Rivers Keep Flowing

Chapter 2: What a Mess

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.


Somewhere in the rainforests of Central America within the territory of the Yucatan, a figure could be seen standing, examining the overgrown step-pyramid before her. Those who lived in the area had responded readily to her questions about ancient temples, warning her not to go near them. One had accidentally let slip the location of this particular temple in an attempt to keep her away from it.

It was said that the local god here was fierce and vengeful. The Spanish had had a hand in the deadly decline of the natives, and their protector god, a descendant of the great Quetzalcoatl had been unable to stop it. The priests of the invading god had driven him deep within his temple and sealed him there according to the story.

Moonlight shone off of dark hair, red glints occasionally brought out as a breeze stirred her long curly hair, currently hanging free about her thin pointed face and down her back. Long, lithe legs were hidden beneath tan khaki pants and the long sleeves of a matching khaki shirt protected her arms from the biting mosquitoes.

The explorer approached the ruin carefully. She was not afraid of the legends. She merely kept her eyes open for snakes and other poisonous creatures. The camp she was approaching from was a respectful distance away from the site. They had gathered in order to hopefully unearth more information about the great cultures that once dominated the area. She was particularly eager. Uncovering mysteries and solving them was what she lived for. Probably because of this love of learning, she could speak 5 different languages fluently and was a renowned archaeologist specializing in Central America.

Why she felt drawn out of her comfy sleeping bag in the middle of the night, she did not know. Something about the air, and the moonlight reflecting off of the ruins had stirred something inside her, drawing her out of the safety of the camp.

She had been dreaming about finding the other part of her family. Her aunt had moved to America and married an Apache before her birth. Her mother had never said why her twin sister had moved away, and she was only talked about in whispers by the older family members. Supposedly, her aunt had a daughter, named BlowingWind. A few years ago, all contact with BlowingWind by the others had been lost. No one knew where she was, what had happened to her, or if she was ok. She had been torn apart by the loss of the cousin she had never been allowed to meet. It had spurred her further into her digs.

She squatted at the base of a stair, examining the carvings in the stone. Below her, she did not notice what could appear to be a snake hole at the first glance. Really, what it was, was a ventilation shaft.

Far below her, a large serpent stirred in the dark. A tantalizing whiff of something had just teased one large nostril, and above, he could hear the sound of a mammal breathing. It smelled so sweet, and it had been long since he had fed. The locals were afraid of bringing him offerings, and they had been unfaithful to him for so long that they had good reason. At the last of his relations with most of them, they had sided with the Spanish Invaders and were now attending the church of their invading War God whose minion had posed as his ancestor. The Spanish had been claimed to be the great Quetzalcoatl by the first to see him, but really the man had been just that, a man. Those that did go to this church, he would eat in revenge and quest for sustenance if they strayed too close. Usually it was during the day though. What could be up there now?

Raising his snout closer to the source, the scent was stronger. Human. Female. Fertile but not aroused. Excited? Spanish Blood! In rage, his plumes puffed and he hurled himself out through the small hole, enlarging it to his size. His jaws closed around his prey, but before his razor teeth could truly puncture the flesh of the interloper, another scent caught his nose. This was an unknown scent, which he decided he could investigate further before devouring this captive morsel. Yet another scent filled the feathered serpent's nose. Fear. His new mystery had passed out, so overwhelmed with it was she.

Sliding once more back into his den, he scuttled his way through the ancient stone halls beneath the pyramid into his bed chambers. Rats scurried out of his way, while the serpents that shared his home and attended to him slithered behind him, anxious to see what their master had brought home. Growling, he issued a warning to them all not to harm what he had taken as his own. The rats and snakes conferred together, attempting to discover what had put their beloved master in such a foul mood.

Opening his jaws, he deposited her gently upon the bed he once had used in his human shape. Many a priestess to him had filled it with him, but now it lay empty. Her features he found strange and very unlike the Spaniards he had once fought, as his eyes glowed a turquoise hue in the dark. He was still hungry though, and he could smell some of the traitors up above. Traitors to not just himself, but their own ancestors, following a god who was responsible for the death of their people. Pursuit of this mystery could wait, first he must feed.

