SA Chapter 1!
Here's Chapter 1 of the Spirited Away fan fiction that my friend and I are working on together.
The Prologue is here: Prologue
Chapter 1 starts here:
Disclaimer: This is a joint effort in fan fiction between DuoLordofDeath and me. These characters used in this story are a mix of those owned by Studio Ghibli (Haku, Chihiro, Yubaba, Boh, Kaonashi, Ren, Komaji, Zaniba, Etc.) and our original characters. Kimmoh-Kyubi Hakumen-no-Akko is based on a character from Japanese mythology, as well as the words of our friend Sana. We make no money from this. If you wish to use any of the original characters, please let me know.
As always, constructive comments are appreciated.
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She was running through a beautiful green meadow towards a set of old stairs leading up to a beautiful old bridge that was the main entrance to an old and elegant bathhouse. She stopped when a figure, clad in a hooded navy cloak suddenly appeared in her way.
He stood there at the crest of the stairs, listening as her footfalls echoed up into his ears. As she came into view, he found himself somewhat amazed at the change in her appearance, but he smiled as he noticed her eyes, ever curious and inquisitive. He stood there, feet apart in a domineering stance, as if he were blocking her from entering the building beyond. "So you see...you haven't forgotten...,” he murmured as he noted her confused expression. After a moment, he changed his posture, and stepped aside to allow her passage. Behind him, a young boy stood on the bridge, highlighted in the dusky orange of the setting sun. His neatly cut hair blew gently in the wind, his piercing green eyes watching her closely.
Chihiro took a step back as the cloaked figure moved to reveal a young boy, a boy that she recognized. “H-Haku?” she whispered, as though she was unsure if the name was right, although the name, the setting and the person really seemed to fit - except for the cloaked figure. She turned to face the man in the navy cloak. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but something didn’t feel right about the setting or the situation.
"Chihiro," the boy murmured, and raised a hand, as if to reach out for her. The cloaked figure did not speak a word, when suddenly, the wind picked up harshly, and a flash of dry heat washed over the bridge. There was a sudden explosion, and the figure watched as the bathhouse was engulfed in flames. The boy seemed unmoved as the inferno rushed across the bridge and swallowed him, and still he reached out for her.
Her eyes flashed in horror as she watched the inferno in front of her and the acrid smell of burning paint, wood, and flesh met her nostrils. She drew back her hand and screamed as she turned towards the hooded figure and demanded to know what was going on.
The cloaked figure could feel her horror in his mind as she turned to him and demanded information. He watched her for a moment, his cloak flapping in the wind kicked up by the huge fire. "...We need you...Help us..." he murmured finally, his voice quiet and insistent. "...Help us...remember..."
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Chihiro bolted awake, her head was throbbing and her heart was pounding. She had been having odd dreams for a few years now, but nothing that had shaken her up as badly as this had. The dreams had always been cheerful and full of friendship and warmth, even though the creatures in her dreams weren’t always what one would call human. Stretching and shaking the last bit of the dream from her mind, she got up and went to her window taking some comfort in the quiet serenity of the street at sunrise outside her home of six years.
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So...this is her world...
The cloaked figure stepped out onto the edge of a cliff that overlooked the small town, and found himself reminded vaguely of the same hilltop he'd been standing on just last night. A small town nestled in a valley near a range of tall, beautiful mountains. Roads wound all through the small city, with people going back and forth in their vehicles. All along the sidewalks, children walked towards their schools, laughing and playing. The sun was just rising, and it was going to be a lovely day. For a moment, he smiled; it was a beautiful world, if different from his own. Turning his head, he looked towards a long series of houses that began several yards from the abandoned well he'd arrived from, and surveyed them. Below, he knew, was the sealed entrance to the spirit world, and all along the ledge above, pretty homes lined the over-look. Turning his head, he looked towards a pleasant blue-hued home that reminded him robins' eggs, and realized to his surprise that there was a figure standing in one of the second story windows. Realizing his error of not hiding himself from human eyes, he quickly murmured and incantation and vanished, just quick enough to hope that this person would just assume it a simple waking dream. However, as he felt the eyes remain on his location, he felt a strange sensation, and turned to glance towards the window. Was it...was it her?
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Shaking off the remaining cobwebs from sleep, Chihiro turned from the window and to her desk where the previous day’s homework lay neatly among various sketches and drawings of dragons, people, and various other creatures from her dreams. She quickly gathered up her schoolbooks, homework, and sketchbook and put them in her bag. Then she quickly dressed in her school uniform of navy. The same navy as the man’s cloak, she thought. She looked at the clock and realized that if she didn’t hurry than she would be late to school.
