Chapter-2 kimiko Visit's the Toko Shohiro River

5 years had passed; Chihiro and Haku were now the proud parents of their 4 year old daughter Kimiko. Kimiko had her mother's eyes, she also had her father's hair color, but what was strange about her that she was actually was born with a dragon on her left shoulder and neither Haku nor Chihiro understood it but decided it was just a normal birth mark.

One day her parents decided to take kimiko to a river not far from their house. Once they got there Kimiko started to run towards the river.

"Kimiko don't go off. We'll get to the river in plenty of time." Chihiro said while helping her husband get the picnic food out of the car.

"But mommy I really want to go see it and it's not that far." Kimiko said with a little pout on her face.

"Chihiro why don't we let her go see the river as long as she doesn't get to close that she would fall in." Haku then froze when he realized what he just said at the end and looked at Chihiro who had an annoyed look on her face because she remembered that she fell in a river when she was around Kimiko's age but in the end she agreed,

"Alright then Kimiko you can go but just be careful."

Kimiko smiled as she nodded her head and started to run off. Then Chihiro looked at Haku.

"You better hope nothing happens to Kimiko Haku or I'm going to get you." Chihiro said with a serious and some humor in her voice. Haku did smile with a little bit of sweat coming down his face while he was getting the picnic blanket out of the car.

--With Kimiko--

Kimiko was running as fast as her legs could go, her little light blue dressed flowed back like ripples in a river and her hand was holding onto her hat making sure it wouldn't fly off while running. Kimiko soon finally made it the river and her breath was taken away, it was her first time actually seeing a river.

"Wow the river is so beautiful, now I know why mom and dad always write about rivers and draw them too." Kimiko thought. (Chihiro always incorporated a river into any of her stories that she wrote.)

Kimiko got a little closer to the river as she did that the wind blew her hat right off her head. Kimiko looked up and started running along the river following her hat which soon fell into the river.

"Oh great. Now how am I supposed to get my hat back now?" Kimiko said

Then she went closer to the river right at the bank, got on the knees and started to reach for her hat.

"Almost got it."

--With Haku and Chihiro--

Haku and Chihiro were finally walking towards the river with the food and blanket.

"I hope Kimiko isn't bored from waiting at the river while we got the stuff out of the car." Chihiro said

"I'm sure she lost track of time from being mesmerized by the river." Haku said with a smile on his face and Chihiro also couldn't help but smile too. Once they got to the river they couldn't see Kimiko anywhere.

"Where's Kimiko?" Chihiro asked

Once she said that there was a loud splash then they hear Kimiko scream help. Haku and Chihiro turned their heads toward the direction where they heard her and they both yelled,

"Kimiko!!!"

--With Kimiko--

When Kimiko tried to get her hat she fell right into the river, face first.

"Help!!!" Kimiko said as she tried to stay above water which wasn't easy because she hardly knew how to swim. Soon she couldn't keep her head above water and started to sink.

"Someone please help me." Kimiko thought as she was about to black out then she felt something go past her.

"Huh! What was that?"

"Hold on to me." a strange voice said, Kimiko didn't know who said that but she decided to listen and reached out and grabbed onto something that started to pull her. Kimiko didn't know what was going on but before she knew it she was right at the shallow part of the bank above water and her hat was right next to her. She grabbed her hat and turned towards the river and was surprised to see what was there. It was a dragon. Kimiko stared at the dragon for a while then soon asked,

"Are you the one that saved me?" the dragon just nodded his head

"What is your name?" The dragon pointed at a sign which read Toko Shohiro River

"Huh? You're the river?" The dragon nodded his head again, then they soon hear voices.

"Kimiko where are you"

"Kimiko"

It was Kimiko's parents calling her. Kimiko quickly turned to the dragon and said,

"Thank you for saving me." Bowing at the same time and soon the dragon disappeared.

Then Haku and Chihiro appeared looking at a very soak and wet Kimiko.

"Kimiko are you alright?" her mother asked

"What happen to you?" her father added while wrapping her in the blanket so she wouldn't get cold.

"I was trying to get my hat and then I fell into the river, then a dragon saved me."

Chihiro's and Haku's eyes widen and couldn't believe what Kimiko had just said.

"Sweetie. Did you just say a dragon saved you?" Haku asked

"Yeah. And he said his name it the Toko Shohiro River, Mommy does that make him a river spirit like the ones in your stories?" Chihiro looked at Haku and he soon said,

"Kimiko maybe you imagined the dragon."

"I know what I saw though daddy."

"Kimiko lets not argue and forget about this and take you home before you get sick." Kimiko looked down at her wet dress and shoes and said,

"Okay mommy."

Haku picked up Kimiko and carried her to the car, on the way Kimiko saw the dragon again and did a little wave at him. "I hope we meet again Toko Shohiro." Kimiko thought before she closed her eyes and was fast asleep. Once Haku got Kimiko buckled in and closed the car door Chihiro asked,

"Haku you don't think Kimiko has some of you spirit powers where she can see them."

"I don't know Chihiro this is a first. No spirit has ever tried to become human and start a family in the human world."

"Then what's going on with Kimiko? You told me years ago that is really hard for humans to see spirits."

"I know Chihiro. I know." Haku sighed and put his hand on his head. "Maybe it has to do with the birth mark on her left shoulder."

"Well whatever it is I don't want it to continue. I don't want Kimiko to go through the same problems we went through so many years ago."

"Then we'll have to tell Kimiko that the river spirits and other kind of spirits only exist in your stories and make her think that she did imagine the dragon. Then maybe she will forget this incident."

"I only hope you right Haku. I only hope." They soon got in the car and drove off and the dragon appeared again and said,

"I hope I get to meet you again Kimiko."