Flying through the new opening to his lair, his feathers and scales reflected rainbows in the silver light of the moon. Screams filled the air as the blood and flesh of the explorers filled the dragon, giving him nourishment and sustenance. Soon, the camp was completely emptied of all life, even that of the pack animals that had been tethered nearby.

The god felt grimy from the blood that had gotten into his fine plumage, and went to a stream nearby to wash himself. The water rose from its course to flood over him, carrying away the gore and returning to its former path.

'Once, I would have abhorred the eating of human essence, but now I take it in if other sacrifices haven't been brought. How can I return to what I once was? This thirst for revenge is wrong, and yet, it consumes me. I can't fight this darkness much longer, and I am so tired.'

Shaking himself dry, the feathered serpent retreated into his lair to examine his prize. It had been long since he had been in a female's presence.


The explorer's blue eyes widened as her heart sped up. Here was an image of Quetzalcoatl! Perhaps his worship did hearken back to the Olmec after all! As her hand reached out to brush pale fingers across the image, the ground beneath her burst open.

Her lower region was enveloped with a warm breath as sharp teeth pierced the sturdy clothing that the wore, stopping just short of tearing into her soft abdomen. Feathers and fur brushed at her legs, and she discovered that her legs were hanging out on either side of a large mouth. Looking between her legs at what seemed about to eat her, the sight that she saw both froze the blood in her veins and inspired a great sense of awe within her. Her fear swallowed her with its blackness, the only thing to light her darkness a large pair of fearsome turquoise eyes.


Back in Japan:

"You want me to what Ryu?"

"Strip."

Koji's face paled and then reddened in rage of what the mountain dragon had suggested the river kami do. Not only was he not mentally ready to think of his dear innocent Chihiro seeing the river dragon in such a state, it was positively undignified for him to allow her to do. He was ready to protest, but was cut off by his kami.

"Hells no! You really think that I'm going to just take off my clothes because it's part of your hare-brained scheme to get the women out here? Where, might I add, Chihiro's mother is going to try to badger her into having children? Think for a minute who she'll suggest she have them with."

Kohakunushi knew that he'd only gotten himself into further hot water by the way Ryu was now grinning. Why did his weak spot have to be this. Why couldn't he be afraid of spiders or something? No, it just had to be a fear of mating.

"It's not that bad! Besides, I'm sure you'd just LOVE to be semi-dressed and see her get all flushed and flustered. All of us men are like that!"

Koji interjected finally into the dragon-fight. "As much as I would love to see Chihiro bring an heir to the Shrine into the world for after we are gone from this world, I agree with Kohaku. Besides, the problem with your plan is that we also would have to see him unclothed, since we're supposed to grab them as they peek out."

"So much for your 'fool-proof' plan, eh, Ryu?" 'Thank you Koji. I owe you.'

From inside Chihiro's room, a familiar male voice was heard.

"Hey, Kohakunushi! Wha? He's not here? Where am I then? Oh, hello ladies, how are you today and why are we in the dark? Was I expected?"

"Ten, you hentai! Get out of my room!"

Ten's yell as BlowingWind began to pound into him after Chihiro's call filled their ears. They could hear Chihiro pushing aside whatever had been in front of the door. Kohaku and Koji stepped to the side as the door was thrust open and Ten flung out of the room. The women followed shortly after him, Chihiro with her training staff and BlowingWind unarmed. Ryu was flattened in the ensuing madness.

Looking down at Ryu, Kohakunushi felt oddly vindicated.

"So Koji, wash or dry?"

"Wash."

The river dragon and his priest walked calmly back to the kitchen to wash the dirtied dishes from breakfast. Back in the hallway, a rather flattened Ryu lay trampled to the floor.

"Karma sucks."


In the Palace of the Sun:

Amaterasu surveyed all that went on in the world beneath her. For once, she and her brother Susanowo stood together peacefully. They were not the only Kami present at this great meeting, however. All of the Heavenly and Most August Presences of not only the Asian cultures, but also the other cultures of the planet Earth had been summoned. It was a strange meeting, one that had taken place long ago, and was to take place yet again. Existence is cyclical.