Chihiro’s mother tried to stop her as she bolted down the stairs and out the door, “Chi-chan! Your breakfast!” she called to her daughter, sticking her slightly graying head out of the kitchen door.
The brunette teen stopped at the front door and sighed. “Mom, I haven’t the time right now!” Chihiro cried as her mother thrust the teen’s box lunch into her hands. Yuuko Ogini’s eyes lit up knowingly as she brought a granola bar out from the pocket of her apron.
“Thanks mom,” Chihiro smiled as she quickly kissed her mother’s cheek and then bolted out the door.
It was slightly chilly for a spring morning and Chihiro wished that she’d brought her coat this morning. However, the morning briskness helped her wake up a bit, as she dashed off down the road to her school.
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Curious, the stranger stepped towards the house on light feet; knowing that she would not be able to see him, though...if it were her...then she might sense someone following her. Frowning, he stood near the front of the house, and watched the door carefully. He heard muffled shouting from within, and then suddenly, a tall teenager with rather pretty brown hair dashed out of the house, looking extremely rushed. A bit taken aback, he quickly fell into pursuit, intensely curious. "Could it be her?" he asked himself quickly, but his mind was drawn to something else as he followed her, something that struck him rather poignantly. Off to the side of the street he and the girl were running on, the burned remains of what had been an old, elegant building were still smoldering, presumably from an evening fire the night previous. Looking closely, he realized that it had been an old bathhouse, similar, though less opulent, than the one that had been taken from Yubaba the night before. "Of course..." he thought to himself more. “The human world reflects the spirit world...Like a mirror’s reflection; the destruction will bleed over the boundaries. We have to move quickly."
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Chihiro arrived at school in time make it to her classroom for the first warning bell. She had just taken out her notebook to do a last minute check over her work when she heard a shrill voice behind her. She turned in time to see two girls enter the classroom. The first was a head taller than Chihiro and had long ebony hair that went down to her waist and deep brown, almost black eyes. She was slender and was easily considered one of the prettiest girls in school, her name was Satou Amika. The second couldn’t have been more of a contrast to the first. Kawayama Hanako was a dumpy, roundish sort of girl with stringy black hair that would have looked better on a mop’s head. Both of them would go out of their way to make Chihiro’s life horrible. It had been that way since she’d first moved to the area in the fourth grade.
"Well, well, well," Amika began haughtily. "If it isn't Miss Eco-Freak, saved any plants lately? Have they talked to you?" Her overly sweet and insincere smile could have soured the freshest milk.
Hanako just laughed, sounding like a sick horse gasping for breath. "Of course not! The trees don't have ears!” the girl responded in a somewhat off-key sing-song voice, attempting at the same time to appear more intelligent than what she was,” Or mouths! How can they talk?" The two girls elicited a laugh from the small group of students that had assembled behind them to watch, many of them glad that the duo hadn’t chosen them as a target that morning. .
Chihiro didn't say anything, but turned back to her desk and began to draw in her sketchbook, a picture of a little chubby white mouse, who had often appeared in the her dreams she had about the bathhouse. Suddenly a chubby hand reached across her desk and snatched up the drawing. "Hey give that back Hanako!" Chihiro said indignantly as the taller girl ran to the other side of the room, putting as many desks as possible between herself and the angered brunette.
Hanako looked at it curiously from a desk near the door, "Oh how sweet! She's drawing her dream boy!" She held it high so that those around could see.
Chihiro glared at her angrily. She hated both of the girls; they had done nothing in the six years since she’d known them but make her school life a living hell. Ever since middle school, they’d teased her constantly and had made it impossible to make any real friends. Amika and Hanako were bullies and had chosen Chihiro for their target almost the moment that she first entered the school. Chihiro wasn’t sure how she’d merited this honor, but she did her best not to rise to their endless torture. For the most part, she took it relatively stoically and did her best not to give them a reaction, but she hadn’t really slept that well the night before so she was short tempered to begin with that morning. That was, at least, the best explanation for her next actions.
Without a second thought, she picked up the chair of the desk next to hers and hurled it with deadly accuracy at the other girl. Hanako was so surprised that she dropped the sketchbook on the floor with a loud “snap” as the chair knocked the wind from her. Chihiro marched over to where her sketchbook now lay and picked it up, and returned to her seat without a word as the homeroom teacher entered the classroom.
