Finding You
By: Suma Susaki
Co-authored by: Kaytoko
Hey Everyone! Sorry we haven't updated in awhile. To ask you all for our forgiveness, we made this chapter extra long. Our school schedules just changed and we had to totally re-write this chapter. ((sigh)) We had some…. erm. What would you call it Kay?
Kaytoko: Issues… problems…
Suma: Ah yes. We wrote something that would… give the rest of the story away pretty much.
Kaytoko: WE! YOU WROTE IT! DON'T PIN THIS WHOLE THING ON ME!
Suma: ((sweatdrops)) sooo… anyway. XD On with the reviewers thanks!
Warior ok! Well… here I am updating! X3 Thanks for answering the questions. They were easy I know, but oh well. Lol. Fulsamee it is.
Demanicangel: Yep! thanks for reviewing!
Rose Kitsune.EXEsmiles oh well! The questions were kinda lame anyway. XD gives you pocky sticks lol
Rikka Chishiolol… yah. The writers block is temporarily gone. Yay! Here's the next chapter! X3
Iceprincess85: Hey thanks! I love it when I get reviews from people who are enjoying my story as much as I do writing it! Thanks!
SheildmaidenofEdoras373Thank you sooo much! This story is really complicated to write. Lol. I'm glad that you're enjoying it! Hope you stay until the end!
Rowena: lol… but if you kill me, then who will update for you? Hehe. Gotcha there! But thanks anyway. I' m happy that some people are actually liking this story. And don't worry about the questions. They were just kinda random. XD But yes. You are right. Yay you! I'm sooo sorry to hear about your friend. That's really sad. So…. I've talked with my co-author, Kay, about it, and we both decided to use Myakari's name in this chapter. smiles
And now! On with the long awaited chapter 8!
By the way… italics are flashbacks!
-Chapter 8: Home Again-
-Last Time-
Shinitzu took a deep breath of the crisp night air. He then shifted Chihiro on his back and took in the scenery. 'It seems like such a long time since I've been here." He thought, sadly. He started walking down the path covered with leaves, and made his way out of the forest. Once out, he noticed the neat houses on the steep hill, the blue house on the end caught his attention especially, and lights farther off in the distance from the city. 'I'm back home…'
-Now-
"Chihiro… I'd wake up if I were you."
"Mmmhmm…" she grumbled, before her eyes shot open.
"S-Shinitzu…" She trailed, gulping.
"Look around you." He stated, quickly setting Chihiro on her feet. Chihiro nervously glanced around, and then her eyes grew wide.
"It's home…"
xXxXx
"Please calm down Ma'am. We're doing the best we can to locate your daughter." said a middle-aged police officer. "I'd like to ask a few questions though… Did Miss. Ogino show any signs of mental distress or depression before she ran away?"
Yuuko and Akio shared a meaningful glance, before nodding. "Well… in her sleep, we could always hear her calling out to a 'Haku' person shortly after we moved here. After a couple of years, she stopped calling out to whoever this person is, but it just recently started up again. Actually… the night before she ran away, she actually screamed out to this 'Haku' person… waking both Akio and I." Yuuko said, sadly, her eyes on her feet.
"Officer, please find my daughter…" Yuuko wailed after a silence of the officer writing down the information. Akio walked over to the window, sighing deeply as his "Chihiro-sick" wife talked, no cried, to the police. He rested his head on his hand, which was against his cheek.
'Chihiro… You've been gone for a little over a week. Where could you possibly be?' he thought sadly, staring at the deep forest behind his house at the bottom of the hill. 'Just please… be ok…'
xXxXx
"Damnit…" Cursed Haku, as he quickly landed on the ground, changing back into his human form.
"What's the big idea! Just drop me like that? What in the world is going on NOW?" whined Lin, who had fallen on her face.
"I can't feel Chihiro's presence Lin. It's as if she's back in the Human World again…" Haku spat back, before he stoped pacing—which he didn't even realize he was doing— and his eyes grew wide. "We're leaving!" He yelled at Lin, before transforming into the beautiful white dragon once again.
Lin sighed, before getting on his back. They were both soon just a small dot in the cloudy sky.
xXxXx
Shinitzu watched wit humor at Chihiro's gaping mouth, and shocked expression.
"B-but… why? I don't get it…" she whispered.
"You will soon enough…" Shinitzu muttered quietly, before making his way to the Ogino household, Chihiro trailing behind.
"Why are we going to… my house?" she asked when she noticed that they were headed that way.
"You'll see. Be patient." Shinitzu replied without turning towards her. Chihiro sighed and followed.
