1Spirited Away: My Way
Chapter Three- Putting the Pieces back Together.
After a restless night, Chihiro was walking down the hallway to her classroom. She opened the door and got a green surprise.
"Chihiro!" came a voice.
She turned around and there was Higashi in a school uniform.
"Wha- What are you doing here Higashi?" said Chihiro.
"If I'm going to help you, I might as well go to your school and actually talk to Kohaku." she explained.
"Hello Chihiro, who is this?" said Daniel who happened to just arrive.
"Daniel, this is my 'neighbor' Higashi. Higashi this is my American friend Daniel."
"Wait, you said American?" said Higashi.
Higashi started to seethe with rage. She opened her mouth and bit down on Daniel's arm. Daniel started to curse in English while Higashi spat out his arm.
"What did you do that for?" shouted Chihiro.
"He got what he deserved. His country is responsible for almost thirty nine percent of all the pollution in the world." said Higashi in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Higashi, tell Dr. Izumi that I'm taking Daniel to the nurse."
Chihiro lead Daniel, still cursing, down to the nurse and he got his arm bandaged and put in a sling.
"I'm never going to get on her bad side." commented Daniel.
They both got back to Izumi's class and Chihiro spotted Kohaku, looking depressed and constantly sighing.
"He's really bent out of shape about this." she thought.
Throughout the day, every time she saw Kohaku, he would look away from her. At lunch, Chihiro sat with Daniel and Higashi joined them. She opened her lunch box to reveal a completely vegetarian lunch. Rice, sweet red beans, and a very delicious looking green apple.
"What is she doing here?" protested Daniel.
"What? Can't I sit with my friend?" said Higashi.
Chihiro could see why Daniel wouldn't want his would be assailant sitting close by. (Would you want the girl who could take your arm off in one bite sitting by you?)
"Chihiro..." said Kohaku, "I have thought it over and I want you to help me."
"That's great!" said Chihiro.
"What did I miss?" said Daniel, who had been left out of the loop.
"You're best being ignorant Daniel." said Higashi.
Daniel gave Higashi a look of discontent.
Meanwhile, outside the school, a mysterious person was sitting on a bench by the school. He had a strange black outfit involving a lot of complicated straps and chains, and a strange cape covering his left arm.
"So, the pieces have finally been set up. Now to start the game." he thought.
The final bell went off and students started to leave. The stranger got up and literally walked through the crowd. People went through him. Back inside, Kohaku, Higashi, and Chihiro were going into the boiler room. Daniel was, for lack of any better terms, stalking them and he was going up to the door when, of all people, Natsu. The ganguro girl and Daniel ran into each other, knocking the other onto their backsides.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" they started to copy each other's words.
"What are you doing here!"
"Me? I'm doing absolutely nothing! What are you doing?"
"I was going to get my books and you cut me off! Certainly not following Chihiro."
"So you're saying I'm a stalker? You're a freak!"
They got up and walked away from each other. Creepy.
Down in the boiler room, the trio find Kamanji working his six arms to keep the boiler operational.
"Confound machine! The bath house boiler was easier to handle!' He complained.
"Kamanji, Kohaku wants us to help him." said Chihiro.
"That's excellent news! But there's only one problem..."
"What would that be?" said Kohaku.
"We've reached a dead end. We don't know how to bring back memories. Not even Yubaba could."
"Well, that was a waste of a visit." said Higashi.
"Who is that girl anyway? She doesn't look human." said Kamanji.
I've been wondering that myself." said Kohaku.
"Duh, I'm a forest spirit." said Higashi.
"That explains it. I thought I sensed something in that fern."
"We should be going." said Chihiro.
Outside in the courtyard, the gang was surprised by a gust of wind and Chihiro received a piece of paper that was picked up by the passing breeze in her face. After the wind died down, she pulled the scrap down and looked at it.
"How inconsiderate." said Higashi, "Humans need to watch where they throw their trash."
"It's not trash, it's a note. And it's addressed to me." said Chihiro.
She opened it up and read it's contents aloud.
Dear Lady Chihiro,
I have heard about your plight, and I am sympathetic. I can help you and your friend Kohaku. Meet me in the park as soon as possible. Please bring your friends. I will be expecting you shortly.
Signed,
A Friend.
"This seems very suspicious." said Kohaku.
"But it's the only way to help you Kohaku." said Chihiro.
"This is a tough decision. It could be a trap or it could be an honest attempt to
help." said Higashi.
"I say we try it. We have no other leads and we could use the help." said Kohaku.
"Okay Kohaku."
They went to the park straight from school. There they found the mysterious stranger who had given them the letter. He stood in the shows of the trees.
"I see you've decided to take me up on my generous offer." he said.
"We just want to know; what's the catch?" said Chihiro.
"Catch? Ah, the only thing I request is that you bring me a special plant that exists only in border world between this world and the spirit world." he said.
"Wait, all we have to do is get a plant? And you can help Kohaku?"
"I possess a magic greater than Yubaba's or Zeniba's. I can restore Kohaku's memories back to what they once were." he promised.
"I forgot to ask you, what's your name?" said Higashi.
"Just call me Owari."
Owari disappeared into the shadows and his echo said, "Just to make sure you get it, I'm taking out a little insurance policy."
A dark mist appeared and opened up to show a strange vision of Chihiro's ever kidnap-able parents, Lin, and Kamanji in a strange nether worldly dungeon.
"You monster!" shouted Chihiro.
"We never agreed to this!" said Kohaku.
"Sorry, you have no choice."
The Kohaku and Chihiro were devastated. Chihiro's parents, Lin, and Kamanji were in trouble because of them.
"So we better get going if you guys want to save everyone." said Higashi.
"What do you care? No one you care about is in danger." said Kohaku.
"I have nothing better to do. And I need a good adventure right now."
"The best place to start is the bath house. Yubaba might know who this Owari guy is and what he's up to." said Chihiro.
Running from memory, Chihiro and the others ran through town and into the border forest. There was the red orange wall that separated the human world and spirit world. Guess who they found there. Go on, take a guess. Dr. Izumi, Daniel, and Natsu.
"What are you doing here?" shouted Chihiro.
-------------------------------------------
How's that for the first two days of school? Find an old friend, even more old friends, make new friends, get your parents kidnaped, and suckered into helping some creepy guy.
What's next?
What kind of plant could Owari want? And why send a kid, a river spirit, and a forest spirit after it? What are Daniel, Natsu, and Izumi doing? Find out next!