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Having followed her secretly to the classroom, the stranger made sure to trail her as accurately as possible. She hadn't seemed to sense his presence yet...perhaps it wasn't her...Keeping to the back of the classroom, he crossed his arms and waiting, watching as she made herself at home. However, his head shot straight to the door as the two girls walked in, and he immediately sensed that something was not right with them. They weren't just bullies...there was something truly diabolic about them...However, it was hard for him to sustain a shocked gasp as the girl turned and hurled a chair across the room, nailing on the bullies directly. It was then that he received his first full glance of his quarry’s face. "So...you've grown too...,” he thought to himself with a smile, watching fondly as she picked up the sketchbook and went back to her seat. Therefore, if he was to do this...he was going to have to be fast about this. Moreover, he began to formulate a plan as he observed the opening of the class period.
"Good morning, class, I hope yo-" the instructor began pleasantly as he stepped into the classroom, but the words died in his throat as he saw that one of his students had been knocked into a wall by one of the chairs that was sitting on its side a short distance away. There was a distinct moment of disbelief before he knelt down to help her up. "What happened here, class? Goodness...are you alright?" he inquired, helping her to her feet. "I would go to the nurse's station and have her look you over..."
Hanako glared at Chihiro as she quietly left the room without protest. Amika was still staring wide-eyed at Chihiro, in shock that the often-quieter girl would possess such strength in her anger. This one would definitely have to be watched closer, Amika thought as she took her seat two desks over from Chihiro’s.
Chihiro was just in as much shock at herself as the two bullies were. It had happened without conscious thought on her part. Quietly, the brunette took her seat and turned her attention to Mr. Watanabe as he took roll and began his lecture for the morning.
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A few evenings later Chihiro sat at her desk, her homework completed and neatly stacked in the upper right corner of her desk. What she was currently engrossed in was not her homework, but more drawings from her dreams. She hadn't been this inspired to draw in many years, at least not since shortly after her family had moved to Uji after living in Nikaho. Sighing, she looked at the clock, only to notice that it was late and she should head off to bed soon because it was a school night.
She left her sketchbook open to the page on which she had been drawing, and went over to her dresser and changed into her pajamas for bed. As she brushed her long brown hair, she looked at the picture as though willing the silver dragon to move. Tiredly she shook her head and then climbed in to her bed and turned out the light.
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Sitting quietly in the field across from the pretty home, the young man watched the dim light in the upper story window. He could feel her energy even from this far...something seemed to have triggered an influx of creative energy. Had it been her dreams? Furrowing his brow, he waited until the light went out, and rose. He realized that she would not fall asleep so quickly, so he gave her some time. "I wish you could sleep well, Chihiro," he murmured as he began to quietly make his way through the tall grass towards the house. "For it will be a long time before any of us will find rest..."
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She was back again, only this time the entire place was a charred inferno, and yet she felt no heat from the flames. Everything was twisted and perverted by the unnatural fires. She’d soon lost her way in the streets and stalls of the small satellite town of the bathhouse. So many screams echoed through the night, so much so that she knelt by one of the food stalls and covered her ears with her hands as she wept from all the screaming and pain that she felt. “What’s happening? Where am I?” she asked the fires. “This isn’t right.”
"They have been lost," spoke the hooded figure as he stepped up behind her, his soft tenor voice unnervingly calm. "This is what will spread if we don't stop her..." He then reached out to her, his hand pale, the skin soft and perfect, unmarred, and gestured for her to take his hand. "Remember...you must remember...you must help us." He was not demanding, rather...he was imploring. Quietly, his voice begged her. "Save us..."
Chihiro reached up towards him and as her hand touched his, the screams and pain subsided. “Save you? How…I don’t even really know where ‘here’ is. I know that I’ve been here before…the boy…where is Haku? Who has done all this?” She suddenly felt cold despite the fires around her. There was something strong at work here, but she wasn’t sure what it was, she only knew that the feeling was bad, brutal, and unwelcoming.
"She has come...and with her, she has brought the very fires of the hells. The boy...he is safe for now; she has not been able to locate him yet...but the longer we stay here, the closer she is to finding him...and the others. Chihiro," he breathed, and pulled her to her feet. Though his eyes were hidden, he was face to face with her, and took her other hand. "This place is a place of dream...a place you have in your memory. It's there..." He began to raise a hand to her eyes, when suddenly, there was a shriek amidst the silence, but it was of anger...hatred.
Chihiro no longer saw the hooded figure in front of her, she was still with him, but her attention was solely focused on a smiling fox with nine glistening tales that was advancing towards her, licking its sharp white teeth as it transformed into a beautiful woman with a decidedly wicked look upon her frighteningly beautiful face. With another screech of hatred, the woman lunged at Chihiro who jumped back and fell against the side of the food stand.