"Brother, the Kami and Humans can not drift any further apart."

"Yet I tell you, they will be the death of us all. They pollute the air, destroy the land, burn the forests, and poison the waters. They kill for sport, war with each other for things that will only hasten their own end, and mock us! Why should we not abandon them?"

Coyote stepped forward and cleared his throat. He was a trickster god, yet all knew him to be very wise. "Not all humans are that way. Before the Pale Folk came to my home, the Peoples lived in harmony with the land." Buffalo, Eagle and Raven nodded in agreement.

Apollo stepped forward as Coyote stepped back. Apollo as a sun god often rode the golden disk with the sun goddess Amaterasu. "Some humans even fight to repair the damage done by their brethren. We can not forget the example set by the little priestess Chihiro who labored to bring back the river of her family's god."

Murmurs filled the great hall, some of agreement, some of dissent. A blasted hag scooted forward in her mortar.

"What about those who use the nuclear power and weapons. I was near Chernobyl at that fateful time. I am lucky to even still be in existence. That is more than I can say for those of the area now, they suffer yet for generations. If my memory serves, was not Japan itself bombed by the weapons?"

Murmurs filled the hall. Jehovah, Mary his human spirit-mate and Jesus stepped forward.

"I conceived within a human woman my only son. Here he stands before you, as many other half-gods do today as well. He worked hard to spread messages of peace through the area he was in, as have also these other same halflings. Would you destroy that which we labored to make out of a need to share love? We gave our children free-will and the ability to learn for a reason. We did not want just servants, we wanted companions. I should add that without the love that we exchange, we would all only grow weak, and need to choose a new race or create another. I, for one, stand for the humans."

Quetzalcoatl came forth beside Brigit as Jehovah and Jesus faded back with the others.

"The human race still possesses many pure souls. It however still also possesses many dark ones. I say we should not make the pure ones suffer. I move that we begin our return to our homes. The dark souls are often the ones in the power positions, we could help the pure ones regain their proper place, and send the dark one back to begin their lessons again."

Finally, the hall was in total agreement. Amaterasu regained the head of the meeting.

"It is settled then. We will need a few spirit human interbreedings and intermarriages to seal this then and open the door for us Celestial Living Ones to return bodily to our realms. I have my pair, all they need now is the push in the proper direction. I will leave it in the hands of the rest of you to procure ones for your own geographic locations. This meeting of Gods is adjourned."

The myriad Holy Beings filed out of the halls of the Palace of the Sun, heading towards their geographic protectorates to choose the new couples. With the years of segregation in some areas being longer than in others, consenting couples would be hard to find for some. Amaterasu sank down on the floor, exhausted by her own nerves and the heat that had filled the halls from all of the other Beings. She was not used to simultaneous contact with so many at once.

"Just think how it would have been if you'd had to call together every spirit in the Spirit Worlds!"

She shot a wry glance at the Trickster god from North America, flanked as he was by other gods from the same continent.

"Thanks a lot Coyote."

"Any time!"


Words

Hentai - pervert


Deity Guest appearances

Amaterasu - Japanese sun goddess

Apollo - Greek sun god

Baba Yaga - A Russian goddess, perhaps a keeper of the realm of death, flew in a mortar

Brigit - British goddess of wells, fire, smith, and healing

Buffalo - gave of himself and his family so that the Plains people of North America could eat

Coyote - Native American trickster god who brought man fire as well as being rather perverted in some stories

Jehovah - an Arabic god, followed by Jews, Muslims, and Christians

Jesus - Jehovah's only son

Mary - The human woman who bore Jehovah's son

Quetzalcoatl - Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec god of light. He was a Plumed Serpent, and is depicted looking very much like a dragon.

Raven - another Native American trickster god

Susanowo - Japanese god of storm and war

Yes, I am aware that if all the major gods of the world were stuck in one room we'd probably have a nice fight on our hands. Hope I haven't offended anyone's religion, and I apologize if I left out anybody's god or culture. Alas, I am not all knowing.