When they approached the house, several police cars were parked in front of it. Chihiro's eyes grew wide with worry as they moved towards the house. A police officer near the car spotted them and approached them
"This area is off limits right now." He said, holding up his hands.
"Why!" Chihiro asked, tension running up her back. "I live here! What's going on!" The police officer stuttered. "Th-that's confidential. I'm sorry."
"Chihiro?"
All eyes turned to the door of the Ogino household. Chihiro's mother stood there in disbelief. Shinitzu tensed up when he saw her; his body was like stone.
"Chihiro!" She cried, bolting out to catch her daughter in an embrace. "I was so worried. Please don't run away again sweetie."
Chihiro hugged her back, taking a glance at Shinitzu. He was as stiff as a statue, but the look in his red eyes made him look pained. Mr. Ogino then decided to come out the door after his wife to see what all the noise was about.
"Chihiro! So glad to see that you're home." He said in a mellow tone. Chihiro smiled and hugged her father also. Shinitzu was no different. He still stood like a statue, but his eyes had shifted to Mr. Ogino. Shinitzu's eyes were lightning fast and back on her in an instant.
"This is Shinitzu. He brought me home." Chihiro explained.
"Shinitzu…"Mrs. Ogino started. "Thank you for helping my daughter." Only Chihiro seemed to notice the look of sadness that crossed his face. In a blink of an eye, it was gone.
"No problem." He said in a tight, protected voice. Mrs. Ogino smiled and invited them in. She waved at Mr. Ogino to call off the police.
-Inside-
"Chihiro, could you please explain to me why you ran off like that?" Mrs. Ogino said after everyone was seated and comfortable. Shinitzu stood off to the side, still as rigid as a board. Chihiro sighed reluctantly. On one hand, she wanted to tell her mother the truth about Aburaya. But something told her that that would be a really bad idea. She decided to go with the truth anyway.
"Sorry" she said, quietly. "It all started 8 years ago, when we got stuck at the abandoned train station. That carnival thing that we were at lured you and Dad into eating lots of food. You guys turned into pigs. Then I met a boy named Haku." At this name, both Mrs. and Mr. Ogino shared a glance at each other. "He lead me to a bath house and then I got to work there. Later, I made a deal with the Witch Yubaba, if I could find you guys, you could come home with me. I chose right, and we went home… back here. For a while nothing happened. Then one night, Haku called out to me and I went to go save him. Well, I've been gone for a week and here I am! Ah… Shinitzu brought me back."
The room was silent; everyone stared at her blankly. Shinitzu just listened.
"Um, Chihiro?" Asked Mrs. Ogino. Chihiro listened with a smile. Yuuko glanced over at her husband. "Dear, that's not possible."
Chihiro's smile fell and eyes were big. They didn't believe her… then again, who would?
"Sorry." She said in a low tone and ran upstairs to her room.
"Chihiro… Akio…" Said Yuuko turning to Mr. Ogino. "What's wrong with her?" Shinitzu's eyes narrowed and decided to follow the way Chihiro had gone up the stairs.
Chihiro sat on here bed with tears in threatening to fall. Her eyes watched her window, searching.
"Haku…" she said quietly. Shinitzu stood at her doorway. "They don't believe me." She said in a louder voice.
"That's to be expected." Shinitzu voiced. Chihiro nodded and wiped the tears away as they fell onto her checks.
"Chihiro." She looked up. Shinitzu now stood a few paces away from her. "I have to tell you some thing."
xXxXx
"HAKU! LISTEN TO ME ALREADY!" Lin shouted, the wind almost too strong for her to breathe. The white dragon kept his speed. "WHERE THE HECK ARE WE GOING?" Haku snorted, continuing on his way. Lin groaned and muttered to herself.
"Stupid, bossy, dragon." She leaned down on Haku and watched the scenery. Everything started to look familiar after awhile.
"Haku…is that, the bathhouse? OH! The old train station! Why are we here Haku?" The white dragon swept into the station, skidding to a stop. He quickly transformed and Lin fell to the ground once more.
"Umph! Sheesh, Haku! A little more compassion please!" Lin whined, pushing herself up and wincing when her back popped. "Ow, Ow, Ow… I'm getting to old for this…"
"Lin! Hurry Up!" Called Haku from the exit a way's off. Lin narrowed her eyes and staggered along.
"Stupid, selfish, worthless dragon…"
xXxXx
"What is it Shinitzu?" Chihiro asked quietly, keeping her distance.