A beautiful woman with long black hair and golden eyes laughed quietly at Chihiro as the young girl felt a comforting warmth and presence.
An elderly man and his daughter welcomed Chihiro into their home, grateful for the aid that she had given them.
A young man with flowing white hair and stormy-blue eyes looked sternly at her, as though he were unsure whether or not she was worth his time.
A large man with a battle-scarred face and grey eyes roared with laughter as he came to challenge her.
A young child with long blue hair and pale skin offered her hand.
Suddenly she bolted awake, breathing hard and sweating. Something told her that that hadn’t been an ordinary dream. She looked over at her desk and nearly shrieked as she saw a hooded figure seated in her chair.
"Shh!" the figure urged, raising a hand to his face. "No need to awaken your parents...,” he continued as he leaned forward in the chair, gazing at her from under the darkened hood. Slowly, he lowered his hand and rested them in his lap. "You've been having strange dreams, I suspect," he said softly, his voice soothing, but urgent. "Dreams of a grand bathhouse...but in flame. Of strange spirits and demons, in a place just beyond memory...right?" His clothing rustled slightly as he adjusted himself. The cloak had fallen open to reveal his very traditional attire, hakama and haori in soft blues and grays.
Chihiro went silent, nodded and said simply, “You’re the one that been sending them to me, but I still don’t quite understand why.” She shifted so that she could better face the hooded stranger, while pulling her comforter closer around her, as though she were trying to protect herself from the harsh hatred of what she’d just experienced.
"Yes...I've been sending you these dreams. And while I can't explain now, for your own safety, know that I am here to help you, and protect you. There are dangers so close to you that you don't even realize are there; dangers that affect both your world and my own. I'm a friend, Chihiro. Soon, you will understand everything. But you must come into it of your own; I can only guide you to this destination."
Chihiro took a moment for her mind to fully clear. “A friend?” she asked as she regarded the hooded stranger sitting at her desk. “Then why hide behind the hood?” she coyly. “And how do I know that I can trust you?”
The spirit was silent for a moment, considering her words. "I'm not hiding from you. However, there are others in this world who wish to do harm to you. s long as they don't realize I am here, they will keep still and they won't bother you. If they knew I was here...you would not be safe." Standing, he took a few steps towards her. Kneeling at her bedside, he reached for her hand. "Soon, I won't have to hide from you either. Be patient. As for trust..." He paused, and reached into his cowl, searching for something. After a moment, he pulled out a small amulet made from a pearly, thin substance. It was engraved and elegant, almost iridescent. "A friend asked me to give this to you. It will protect you. You must keep it secret from everyone..."
She reached for the item, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious stranger’s face. Unfortunately, the dim light coupled with the depth of his hood prevented it. She looked down at the item in her hand. The engravings were intricate and seemed to catch the moonlight in such a way as to make the lettering dance and glisten. “It’s beautiful…,” she breathed. It had to be one of Haku’s scales. “So you got this from the boiler man didn’t you?” she asked, giving her hooded guest one last test.
"No. From the boy. Kamajii hasn't been in contact with him since the bathhouse incident...,” he said quietly, smiling a little. She was smart not to trust him just yet, and honestly, he couldn't blame her. He was a veritable stranger to her, on her turf. She'd never forgotten those lessons she'd learned during her stay in the bathhouse. "He wanted to make sure that you would be protected until he was able to speak with you again. He is safe, for now. He's found a perfect hiding place."
Chihiro smiled softly as she clutched the amulet. “So the markings are a protection enchantment?” If Haku trusted this person enough to entrust such a precious gift to him, then Chihiro decided that she could trust him a little too. “Is everyone alright?” She asked as she put the amulet around her neck. As soon as she had she felt a calming energy go through her body, and warmth, almost as though she were being embraced by her old friend. She smiled at the feeling.
"For the time being. They are in a safe place, but...there were injuries. Have no worries, though. Zaniba will take fine care of them." Behind him, a soft wind rattled the window, and he turned his head, frowning a little. "I can't stay for long, but remember. You are not alone. You never were." Standing, he lowered his hands, letting his cloak fall to his sides with a soft rustling.
Chihiro nodded silently as she clasped her hand around the amulet. Then she looked up at the stranger, cocking her head to one side. "No, this is finally something that is real." She bowed her head in farewell as she settled back into bed and closed her eyes.
"Sleep well, Chihiro," he murmured as he opened the tall windows and stepped into the moonlit night. Taking a breath, he looked out over the placid fields, the soft winds casting the tall grasses side to side. Such serenity, they had to preserve this world and save it from the horrific flames of the Hells...
