Disclaimer: I do not own the movie "Spirited Away" or any of its characters. I also don't own the Disney Channel movie "The Thirteenth Year.", which this story is loosely based on. I also do not own the name "Ishakari River" as it is a real river in Japan. I do not own the name Kenshin, as it is off the anime "Rurouni Kenshin".
^All reviews welcomed, but kindly lay off any obscene, profain, or distasteful comments.^
^Flames will be used to feed my pet dragon.^
^Thank you for your reviews, they really brighten my days even the flames make the place warmer ;).^
^To all Readers and those who reviewed, I have been informed of my mistake and corrected it. Therefore below should be the correct Chapter 5.^
*Mental speaking*
"Speaking"
'Thought'
Chapter Five
The next morning the Ogino family packed up their stuff and headed for home. Both Akio and Yuuke noticed that Chihiro wasn't as unhappy about leaving as she had been last night. Neither thought anything about it, figuring that since it was early, Chihiro was just still half-asleep.
Chihiro was still half asleep, in fact she slept all the way home and had to be carried upstairs to her room. She awoke about four hours later, at about noon. She quickly gathered everything she thought she would need in the Spirit Realm. She emptied out all her savings, which was around twenty dollars, and then wrote her note.
She left the note on her bed and then sneakily lowered her bag down to the ground, outside, behind some bushes. She dressed in a regular summer outfit, then headed downstairs, and was out of the door. Yuuke never noticed as it was usual for Chihiro to go out of the house on a Saturday.
Chihiro walked down road after road before she found herself standing at tree where all the small shrines were. She knew she was headed in the right direction when she passed the statue hidden a little bit back in the woods. It wasn't long after passing the statue that she found herself standing in front of the tunnel entrance to the Spirit Realm.
Without a second thought, about the life she was about to leave behind, she plunged into the tunnel. She wanted to run, but something told her that it was unwise to run in this tunnel. So she waleked, but she made it to the other side of the tunnel as quickly as if she had run, but she hadn't. When Chihiro emerged from the tunnel and out into sun, she grinned.
'I'm back! Oh how I've missed this place, all my friends, and Haku! I even miss Yubaba, which is hard to believe.'
She saw that the sun was about to set and quickly ran across the grass field. Then sun set when she was about four steps from the stairs, so she had to wade to shore. The laterns lit and the town slowly started to come to life with Spirits. Chihiro recognized a few of the spirits and greeted them. The Spirits did not shun her for she was now one of them and was welcomed.
A roar from overheard almost made her heart leap out of her chest. She looked up and saw a large, silver, form gliding toward the Bathhouse. Judging from the way he was acting, Haku was very angry at the moment. He was flying as if wounded, but he didn't seem to be bleeding.
'Haku!' Chihiro cried out in her mind, trying to touch the River Spirit's mind with her own, but a wall of anger and pain blocked her out.
"It's about time, Chihiro," a newly familiar voice stated from almost directly in front of her, "Oh and don't bother trying to get to him right now, he's too mad and too hurt to hear you."
Chihiro's eyes dropped from the sky to Sakura.
"Hey, mom."
"Hey yourself," she replied, "I can only see you for a second before I got to meet with someone so I'll catch up with you. I know it seems mean that I'm running off on you, but this meeting is a matter of life or death for Kenshin."
"It's okay," Chihiro replied, really worried about her newly found twin brother, "I was planning to go see Lin, Kamadjii, and all my other friends at the bathhouse anyways. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, but take this," Sakura stated and handed her a bag of gold.
"What's this for?"
"You know how Yubaba is with money," her mother replied, "It might come in handy while we are separated. You can tell your friends about finding your past, but tell no one your real name. He has ears all over the place."
"Is He, Rekou?"
"Later," she hissed and then disappeared into the crowd.
~~~~~~~~~
Chihiro wandered around, sampling foods here and there. This was the same food that she had been afraid to touch-much less eat-the first time she had arrived in the Spirit Realm. That had turned out to be one of her the best decisions. Her human parents had gorged themselves on the food of the Spirits, which turned them into pigs.
Finally, after about a half an hour, she realized that she had no idea where she was, let alone which way the bath house was. She stepped up to a nearby Spirit, which just happened to be the Radish Spirit. It was standing there, just staring right at her, as if daring her to make a wrong move, but it was actually a friendly Spirit.
"Excuse me?"
The Radish Spirit looked down at her and nodded.
"Do you know which way the Bathhouse is?"