"This is important, and it will affect you… I think." Shinitzu said, sliding down into a sitting position. Chihiro watched him with a confused look. "Look… this is going to be a shock, and it's hard for me to say this, so could you just listen till I'm done?" Chihiro nodded reluctantly; her attention was all on him. "Ok… um… it all started a couple years before you were born…"
xXxXx
"Fulsamee! Fulsamee! Hurry! It's your wife!" called a girl near the age of 25. She kept tripping over her too long bath house pants as she ran.
A man of light brown hair and striking red eyes dropped the sack of sweet potatoes that he was, until now, taking to a shop.
"Wh-What?" he said quietly. The girl panted as she stopped in front of him.
"What's wrong, Myakari? What's wrong with her?" he asked, taking her shoulders.
"The baby…. I-it's coming!"
For a moment Fulsamee danced around in a circle first for joy, then for confusion and nervousness.
"Ack! When? Where? How?" He asked again, dancing around in a circle. His foot caught on the sweet potatoes bag, and crashed to the ground.
"I'm going to be a father, Myakari!" he took the girls hands, after getting up again, and danced her around. "WAIT! I have to get there first! Lead the way!" Myakari shook her head regrettably and lead him away.
"Sometimes he worries me." Said a shopkeeper nearby. Another nodded in agreement.
xXxXx
"Yuuko! Yuuko!" Yelled Fulsamee as he bounded through the house. He pulled open a sliding door to reveal Yuuko sitting up with a bundle in her hands.
"Hello Fulsamee!" she said, weakly, with a smile on her face. Fulsamee's grin widened as he went in and sat down next to her.
"Is it—"
"A boy." Yuuko said, smiling wider. "With your eyes."
Fulsamee used one finger to pull away some cloth and looked at his son. The child was asleep, but a small flock of black hair was on his head.
"He looks like you."
Yuuko smiled softly and nodded; stroking her child's cheek.
"Yes… our sweet little Shinitzu."
xXxXx
Chihiro sat wide eyed at the edge of her bed. She was confused, and who could blame her? Shinitzu sad across from her on the floor, paused for just a second.
"Eventually, Yubaba found about all this. She hated spirit/human relationships, and wanted to take my family out. We were raided and attacked weekly."
xXxXx
Fulsamee stood with his back against the wall next to the front door of a small cottage; Yuuko and 5 year old Shinitzu were in the back. The sound of marching feet was heard outside.
"Fulsamee…" Said Yuuko quietly, clutching Shinitzu to her.
"Fulsamee, You can't do this. Not for me."
"Yes, you're my family. I Have to." Fulsamee replied sternly.
Yuuko sat Shinitzu on the floor and went over to her husband.
"No. I can't stand to see you suffer for me. Take Shinitzu, and take my memory. I want to forget about Aburaya if it will help save you. Please Fulsamee… it's for the best."
Fulsamee paused, wide eyed. His wife was asking to forget and re-start some where else to save them.
"Is this what you want?"
"No. But it's for Shinitzu and your lives. I will make the sacrifice." Yuuko said quietly. "Please Fulsamee. Send me back to the human world like nothing happened."
Fulsamee bit his lip and agreed solemnly. He loved her, and if this was what she wanted, so be it. Yuuko went over and kissed Shinitzu good bye, and then Fulsamee.
"I love you even if I forget. I love you Fulsamee" she said to him. He kissed her again and placed a hand over her eyes. Tears started to fall from her.
"I'll miss you, my love."
"And I, you." Fulsamee agreed, choking back tears. And just like that, Yuuko's memory was gone, and she flopped into Fulsamee's arms. He hugged her tightly as she started to fad back to the human world.
"Good bye, Yuuko… my only love."
xXxXx
"In all sums, my mother returned to the human world and met and married another man. Then—" Shinitzu finished. "She had you."
Chihiro's eyes went huge. They were already full of tears from Shinitzu's story, and now she was pure shocked.
"B-but that would make you my—"
"Brother."
-End Chapter 8: Home Again-
Yay! Well… sorry again for the late update.
Kay: Yeah. Suma made me write most of it because she 'couldn't write' ! Anyways—the cliff hanger was on purpose so that we can provoke you all to KEEP READING! smiles innocently
Suma: wow… you're right. ((Sweatdrops)) I only wrote like 5 out of the 12 pages on this chapter and gave ideas. Wow. BUT IT ISNT MY FAULT! points at Kaytoko KAY WOULDN'T LET ME WRITE! She was on a 'verge'. ((Grumble grumble))
Kay: Your point?
Suma: ((sweatdrops)) Never mind Kay…. Never mind.
Anyway... Keep reviewing everyone! It makes us want to write more and update faster! ((Both smile sweetly))
/Suma & Kay