The Prologue is here: Prologue
Chapter 1 starts here:
Disclaimer: This is a joint effort in fan fiction between DuoLordofDeath and me. These characters used in this story are a mix of those owned by Studio Ghibli (Haku, Chihiro, Yubaba, Boh, Kaonashi, Ren, Komaji, Zaniba, Etc.) and our original characters. Kimmoh-Kyubi Hakumen-no-Akko is based on a character from Japanese mythology, as well as the words of our friend Sana. We make no money from this. If you wish to use any of the original characters, please let me know.
As always, constructive comments are appreciated.
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She was running through a beautiful green meadow towards a set of old stairs leading up to a beautiful old bridge that was the main entrance to an old and elegant bathhouse. She stopped when a figure, clad in a hooded navy cloak suddenly appeared in her way.
He stood there at the crest of the stairs, listening as her footfalls echoed up into his ears. As she came into view, he found himself somewhat amazed at the change in her appearance, but he smiled as he noticed her eyes, ever curious and inquisitive. He stood there, feet apart in a domineering stance, as if he were blocking her from entering the building beyond. "So you see...you haven't forgotten...,” he murmured as he noted her confused expression. After a moment, he changed his posture, and stepped aside to allow her passage. Behind him, a young boy stood on the bridge, highlighted in the dusky orange of the setting sun. His neatly cut hair blew gently in the wind, his piercing green eyes watching her closely.
Chihiro took a step back as the cloaked figure moved to reveal a young boy, a boy that she recognized. “H-Haku?” she whispered, as though she was unsure if the name was right, although the name, the setting and the person really seemed to fit - except for the cloaked figure. She turned to face the man in the navy cloak. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but something didn’t feel right about the setting or the situation.
"Chihiro," the boy murmured, and raised a hand, as if to reach out for her. The cloaked figure did not speak a word, when suddenly, the wind picked up harshly, and a flash of dry heat washed over the bridge. There was a sudden explosion, and the figure watched as the bathhouse was engulfed in flames. The boy seemed unmoved as the inferno rushed across the bridge and swallowed him, and still he reached out for her.
Her eyes flashed in horror as she watched the inferno in front of her and the acrid smell of burning paint, wood, and flesh met her nostrils. She drew back her hand and screamed as she turned towards the hooded figure and demanded to know what was going on.
The cloaked figure could feel her horror in his mind as she turned to him and demanded information. He watched her for a moment, his cloak flapping in the wind kicked up by the huge fire. "...We need you...Help us..." he murmured finally, his voice quiet and insistent. "...Help us...remember..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chihiro bolted awake, her head was throbbing and her heart was pounding. She had been having odd dreams for a few years now, but nothing that had shaken her up as badly as this had. The dreams had always been cheerful and full of friendship and warmth, even though the creatures in her dreams weren’t always what one would call human. Stretching and shaking the last bit of the dream from her mind, she got up and went to her window taking some comfort in the quiet serenity of the street at sunrise outside her home of six years.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So...this is her world...
The cloaked figure stepped out onto the edge of a cliff that overlooked the small town, and found himself reminded vaguely of the same hilltop he'd been standing on just last night. A small town nestled in a valley near a range of tall, beautiful mountains. Roads wound all through the small city, with people going back and forth in their vehicles. All along the sidewalks, children walked towards their schools, laughing and playing. The sun was just rising, and it was going to be a lovely day. For a moment, he smiled; it was a beautiful world, if different from his own. Turning his head, he looked towards a long series of houses that began several yards from the abandoned well he'd arrived from, and surveyed them. Below, he knew, was the sealed entrance to the spirit world, and all along the ledge above, pretty homes lined the over-look. Turning his head, he looked towards a pleasant blue-hued home that reminded him robins' eggs, and realized to his surprise that there was a figure standing in one of the second story windows. Realizing his error of not hiding himself from human eyes, he quickly murmured and incantation and vanished, just quick enough to hope that this person would just assume it a simple waking dream. However, as he felt the eyes remain on his location, he felt a strange sensation, and turned to glance towards the window. Was it...was it her?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Shaking off the remaining cobwebs from sleep, Chihiro turned from the window and to her desk where the previous day’s homework lay neatly among various sketches and drawings of dragons, people, and various other creatures from her dreams. She quickly gathered up her schoolbooks, homework, and sketchbook and put them in her bag. Then she quickly dressed in her school uniform of navy. The same navy as the man’s cloak, she thought. She looked at the clock and realized that if she didn’t hurry than she would be late to school.
