Rivers Keep Flowing
Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
by: LadyRainStarDragon
As you can see, the sequel is finally beginning. The thinking hat worked wonderfully.
I do not own Spirited Away. If you have not read Rivers Never Die, please do so before continuing. Promise to Protect and Underwater Savior may also help in your understanding.
The morning dawned bright and clear. The birds were singing, and Chihiro could hear someone moving about in the kitchen.
'Grandfather must be up already. I'd better get up and meditate.'
Opening her eyes, Chihiro greeted the ray of sunlight shining into her room. It seemed Amaterasu had wanted her to awaken early today. Most people would scoff at this, but with her life, she wouldn't be surprised. As the young nisou stretched, she threw back her blanket.
Getting off of her Western-styled bed that BlowingWind had badgered her to buy a few years ago, the top of her sleeping gi slipped open to reveal a creamy shoulder. Glaring at her mutinous top briefly, she walked to her wardrobe to get a regular set of clothes. Since she'd do her meditation and a quick barehanded kata before breakfast, she thought she would wear a set of her training robes.
'Better get some less rebellious clothing on, most definitely.'
Before she could get to her closet though, she heard a familiar voice in her head.
'What's wrong with what you've got on, Chihiro?'
She blushed. Sure, he'd seen her in a lot less than a sleeping gi, but still it wasn't decent. Just how was he seeing her anyway?
'Simple, I don't see you. You think very loudly in the morning.'
Shaking her head, Chihiro continued the task of getting her clothes. She selected a pair of deep blue hakama and a less see-through top that would not slip open on her.
'Wouldn't you like to know Kohaku.'
Laughter seeped through her wall from his room. He was obviously in a very good mood. That meant that Ryu would pick up on it, and decide to pull some more pranks. Life at the Shrine was quiet, but that didn't mean their fair share of Chaos didn't roam the halls. Chihiro ran that thought through her head again as a scream came from the kitchen shortly before a figure in red dragon pajamas ran past holding his nose. Correcting that thought, they had more than their fair share of Chaos.
"I wonder what he did this time."
She sensed a presence to her side before she heard the door next to hers click shut.
"We'll find out in a few minutes. I believe your morning routine is still to greet the sun and then train before breakfast, is it not?"
"Hai."
The Kami and his young Nisou calmly exited the Shrine building, Chihiro leading the way to where she usually performed her personal rituals and training. Although the compound had an actual ritual hall, most of the rites were carried out in the outdoors. In fact, the only time any of them except the most closely guarded were only done indoors if it was bad weather.
Kohakunushi could feel the difference in the area as they drew near. Her little area was completely permeated with her own aura. Yes, Chihiro maintained steadfastly that she had no spiritual powers, so he didn't bring it up. He still noticed the upsurge as her energies returned to her from the ground itself.
He knew better than to believe that his Nisou didn't have spiritual power. He had researched this thoroughly during his stay with the Dragon King. All humans had spiritual power according to the old scrolls written shortly after humankind's creation. What varied was the strength of the power and the gift of the human. The information had fascinated him.
He watched as her aura glowed while greeting the sun goddess and offering up the incense. After she had finished with that, she moved into her practices, beginning with the standing meditation. Her chi could plainly be seen by his eyes as it circulated through her body, strengthening with each cycle as more was brought in. Fifteen minutes passed, and she slowly began to move through her favorite kata. He noticed that it was the Yang family's Tai Chi form. The slow and regal movements suited her as she floated through one set and into the next.
The little Nisou was so caught up in her training, she did not feel the presence of another spirit joining them. Kohakunushi felt the warmth though, and he heard the silky voice.
"Her love is strong young one. Even as she trains in the arts of fighting and exorcisms, the love she has for all does not diminish. She has remained faithful to you, as I am sure you are aware. Do not wait for too long to take her. She is the last of her line and needs to pass her responsibilities on one day."
Before he could answer, the warmth withdrew and Amaterasu was gone. Below on the Earth, a young river-dragon was left confused as to why the sun goddess would speak to him so. Shaking off his confusion, he escorted Chihiro back into the Shrine for her breakfast.
"You don't have to walk me everywhere Haku."
Kohakunushi looked at the young woman currently holding his arm as they walked. He'd probably be in trouble if he let her know that while he had been gone, some part of him had been with her everywhere she went. After all, she was still wearing the white rose he had given her. If all women were like her friend BlowingWind, he wanted to keep all his nose hairs.
"I may not have to, but I would like to."
While all of this had been going on, Ryu had gone back to the kitchen to again steal some bacon. BlowingWind would have none of that however, and so would either whap him with a spare frying pan either over the head or on his nose every time he came in reach. Somehow however, She and Koji had managed to get breakfast and lunch cooked.
Ryu reached for a piece of bacon while BlowingWind was packing the bento boxes that Kohakunushi had said that they would need. Koji had insisted that Ryu and BlowingWind were to accompany the couple when they left on their vacation. Apparently, Koji had temporarily forgotten that Ryu would be either trying to embarrass them to no end, or get them to do something he could later embarrass them with. Suddenly, out of nowhere, something hit the back of his head.
Out of the corner of her eye, BlowingWind had seen her boyfriend trying to steal some bacon yet again. Really, it was getting old. She had lost track of how many times she had brained him, and was afraid she was going to break her favorite skillet. Shaking her head, she threw it at him, as hard as she could. Smirking, she saw it hit her mark.
"Go get out of your pajamas and into some daytime clothes. If you're good, I might let you have a little extra bacon."
Pouting as he turned to face the young Shamaness, he turned soulful brown dragon eyes on her, and batted his lashes to the best of his ability. He was going to try the innocent act. "But honey, I'm hungry now."
"Go."
