-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Ah, another update. Huzzah, things are going to start moving along more very soon. It's been a few days since I updated, unfortunately. I'm trying to get one chapter (at least) every day on here, but things have been pretty busy recently…What with birthday party planning, going out with friends, and playing my new FMA video game! 3 Anyway, Thank you to Tiafan for the review, and enjoy the story!

Chapter 4 – Hallucinations and Dreams

Dusk was painting the sky over the small Japanese town a light red, and reflected on the clouds as a bright pink hue. The wind had died down, and the sun was half hidden by the forest at the bottom of the hill.

Chihiro and Shizuka were now beginning their ascent to their neighborhood after a whole day spent in town. They were each bragging about their full stomachs, full shopping bags, and their consequently empty wallets. They didn't normally get to indulge themselves so much, but today they actually had allowance saved up, and they took advantage of it.

"Hah, it's been such a long day," Shizuka sighed to her friend as they crossed the empty road to the path up the hill. "I still can't believe the bargains we got today!" she exclaimed excitedly, running her hand through the contents of her bag.

"Yeah, me neither," Chihiro cheerfully agreed.

She reached into her own bag and pulled out a silver bracelet, a token of the days adventure, and ripped off the paper price tag. She fumbled with the clasp only for a second as she fastened it around her slender wrist. She held the jewelry up to admire it, letting the fading sunlight and pink clouds play over the expertly forged links.

She lowered her wrist to peer at the focus of the bracelet, a shining plate with a carefully engraved dragon.

As they got to the very bottom of the hill, her attention was again diverted to her left, to the trees and the overgrown pathway that had haunted her earlier. It was now covered in shadow, but she could make out a figure, standing just next to the path opening. It was wearing a white work uniform, and had chin length brown hair. She was stopped in her tracks.

It was him! The boy from her dreams, the boy that she was forgetting against her own will!

She stared intently at his face, squinting to discern his features, but the shadow was too much, and she could still not see his features. She took two steps in his direction to get a better look, and the boy did not move. He appeared to be looking right at her, but he made no sign that he saw her.

Chihiro took a few more steps as his luxurious hair waved in the breeze. She was now wide eyed and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She racked her memory for his name, desperate to call out to him…

"CHI!" A sharp bark from behind her called her out of her trance as she whirled around.

"Chi-chan, I've been calling you for the past minute, didn't you hear me?" Shizuka came up to her and grabbed her dazed friend by the shoulders.

"Oh, I-I was just…" Chihiro murmured, looking back to the path, now void of the boy she'd just seen.

"Chi, seriously, don't scare me like that!" Shizuka demanded, with eyes even wider than her friends' and full of worry. "Come on, I'll stay at your house tonight."

Shizuka led her friend by the hand up the path to her house. She was actually starting to worry about her friend Chihiro. She'd never been in such a strong trance before, and Shizuka thought that maybe she had been hallucinating. She didn't know what, but maybe she'd find out tonight.

Chihiro stared back at the pathway, hoping to see him again as Shizuka hurried her up the hill. A glint at her wrist called her eyes to her new bracelet and the engraved dragon that bore a perfect resemblance to the dragon of her dreams.

She longed to give the bracelet a name.

Chihiro heard the sound again. The sound of a far off train. She ran and ran to find it, pelting through narrow streets lined with empty cafés, trying desperately to find the train. She came to a large red Japanese garden lantern at the top of a flight of grey stone steps. The last bit of daylight shown over a huge bath house that sat just past that lantern and across a long and broad bridge. She approached the bridge as she heard the train sound again, this time closer. She climbed the railings and looked down into the canyon as the train swept through the shallow waters below. She looked up towards the bath house and saw a boy in a white and blue uniform…

Suddenly, Chihiro found herself running through an old town, running past the same old traditional cafés that she passed earlier. They were now lit with several red lanterns, giving a sort of glow to the place, and they were occupied by ghostly shapes, featureless except for their glowing eyes and reaching, gangly arms. She was running down small flights of stairs, and running, running until she plowed right into a river that she swore was not there before. Full of fear, she pulled herself out of the water and peered out into the river that had replaced the vast field that had been there not too long ago. There was a river boat. She started to reject what was happening, she collapsed to the ground in a frightened crouch, hugging her knees.

"It's just a dream, just a dream…Go away, go away…" she chanted to herself, rocking on her heels. "Disappear…"

Lifting a hand, she frightfully saw herself disappearing, and began rubbing her arms frantically.

"It's just a bad dream!" She whimpered, looking at the floating masks that were now dismounting the riverboat, their bodies seeming to spill down from the masks themselves. She ran away at the sight and cowered in fear at the edge of the little town of shops. No one could find her there. She was safe, she just had to find out how to stop disappearing…But there was a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see that boy again…

Now she was falling, in the twilight. That boy was again with her, connected to her, holding her hands as they fell. They were both smiling to eachother and Chihiro felt so close to him. She was crying happily, her tears streaming up into the air as they fell.

The boy was only inches from her face now, as they nuzzled each other, but she still couldn't see his face. They continued to fall…

"I remember now, my name is….."