Chihiro’s mother tried to stop her as she bolted down the stairs and out the door, “Chi-chan! Your breakfast!” she called to her daughter, sticking her slightly graying head out of the kitchen door.
The brunette teen stopped at the front door and sighed. “Mom, I haven’t the time right now!” Chihiro cried as her mother thrust the teen’s box lunch into her hands. Yuuko Ogini’s eyes lit up knowingly as she brought a granola bar out from the pocket of her apron.
“Thanks mom,” Chihiro smiled as she quickly kissed her mother’s cheek and then bolted out the door.
It was slightly chilly for a spring morning and Chihiro wished that she’d brought her coat this morning. However, the morning briskness helped her wake up a bit, as she dashed off down the road to her school.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Curious, the stranger stepped towards the house on light feet; knowing that she would not be able to see him, though...if it were her...then she might sense someone following her. Frowning, he stood near the front of the house, and watched the door carefully. He heard muffled shouting from within, and then suddenly, a tall teenager with rather pretty brown hair dashed out of the house, looking extremely rushed. A bit taken aback, he quickly fell into pursuit, intensely curious. "Could it be her?" he asked himself quickly, but his mind was drawn to something else as he followed her, something that struck him rather poignantly. Off to the side of the street he and the girl were running on, the burned remains of what had been an old, elegant building were still smoldering, presumably from an evening fire the night previous. Looking closely, he realized that it had been an old bathhouse, similar, though less opulent, than the one that had been taken from Yubaba the night before. "Of course..." he thought to himself more. “The human world reflects the spirit world...Like a mirror’s reflection; the destruction will bleed over the boundaries. We have to move quickly."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chihiro arrived at school in time make it to her classroom for the first warning bell. She had just taken out her notebook to do a last minute check over her work when she heard a shrill voice behind her. She turned in time to see two girls enter the classroom. The first was a head taller than Chihiro and had long ebony hair that went down to her waist and deep brown, almost black eyes. She was slender and was easily considered one of the prettiest girls in school, her name was Satou Amika. The second couldn’t have been more of a contrast to the first. Kawayama Hanako was a dumpy, roundish sort of girl with stringy black hair that would have looked better on a mop’s head. Both of them would go out of their way to make Chihiro’s life horrible. It had been that way since she’d first moved to the area in the fourth grade.
"Well, well, well," Amika began haughtily. "If it isn't Miss Eco-Freak, saved any plants lately? Have they talked to you?" Her overly sweet and insincere smile could have soured the freshest milk.
Hanako just laughed, sounding like a sick horse gasping for breath. "Of course not! The trees don't have ears!” the girl responded in a somewhat off-key sing-song voice, attempting at the same time to appear more intelligent than what she was,” Or mouths! How can they talk?" The two girls elicited a laugh from the small group of students that had assembled behind them to watch, many of them glad that the duo hadn’t chosen them as a target that morning. .
Chihiro didn't say anything, but turned back to her desk and began to draw in her sketchbook, a picture of a little chubby white mouse, who had often appeared in the her dreams she had about the bathhouse. Suddenly a chubby hand reached across her desk and snatched up the drawing. "Hey give that back Hanako!" Chihiro said indignantly as the taller girl ran to the other side of the room, putting as many desks as possible between herself and the angered brunette.
Hanako looked at it curiously from a desk near the door, "Oh how sweet! She's drawing her dream boy!" She held it high so that those around could see.
Chihiro glared at her angrily. She hated both of the girls; they had done nothing in the six years since she’d known them but make her school life a living hell. Ever since middle school, they’d teased her constantly and had made it impossible to make any real friends. Amika and Hanako were bullies and had chosen Chihiro for their target almost the moment that she first entered the school. Chihiro wasn’t sure how she’d merited this honor, but she did her best not to rise to their endless torture. For the most part, she took it relatively stoically and did her best not to give them a reaction, but she hadn’t really slept that well the night before so she was short tempered to begin with that morning. That was, at least, the best explanation for her next actions.