The Radish Spirit motioned her to follow it, which she did. It walked up the street a little ways and then pointed, futher up the road. Chihiro could just see the tip of the Bathhouse's roof.
"Thank you," Chihiro stated and bowed to it.
She then took off in the direction that the Radish Spirit had indicated. It didn't take her long at all to find the bridge, which was over run with numerous Spirits. She dodged through all of them and then slipped through the small door that Haku had pulled her through five years before. She calmly walked through the small garden and used the back gate.
The gate opened up on the side of the Bathhouse to a drop-off of God-knows-how-far and a wooden staircase. She then started down the stairs, unafraid this time. Part of the ways down the first flight, she noticed that someone had repaired the staircase.
Last time she had used it, she had broken quite a few stairs. One had broken on her so she had ended up running, totally out of control, down several flights. The only thing that stopped her from running off the edge of the staircase was smashing into a wall that was jutting out.
She soon found herself at the door to the boiler room. Slowly she opened it and stepped inside. It was hotter than she remembered, but surprisingly it felt comfortable to her. Kamadjii was still there, mixing herbs for the water, drinking tea, and yelling at the Soots, which were pieces of soot magically brought to life.
Just as she stepped up to say hello to him, a small door opened up and a familiar form stepped out. It was Lin, but she didn't seem to notice Chihiro at all, as she berated Kamadjii once more. As always it was for not leaving his bowl where she could get to it easily. Then she fed the Soots, who ate small, star-shaped, candies, still not noticing Chihiro.
"Lin?"
Lin jumped six feet into the air and whirled around, glaring daggers. Her hand was pressed against her chest, over her heart. The wooden pail, the one that Lin had been feeding the Soots out of, had been flung into the air in her fright. Chihiro watched the rest of the star-shaped candies spill out as the bucket arced in the air. Then she watched it as it landed, perfectly upside-down, ontop of Lin's head, hiding her face.
"Who are you and what are you doing down here?" Lin asked gruffly, as she removed the bucket from her head.
"Just visiting my Grandfather," Chihiro replied, "Is that a crime? Or am I still a little dope?"
Recognition spread across Lin's face almost immediately.
"Se-Chihiro!" she cried, grabbed Chihiro up in a bear hug, put her down, and turned to Kamadjii, "Look Kamadjii, it's Sen-I mean Chihiro!"
"Good to see you again," Kamadjii stated and reached over to put one of his hands on her shoulder.
"You've really changed," Lin stated out of the blue, as she gave Chihiro the once over, "If you hadn't said that, I would never had known it was you."
"What do you mean?" Chihiro replied, confused, "I may not be the same person, but I haven't become that unrecognizable have I?"
"Look for yourself," Lin commanded softly and held up a small hand mirror.
Chihiro looked into the mirror and gasped in surprise. She hadn't realized it, but since her birthday she had changed a lot more than just what she thought she had. Without her knowledge, or the fact that her 'parents' had not told her, her looks had changed almost completely.
Her hair had gone from dark brown to a lighter aburn brown with streaks of blond in it. Her eyes had changed from the familiar chocolate brown to a hazel color. She gasped out in surprise as her eyes flashed to a silver color and then back to the hazel.
"Have you seen Haku yet?" Kamadjii asked her softly.
"Not face to face," Chihiro replied, still in shock from what she had seen, "I saw him fly overhead. He looked happy and mad at the same time and was flying as if he was wounded, but there didn't seem to be any blood on him."
"He's happy because someone reported seeing a survivor from one of the two River Kingdoms-possibly the missing princess. But he's angry because the report turned out to be nothing more than an attention seeking Spirit."
"Princess?" Chihiro repeated, "What missing princess?"
"I don't know the legend," Lin replied, "But I overheard Haku raging about it earlier today."
"You seem different, besides looks, Chihiro," Kamadjii suddenly stated.
"I am different," Chihiro replied softly, "I was adopted."
"What does that have to do with you being different?" Lin asked, confused.
Chihiro quickly launched into her story, telling them everything she had learned about herself with then exception of her real name.
"So you're a River Spirit?" Lin asked her softly.
"You bet," Chihiro replied, "But I don't know how to be one, so mother's going to ask Haku if he will teach me."
*Speaking of which,* said an angry voice in her head, *I've found him. We're at the bridge.*
"I have to go," Chihiro yelped, "Mother found Haku and she's not too happy with me."