Noting the now dangerous spark in her eye, the mountain dragon turned tail and ran for their room to change. She had been using the look that told him he would be losing nose hairs again if he didn't hurry up and get out of her hair.
Koji looked up from his task of apportioning the meal on the plates and sighed.
"Why don't you just marry him and get it over with. He'll calm down after that, he's just going crazy with the waiting. How long have you been together now? And without anything more than a kiss?"
BlowingWind shook her head. Yes, she loved him, and she knew that he loved her as well. The problem was that he had not talked with her of their future together. She knew that some dragons would take a human for a mate, but what would happen after she died? She had no idea where her afterlife would take her. Her mixed ancestry stated two places that seemed very different. It didn't help her out any that she had never been able to talk with her Celtic ancestors. More than that though, she was afraid. The last spirit she had loved had been destroyed before they formed a permanent bond. The lake dragon to replace him had been female.
"Marriage isn't always for eternity, and I don't know what will happen to my soul after my body dies. I don't know if I'll ever be ready for that. We've been with each other for five years, but I'm too afraid to let go."
"You'll have to tell him about it sometime BlowingWind."
"Tell who what?"
Chihiro and Kohaku ambled into the room. Kohaku was looking very confused, while Chihiro just looked interested. If she didn't play this cool, then her best friend was going to pry it out of her. She just wasn't ready to talk about it yet this morning.
"Ryu, that I'm going to stuff a voodoo doll with his nose hairs if he doesn't stop trying to piss me off."
Chihiro just shook her head. She was going to find out what her friend was really talking to her grandfather about. Her stomach growled. First, she was going to eat breakfast. Then she needed to make some phone calls before they left.
As Chihiro's stomach growled, Ryu walked in the door, wearing another trade mark dragon shirt. This time it was 'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.'
"Geeze Chihiro! Are you part shi-shi or something? Somebody give her some food before she eats us."
"Funny. For that, I'm going to 'meddle in your affairs' and Kohaku won't like it if you eat me."
Breakfast was surprisingly peaceful. No one stole anybody else's food, there were no 'accidental kickings' under the table, and Ryu didn't even poke fun at either of the girls. Chihiro thought things were going wonderfully. Then the phone rang.
The black plastic beast roared from its place on the wall, completely disturbing the one calm meal that had been taken at the Shrine for weeks. The inhabitants tried to ignore it, then the answering machine picked up and Koji's canned voice filled the room.
"Moshi moshi, Kohakugawa Shrine. No one is available to take your call right now, but if you leave a message, one of our staff will get back to you as soon as possible."
"Father-in-law, since it's now seven o-clock I know that you are there. You're probably all eating breakfast and ignoring the phone. I'm just letting you know that I'll be there in about half an hour to visit Chihiro. I do hope you've gotten her a nice boyfriend by now and helped her friends with their little miscommunication. Ja ne!"
Chihiro and BlowingWind looked at each other. Their faces had become pale white and mouths were dropped open in shock. Both of the dragons could hear how their hearts raced and smell the scent of their desperation and fear. The silence was pierced by their wild cry.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOO! Not now, of all the times!"
The terrified women ran out of the room, barricading themselves in Chihiro's room. They even moved the heavy wardrobe closet in front to block the door. Attempting to calm themselves down, they broke into a secret stash of soda and chocolate that she had hidden underneath her bed. As an afterthought, BlowingWind pulled the curtains shut after locking the window. Chihiro unplugged her automatic nightlight.
Koji glared at Ryu. He knew it was going to be difficult to get the girls out of their stronghold. He couldn't blame them though. Yuukio was rather pushy about them getting married and having a family. He would have probably run too. She still occasionally tried to play matchmaker for him too, so he sympathized somewhat.
"Nice. Now we have to get them out of Chihiro's room. They've probably got the door blocked already."
The three males left the mostly emptied plates behind to clean later. The first priority was to get them out of their hiding place.
Haku was confused yet again. It was beginning to seem that it would be that way for every 'homecoming' and this would probably last for a couple days knowing his luck.
"Why did they just run away?"
Koji looked a little surprised, then quickly recovered.
"That's right, none of this took place by your river where you could see it. Since you had been gone, Yuukio had been pushing Chihiro to get a boyfriend, marry, then settle down. She's been trying to get BlowingWind to progress in her promise to Ryu also, hoping to spur poor Chihiro into giving her some grandkids. So, the past month they've been pretending to be sick every time she comes over."
"Ah. I take it then that would be the reason the all those males had been harassing my Chihiro." 'And why my sister kept scaring boys into throwing themselves into my lovely river. She can be rather scary if she wants too.'
Ryu piped in. "Score Kohaku."
Koji shook his head again.
"No more hockey games on the TV for you. You pick up even more strange mannerisms."
Ryu shrugged. "It's all in the pursuit of understanding my wife-to-be better. Are we going to use the usual method?"
The three of them were now standing before Chihiro's door. The sheer aura of foreboding alone was enough to tell them it was heavily barricaded. For some reason, Kohaku could just imagine Chihiro standing at the ready with a staff and BlowingWind getting ready to stab any intruder with a spear. Really, could her mother be that bad about match making? He was pulled out of his thoughts by the words of his daitoku.
"If I know my granddaughter, she'll have something heavier in front of the door this time."
Ryu grinned as he looked at Kohakunushi, giving him a very bad feeling. "Good, we get to do things my way then. I've got a sure-fire idea to get the door open."
Ryu's cackle only put Kohaku further on the edge. Maybe he was half chaos dragon in addition to volcano dragon. That would explain why he was black and red.
'Why do I feel like I'm going to get in trouble for something not my fault?'
Nisou - Priestess
Daitoku - Priest
Shi-shi - Lion
Moshi moshi - greeting used on the phone, like hello or the old-fashioned ahoy.