Without a second thought, she picked up the chair of the desk next to hers and hurled it with deadly accuracy at the other girl. Hanako was so surprised that she dropped the sketchbook on the floor with a loud “snap” as the chair knocked the wind from her. Chihiro marched over to where her sketchbook now lay and picked it up, and returned to her seat without a word as the homeroom teacher entered the classroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Having followed her secretly to the classroom, the stranger made sure to trail her as accurately as possible. She hadn't seemed to sense his presence yet...perhaps it wasn't her...Keeping to the back of the classroom, he crossed his arms and waiting, watching as she made herself at home. However, his head shot straight to the door as the two girls walked in, and he immediately sensed that something was not right with them. They weren't just bullies...there was something truly diabolic about them...However, it was hard for him to sustain a shocked gasp as the girl turned and hurled a chair across the room, nailing on the bullies directly. It was then that he received his first full glance of his quarry’s face. "So...you've grown too...,” he thought to himself with a smile, watching fondly as she picked up the sketchbook and went back to her seat. Therefore, if he was to do this...he was going to have to be fast about this. Moreover, he began to formulate a plan as he observed the opening of the class period.
"Good morning, class, I hope yo-" the instructor began pleasantly as he stepped into the classroom, but the words died in his throat as he saw that one of his students had been knocked into a wall by one of the chairs that was sitting on its side a short distance away. There was a distinct moment of disbelief before he knelt down to help her up. "What happened here, class? Goodness...are you alright?" he inquired, helping her to her feet. "I would go to the nurse's station and have her look you over..."
Hanako glared at Chihiro as she quietly left the room without protest. Amika was still staring wide-eyed at Chihiro, in shock that the often-quieter girl would possess such strength in her anger. This one would definitely have to be watched closer, Amika thought as she took her seat two desks over from Chihiro’s.
Chihiro was just in as much shock at herself as the two bullies were. It had happened without conscious thought on her part. Quietly, the brunette took her seat and turned her attention to Mr. Watanabe as he took roll and began his lecture for the morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few evenings later Chihiro sat at her desk, her homework completed and neatly stacked in the upper right corner of her desk. What she was currently engrossed in was not her homework, but more drawings from her dreams. She hadn't been this inspired to draw in many years, at least not since shortly after her family had moved to Uji after living in Nikaho. Sighing, she looked at the clock, only to notice that it was late and she should head off to bed soon because it was a school night.
She left her sketchbook open to the page on which she had been drawing, and went over to her dresser and changed into her pajamas for bed. As she brushed her long brown hair, she looked at the picture as though willing the silver dragon to move. Tiredly she shook her head and then climbed in to her bed and turned out the light.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sitting quietly in the field across from the pretty home, the young man watched the dim light in the upper story window. He could feel her energy even from this far...something seemed to have triggered an influx of creative energy. Had it been her dreams? Furrowing his brow, he waited until the light went out, and rose. He realized that she would not fall asleep so quickly, so he gave her some time. "I wish you could sleep well, Chihiro," he murmured as he began to quietly make his way through the tall grass towards the house. "For it will be a long time before any of us will find rest..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She was back again, only this time the entire place was a charred inferno, and yet she felt no heat from the flames. Everything was twisted and perverted by the unnatural fires. She’d soon lost her way in the streets and stalls of the small satellite town of the bathhouse. So many screams echoed through the night, so much so that she knelt by one of the food stalls and covered her ears with her hands as she wept from all the screaming and pain that she felt. “What’s happening? Where am I?” she asked the fires. “This isn’t right.”
"They have been lost," spoke the hooded figure as he stepped up behind her, his soft tenor voice unnervingly calm. "This is what will spread if we don't stop her..." He then reached out to her, his hand pale, the skin soft and perfect, unmarred, and gestured for her to take his hand. "Remember...you must remember...you must help us." He was not demanding, rather...he was imploring. Quietly, his voice begged her. "Save us..."
Chihiro reached up towards him and as her hand touched his, the screams and pain subsided. “Save you? How…I don’t even really know where ‘here’ is. I know that I’ve been here before…the boy…where is Haku? Who has done all this?” She suddenly felt cold despite the fires around her. There was something strong at work here, but she wasn’t sure what it was, she only knew that the feeling was bad, brutal, and unwelcoming.
"She has come...and with her, she has brought the very fires of the hells. The boy...he is safe for now; she has not been able to locate him yet...but the longer we stay here, the closer she is to finding him...and the others. Chihiro," he breathed, and pulled her to her feet. Though his eyes were hidden, he was face to face with her, and took her other hand. "This place is a place of dream...a place you have in your memory. It's there..." He began to raise a hand to her eyes, when suddenly, there was a shriek amidst the silence, but it was of anger...hatred.
Chihiro no longer saw the hooded figure in front of her, she was still with him, but her attention was solely focused on a smiling fox with nine glistening tales that was advancing towards her, licking its sharp white teeth as it transformed into a beautiful woman with a decidedly wicked look upon her frighteningly beautiful face. With another screech of hatred, the woman lunged at Chihiro who jumped back and fell against the side of the food stand.