Chihiro quickly got back up the stairs, ran through the gate, and then through the small door. She stopped to catch her breath, right after that, and saw the two forms standing at the center of the bridge.
"Mother!"
The two forms turned toward her and her breath caught in her throat.
^All reviews welcomed, but kindly lay off any obscene, profain, or distasteful comments.^
^Flames will be used to feed my pet dragon.^
^Thank you for your reviews, they really brighten my days even the flames make the place warmer ;).^
^To all Readers and those who reviewed, I have been informed of my mistake and corrected it. Therefore below should be the correct Chapter 5.^
*Mental speaking*
"Speaking"
'Thought'
Chapter Five
The next morning the Ogino family packed up their stuff and headed for home. Both Akio and Yuuke noticed that Chihiro wasn't as unhappy about leaving as she had been last night. Neither thought anything about it, figuring that since it was early, Chihiro was just still half-asleep.
Chihiro was still half asleep, in fact she slept all the way home and had to be carried upstairs to her room. She awoke about four hours later, at about noon. She quickly gathered everything she thought she would need in the Spirit Realm. She emptied out all her savings, which was around twenty dollars, and then wrote her note.
She left the note on her bed and then sneakily lowered her bag down to the ground, outside, behind some bushes. She dressed in a regular summer outfit, then headed downstairs, and was out of the door. Yuuke never noticed as it was usual for Chihiro to go out of the house on a Saturday.
Chihiro walked down road after road before she found herself standing at tree where all the small shrines were. She knew she was headed in the right direction when she passed the statue hidden a little bit back in the woods. It wasn't long after passing the statue that she found herself standing in front of the tunnel entrance to the Spirit Realm.
Without a second thought, about the life she was about to leave behind, she plunged into the tunnel. She wanted to run, but something told her that it was unwise to run in this tunnel. So she waleked, but she made it to the other side of the tunnel as quickly as if she had run, but she hadn't. When Chihiro emerged from the tunnel and out into sun, she grinned.
'I'm back! Oh how I've missed this place, all my friends, and Haku! I even miss Yubaba, which is hard to believe.'
She saw that the sun was about to set and quickly ran across the grass field. Then sun set when she was about four steps from the stairs, so she had to wade to shore. The laterns lit and the town slowly started to come to life with Spirits. Chihiro recognized a few of the spirits and greeted them. The Spirits did not shun her for she was now one of them and was welcomed.
A roar from overheard almost made her heart leap out of her chest. She looked up and saw a large, silver, form gliding toward the Bathhouse. Judging from the way he was acting, Haku was very angry at the moment. He was flying as if wounded, but he didn't seem to be bleeding.
'Haku!' Chihiro cried out in her mind, trying to touch the River Spirit's mind with her own, but a wall of anger and pain blocked her out.
"It's about time, Chihiro," a newly familiar voice stated from almost directly in front of her, "Oh and don't bother trying to get to him right now, he's too mad and too hurt to hear you."
Chihiro's eyes dropped from the sky to Sakura.
"Hey, mom."
"Hey yourself," she replied, "I can only see you for a second before I got to meet with someone so I'll catch up with you. I know it seems mean that I'm running off on you, but this meeting is a matter of life or death for Kenshin."
"It's okay," Chihiro replied, really worried about her newly found twin brother, "I was planning to go see Lin, Kamadjii, and all my other friends at the bathhouse anyways. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, but take this," Sakura stated and handed her a bag of gold.
"What's this for?"
"You know how Yubaba is with money," her mother replied, "It might come in handy while we are separated. You can tell your friends about finding your past, but tell no one your real name. He has ears all over the place."
"Is He, Rekou?"
"Later," she hissed and then disappeared into the crowd.
~~~~~~~~~
Chihiro wandered around, sampling foods here and there. This was the same food that she had been afraid to touch-much less eat-the first time she had arrived in the Spirit Realm. That had turned out to be one of her the best decisions. Her human parents had gorged themselves on the food of the Spirits, which turned them into pigs.
Finally, after about a half an hour, she realized that she had no idea where she was, let alone which way the bath house was. She stepped up to a nearby Spirit, which just happened to be the Radish Spirit. It was standing there, just staring right at her, as if daring her to make a wrong move, but it was actually a friendly Spirit.
"Excuse me?"
The Radish Spirit looked down at her and nodded.
"Do you know which way the Bathhouse is?"
The Radish Spirit motioned her to follow it, which she did. It walked up the street a little ways and then pointed, futher up the road. Chihiro could just see the tip of the Bathhouse's roof.
