Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away.
Chihiro smiled happily, "Then I guess…you would fail if I don't ever plan to return!"
Kagura did a speechless stagger, and she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She hoped she was joking. All the years of hard work trying to get promoted would be gone then.
"The paint is so worn out…" Chihiro murmured as the night sky overtook them. She looked on ahead, and she smiled.
Inevitable.
Inevitable: Chapter Two, A Meeting
Chihiro looked on ahead with distant eyes, and she smirked. There was no one waiting for her, nowhere – not in the human world, and definitely not in the spirited world. This was her life. It wasn't like Chihiro had welcomed it with open arms, but Chihiro just did not mind. It wasn't as if Chihiro had a choice.
Ogino Chihiro had never made choices. Ogino Chihiro never got to make a choice.
All her life, Chihiro has had someone to depend upon – a shoulder to lean upon, someone to guide the way for her. She had never been an independent walker. And now, after she died, she thought she would have to be solitary, and make her own choices – and yet, the messenger from heave and hell came, and guided her along her pathway, to the spirit world.
"The paint is pretty worn out. I should consult Yubaaba with this." Kagura said rather lazily, "Go on. I'll be right behind you."
Chihiro frowned, and she looked at the pale figure upon the bridge, "Kagura-san, will they be able to see me?"
Kagura smirked, and the expression on her face told Chihiro that she would soon find out. Chihiro left it at that, and with a determined expression on her face, she stepped over to the other side of the bridge.
Night time had not yet arrived, but it was only a matter of time. She saw the very familiar, but yet foreign lanterns along the side, and then the clothing over the bath house entry with the Japanese hiragana character "yu". God, she was Japanese, and she didn't even remember what it was called. Chihiro was lightly reminded of her death yet again, and she paused as she left her memories resurface.
Shrugging slightly, Chihiro watched dazedly as the lights switched on, and she could see distantly the ships drawing in, gods and monsters piling off the decks and making their way towards the bath house.
This reminded her. The bath house.
What on earth was she doing here anyway?
Kagura lightly touched Chihiro on the shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "To find the reason why you are still staying here. You need to move on."
Ah yes, that was the reason. To move on, and into the unknown. Chihiro sighed softly, and she replied to Kagura, "What now? Sulk around the bath house or find a job there. Why should I find a job there when I'm already dead!"
She felt the bitterness of her death resurface. Chihiro shook her head. Didn't she swore she would not, never again, feel bitter towards her own little happy after? Except of course, Chihiro's version of living-happily-ever-after was not reality. The exact opposite.
She thought her afterlife would be different – happy, and insanely perfect. Instead, here she was, trying to find a way to end it – ending her so called happy ever after that was insanely perfect and madly beautiful. Which world did Chihiro seriously live in?
"Here goes!" Chihiro said as she stepped inside the bath house.
And she was instantly blinded by the sharp lights with in the bath house. Looking around, she found the counter where she had stolen several coupons before. Feeling an up rise in courage, Chihiro took several long steps forward, and demanded to the frog at the counter, "Please, take me to the mistress."
The frog looked expertly at Chihiro, and sighed with slight annoyance and relief at the same time, "Gosh. Another human…"
Chihiro felt a tinge of annoyance at this, and she almost punched the front counter in distaste, "What do you mean another human!"
"I mean what I said! Take a look, you little brat of human blood. Come to think of it…you look quite alike to that girl."
Chihiro narrowed her eyes as the frog continued, "There she is! Look, widen your eyes girl."
Chihiro snapped back, "Shut your mouth froggy." As a girl that had several familiarities to Chihiro appeared at the doorway. The only major difference between their appearances was the hair colour, Chihiro noted. The other girl's hair was black.
Heck, they even tied their hair up the same! Except, Chihiro held her hair up with the all famous hair tie Zeniiba gave her.
Chihiro walked forward towards the girl who she presumed to be human, and she demanded, "Who are you."
It was a statement, and the girl frowned considerably, "My name…is Chihiro."
Chihiro gritted her teeth, "Look here, girl, I don't know what's the deal with you but…"
Chihiro froze in the middle of her threatening, and she could only stare at the two other figures that just came in through the doorway. She felt her heart pounding at a thousand kilometers per hour. If you were inside the room, you would be able to hear a pin dropping.
A woman with a gigantic, bludging figure entered the doorway, laughing horrendously, and a thin, well built boy with bright emerald eyes and pale skin followed her. He was consulting the woman with apparently, an 'issue'. And then he looked up, hearing the commotion.
And all time froze as amber met emerald.
End of chapter two
Author's Note: Hey it's Isabella writing here (don't get me confused with Janice or Jana). I really don't feel like writing a lot of author's notes. This story is not one I am fond of. To be honest, I do not know how this idea came to me at all. But I still left you guys on a cliffy!
Anyway, missed me? I'm back from my long break, even though I'll be gone, again, soon enough. Hopefully I'll post another couple of chapters before I disappear off and get my head stuck in projects…my last update was three months ago… (Shocked silence).
Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. Flamers will be murdered (smirk… I do hope people get sarcasm).