A beautiful woman with long black hair and golden eyes laughed quietly at Chihiro as the young girl felt a comforting warmth and presence.
An elderly man and his daughter welcomed Chihiro into their home, grateful for the aid that she had given them.
A young man with flowing white hair and stormy-blue eyes looked sternly at her, as though he were unsure whether or not she was worth his time.
A large man with a battle-scarred face and grey eyes roared with laughter as he came to challenge her.
A young child with long blue hair and pale skin offered her hand.
Suddenly she bolted awake, breathing hard and sweating. Something told her that that hadn’t been an ordinary dream. She looked over at her desk and nearly shrieked as she saw a hooded figure seated in her chair.
"Shh!" the figure urged, raising a hand to his face. "No need to awaken your parents...,” he continued as he leaned forward in the chair, gazing at her from under the darkened hood. Slowly, he lowered his hand and rested them in his lap. "You've been having strange dreams, I suspect," he said softly, his voice soothing, but urgent. "Dreams of a grand bathhouse...but in flame. Of strange spirits and demons, in a place just beyond memory...right?" His clothing rustled slightly as he adjusted himself. The cloak had fallen open to reveal his very traditional attire, hakama and haori in soft blues and grays.
Chihiro went silent, nodded and said simply, “You’re the one that been sending them to me, but I still don’t quite understand why.” She shifted so that she could better face the hooded stranger, while pulling her comforter closer around her, as though she were trying to protect herself from the harsh hatred of what she’d just experienced.
"Yes...I've been sending you these dreams. And while I can't explain now, for your own safety, know that I am here to help you, and protect you. There are dangers so close to you that you don't even realize are there; dangers that affect both your world and my own. I'm a friend, Chihiro. Soon, you will understand everything. But you must come into it of your own; I can only guide you to this destination."
Chihiro took a moment for her mind to fully clear. “A friend?” she asked as she regarded the hooded stranger sitting at her desk. “Then why hide behind the hood?” she coyly. “And how do I know that I can trust you?”
The spirit was silent for a moment, considering her words. "I'm not hiding from you. However, there are others in this world who wish to do harm to you. s long as they don't realize I am here, they will keep still and they won't bother you. If they knew I was here...you would not be safe." Standing, he took a few steps towards her. Kneeling at her bedside, he reached for her hand. "Soon, I won't have to hide from you either. Be patient. As for trust..." He paused, and reached into his cowl, searching for something. After a moment, he pulled out a small amulet made from a pearly, thin substance. It was engraved and elegant, almost iridescent. "A friend asked me to give this to you. It will protect you. You must keep it secret from everyone..."
She reached for the item, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious stranger’s face. Unfortunately, the dim light coupled with the depth of his hood prevented it. She looked down at the item in her hand. The engravings were intricate and seemed to catch the moonlight in such a way as to make the lettering dance and glisten. “It’s beautiful…,” she breathed. It had to be one of Haku’s scales. “So you got this from the boiler man didn’t you?” she asked, giving her hooded guest one last test.
"No. From the boy. Kamajii hasn't been in contact with him since the bathhouse incident...,” he said quietly, smiling a little. She was smart not to trust him just yet, and honestly, he couldn't blame her. He was a veritable stranger to her, on her turf. She'd never forgotten those lessons she'd learned during her stay in the bathhouse. "He wanted to make sure that you would be protected until he was able to speak with you again. He is safe, for now. He's found a perfect hiding place."
Chihiro smiled softly as she clutched the amulet. “So the markings are a protection enchantment?” If Haku trusted this person enough to entrust such a precious gift to him, then Chihiro decided that she could trust him a little too. “Is everyone alright?” She asked as she put the amulet around her neck. As soon as she had she felt a calming energy go through her body, and warmth, almost as though she were being embraced by her old friend. She smiled at the feeling.
"For the time being. They are in a safe place, but...there were injuries. Have no worries, though. Zaniba will take fine care of them." Behind him, a soft wind rattled the window, and he turned his head, frowning a little. "I can't stay for long, but remember. You are not alone. You never were." Standing, he lowered his hands, letting his cloak fall to his sides with a soft rustling.
Chihiro nodded silently as she clasped her hand around the amulet. Then she looked up at the stranger, cocking her head to one side. "No, this is finally something that is real." She bowed her head in farewell as she settled back into bed and closed her eyes.
"Sleep well, Chihiro," he murmured as he opened the tall windows and stepped into the moonlit night. Taking a breath, he looked out over the placid fields, the soft winds casting the tall grasses side to side. Such serenity, they had to preserve this world and save it from the horrific flames of the Hells...