihiro pulled out her chocolate bar and took a bite, she jumped when she noticed that she was not at all alone on the platform. There beside Chihiro stood a man in what looked like tan slacks and a green jacket, but his skin was black and somewhat see-through.

Chihiro shook her head, she just caught her boyfriend cheating it is enough to traumatize her for a month at least resulting in her vision being messed up and the colors somewhat wrong. The man looked at Chihiro suspiciously. Chihiro automatically felt bad for she was staring at him in bewilderment only seconds before. Chihiro out of guilt offered him a piece of her chocolate, Chihiro was happy that he declined wordlessly, and then she gobbled the rest of her chocolate. The man still watched her, and then he pulled out what looked like a container of breath mints. He opened it And offered Chihiro one, she politely excepted with a bow and sucked on the 'mint' which ended out to be a lemon drop, with a strange other worldly but good taste.

The train neared the platform and the man broke his concentration on Chihiro and pulled out of his pocket an orange and white train ticket. Then he glanced back at Chihiro, who smiled, she luckily had a similar ticket and she had found her train! The man stepped on and handed his ticket to the ticket man mumbling something and the ticket man shredded the ticket, the man walked onto the train.

Chihiro frowned the train was only two cars long and had no dining car. Chihiro stepped up and handed the man her ticket, he waited expecting her to tell him where she was going. "Umm... Swamp Bottom?" the ticket man nodded slowly and shredded her ticket. The ticket man walked away and Chihiro took her seat.

Chihiro sat there watching the scenery go by and counting the stops, if she were to believe the voices from the houses Swamp Bottom would be the sixth stop. And why not believe them, this had to be a dream, after all she had seen that day it was a dream. He might have been secretive but one thing Miyu never hid was his feelings for Chihiro, so this had to be a dream. Just making it easier to break up with him. Well dream or not was this situation with Miyu a loss or a gain.

On a second thought Chihiro pinched herself, yes she did feel the mild pain from her self inflicted 'wound' and she wasn't in her own bed. So it was real, Chihiro didn't care this train this place had an odd sense of home, a feeling of welcome, of wanting, of belonging. Chihiro felt that this was the place that she belonged where she would never have to lie. Out of all the things she had forgotten and still hadn't remembered she never forgot about the lies that she had told all those three years ago.

But something that the voices from the houses had said picked at her brain Haku and a broken heart in her 'lie' Chihiro remembered saying something about her own broken heart caused by the boy Haku. Maybe she was the Chihiro, the Sen the voices spoke of and now she was returning, to save Haku from a broken heart, save her own heart that had been disagreeing about Miyu from second one, and to help others in anyway she could. Whether she ended up coal or not whether it was only a dream, whether she wasn't the girl the voices spoke of, didn't matter. She had realized it so long ago, and at the latest when she started to date Miyu and they... she didn't act like a 'normal' couple. Even though Chihiro was now sure she knew this years before Miyu... Chihiro didn't belong there, she belonged here, and now she was sure there was nothing to keep her there. Whether be she alive or be she dead, where ever she was, Chihiro planed on staying.

Author's Note: This fic is not over with, I repeat THIS STORY IS NOT FINISHED. I'm just saying this in case you are thinking that this is the end 'cause I realized that this could be an ending. Anyways give me creation credit if you use Miyu. Normally I hate when Chihiro or Kohaku have new partners but I also find it unrealistic for a girl to wait years without a single date not even a double date to help out a friend. Well anyways it fit into the story and now he (Miyu) is gone or a least until/if Chihiro returns. So what did you think?

-Na