"Thank you," Chihiro stated and bowed to it.
She then took off in the direction that the Radish Spirit had indicated. It didn't take her long at all to find the bridge, which was over run with numerous Spirits. She dodged through all of them and then slipped through the small door that Haku had pulled her through five years before. She calmly walked through the small garden and used the back gate.
The gate opened up on the side of the Bathhouse to a drop-off of God-knows-how-far and a wooden staircase. She then started down the stairs, unafraid this time. Part of the ways down the first flight, she noticed that someone had repaired the staircase.
Last time she had used it, she had broken quite a few stairs. One had broken on her so she had ended up running, totally out of control, down several flights. The only thing that stopped her from running off the edge of the staircase was smashing into a wall that was jutting out.
She soon found herself at the door to the boiler room. Slowly she opened it and stepped inside. It was hotter than she remembered, but surprisingly it felt comfortable to her. Kamadjii was still there, mixing herbs for the water, drinking tea, and yelling at the Soots, which were pieces of soot magically brought to life.
Just as she stepped up to say hello to him, a small door opened up and a familiar form stepped out. It was Lin, but she didn't seem to notice Chihiro at all, as she berated Kamadjii once more. As always it was for not leaving his bowl where she could get to it easily. Then she fed the Soots, who ate small, star-shaped, candies, still not noticing Chihiro.
"Lin?"
Lin jumped six feet into the air and whirled around, glaring daggers. Her hand was pressed against her chest, over her heart. The wooden pail, the one that Lin had been feeding the Soots out of, had been flung into the air in her fright. Chihiro watched the rest of the star-shaped candies spill out as the bucket arced in the air. Then she watched it as it landed, perfectly upside-down, ontop of Lin's head, hiding her face.
"Who are you and what are you doing down here?" Lin asked gruffly, as she removed the bucket from her head.
"Just visiting my Grandfather," Chihiro replied, "Is that a crime? Or am I still a little dope?"
Recognition spread across Lin's face almost immediately.
"Se-Chihiro!" she cried, grabbed Chihiro up in a bear hug, put her down, and turned to Kamadjii, "Look Kamadjii, it's Sen-I mean Chihiro!"
"Good to see you again," Kamadjii stated and reached over to put one of his hands on her shoulder.
"You've really changed," Lin stated out of the blue, as she gave Chihiro the once over, "If you hadn't said that, I would never had known it was you."
"What do you mean?" Chihiro replied, confused, "I may not be the same person, but I haven't become that unrecognizable have I?"
"Look for yourself," Lin commanded softly and held up a small hand mirror.
Chihiro looked into the mirror and gasped in surprise. She hadn't realized it, but since her birthday she had changed a lot more than just what she thought she had. Without her knowledge, or the fact that her 'parents' had not told her, her looks had changed almost completely.
Her hair had gone from dark brown to a lighter aburn brown with streaks of blond in it. Her eyes had changed from the familiar chocolate brown to a hazel color. She gasped out in surprise as her eyes flashed to a silver color and then back to the hazel.
"Have you seen Haku yet?" Kamadjii asked her softly.
"Not face to face," Chihiro replied, still in shock from what she had seen, "I saw him fly overhead. He looked happy and mad at the same time and was flying as if he was wounded, but there didn't seem to be any blood on him."
"He's happy because someone reported seeing a survivor from one of the two River Kingdoms-possibly the missing princess. But he's angry because the report turned out to be nothing more than an attention seeking Spirit."
"Princess?" Chihiro repeated, "What missing princess?"
"I don't know the legend," Lin replied, "But I overheard Haku raging about it earlier today."
"You seem different, besides looks, Chihiro," Kamadjii suddenly stated.
"I am different," Chihiro replied softly, "I was adopted."
"What does that have to do with you being different?" Lin asked, confused.
Chihiro quickly launched into her story, telling them everything she had learned about herself with then exception of her real name.
"So you're a River Spirit?" Lin asked her softly.
"You bet," Chihiro replied, "But I don't know how to be one, so mother's going to ask Haku if he will teach me."
*Speaking of which,* said an angry voice in her head, *I've found him. We're at the bridge.*
"I have to go," Chihiro yelped, "Mother found Haku and she's not too happy with me."
Chihiro quickly got back up the stairs, ran through the gate, and then through the small door. She stopped to catch her breath, right after that, and saw the two forms standing at the center of the bridge.
"Mother!"
The two forms turned toward her and her breath caught in her throat.