Rivers Keep Flowing

Chapter 29: The Sun, Call to Service, Kitsune Vow

By: Lady Rain StarDragon

I don't own Spirited Away.


Two great spectral dragons guarded the entrance to the hall that led to the Breeding Chamber. With them had stayed three of the deities from Kohakunushi's original group that had convened, one human too old to safely make such a strenuous trip, and Death.

"The Kokoro has helped to repel the invaders."

"However, she is still unable to return to her body. The curse holds strong."

"There has to be a way to break it, Mate."

"I know of none, and you and I have no resources to find out. It is foreign."

By now, the escapees would be safely out of their area, and so the Ancestral Dragons turned sadly about to return to their doors. There was nothing more that they could do, their range of travel being so limited. That was not to say they were actually willing to return to their hosts. The pair desperately wished that there was something more that they could do for their new grandchild and her friends.

"Well, it seems that everyone has a needful task except for us."

"Yes."

"While the others are protecting the shells or rescuing the hostages, perhaps it would be best if you and I find a cure for this curse."

Quetzalcoatl and Rainbow Snake had stayed behind with the Ancestors to cover the escape of the others, neither being keen on the idea of being pulled into a realm of earth and fire. Quetzalcoatl especially had reason to not want to go on that trip. Burnt feathers stank. They were of similar species, and so had encountered each other before in their various wanderings that gods are prone to do. They had even worked together on occasion, and actually made a pretty good team.

"I am going to help."

The two feathered beings turned around, appraising the old man carefully. This priest certainly didn't lack for spunk, and they could certainly see where the young Chihiro had to have inherited her rather sizable stubborn streak from.

"Who said you weren't? After all, your grandchild is under the curse, you are a priest, why wouldn't you help against the curse?"

Quetzalcoatl's logic was sometimes too sharply defined. Death rolled his eyes, of course Ogino-daitoku was going to help. They would have to kill him to keep him from it, and even then, he was so stubborn he would probably find a way. After all, Death knew the priest rather well since the guy was a priest and had also gotten into his fair share of Near Death Experiences over his long life.

"The Palace of the Sun has direct access to the Hall of Records, since both Ra and Horus are up there. We could bend a few rules to get access to those. They themselves aren't supposed to directly help, but who says that we can't use my Library Card?"

Susanowo never did like sticking to the rules. In fact, he delighted in getting around them.

"Wonderful idea. I just happen to have mine as well."

"Really, I would have thought you would have it locked up in a safe since you treasure that thing so much."

Rainbow Snake just couldn't have let it slide. After all, Quetzalcoatl loved to read. Koji was beginning to wonder if all gods had to snipe and make jokes at each other. Maybe he was just falling in with the ones who were not as uptight as their stories. Wait, what was he talking about? Kohakunushi was still pretty uptight.

'I must be getting old.'

"Well, then let's get going. I don't want to catch any flack from Botan when King Yama finds out that the Death Guild's on strike!"

Death was obviously very eager to get moving. The poor guy looked like he was expecting an oar wielding woman to pop up any minute.

"How are we going to do that? Not all of us are capable of teleportation or have the magic to fly to the sun?"

Koji looked very interested. He was so interested, you could almost see the young man that Kohakunushi always thought of when he mused about his priest. He and Death knew they were in trouble when the feathery serpents from The Americas and Australia shared the same grin with the Storm Lord Susanowo.

Susanowo seized Koji rather roughly, although that was probably rather gently for such a fierce kami. The old man found himself yet again over the shoulder of a kami, and lamented internally the fact that this was his second time being carried so roughly in 19 years. Tatsu's shoulder had been uncomfortable, but this was absolutely horrible! Winds began to roar around the two, although they affected nothing around the pair. Merging with the force of the storm due to the magic of the being carrying him, Koji lost his last meal. Luck was with him though, it wasn't swept up with them, nor did it hit the kami. With his temper, that would have been very bad.

Their surrounds blurred as they rode the winds out, passing through the waters for a time, then emerged once more to the above world. Koji briefly saw the rescue party re-gathering near the Gates of Earth, but he and Susanowo were moving too quickly to see much. Rising quickly from the Earth, he could only watch as the eight layers of the clouds that formed the Gateway to the Heaven closed behind them. Koji caught glimpses of arrays of guards watching over each Gate, brilliant in the colors of the sun, and seeming to be from all cultures. At last, the clouds took on a golden glow, and he found his feet touching solid ground once more.

Susanowo noticed the ill effect on the fragile old human. Scooping some water into a ladle that stayed by the still pool here near the edge for this very purpose, he also grabbed up a water chestnut from the pool itself. The tuber was forced into the daitoku's mouth first, which the old man automatically chewed and swallowed. This was to combat the nausea that the human had to be feeling, as well as to make absolutely certain the human didn't fade out of this realm. After all, it would be a very bad place to go back to normal human consciousness. Once the water was put to Koji's lips, that was partaken of as well.

While Susanowo had pretty much kidnapped poor old Koji, The White God known as Quetzalcoatl, the current Heart of Venus and Lord of Winds and Light, captured a loudly protesting Death. The Feathered Serpent threw rainbows about even in this low light, and clutched the much smaller humanoid version of Death in one claw. Rainbow Snake had also assumed his dragon form, and the pair flew through the halls and out the gates one after the other, retracing Susanowo's path. Rainbow Snake could easily have just gone through the Dreamtime, but he figured that maybe it was better if they all tried to stay in a group.

"What a show off."

"Did you expect anything else, Quetzalcoatl?"

After Death had passed through the second layers of clouds, the highest he had ever been, he too lost his lunch. It wasn't that he was airsick, it was more like his stomach was being squeezed up his esophagus, and he was afraid to transform where he was. Death could only visit the Heavenly Realm if he were carried, as his beat was on the Earth. Although he could fly, it was still a long fall. He also was very happy when he was set back on solid ground.

Death had to take a moment to regain his equilibrium from the unfamiliar sensation of having been carried. It was certainly something he did not feel like repeating later. At last, the white dragon of Death stopped his vision from swimming, and noticed that Koji had a look of awe and enlightenment on his face. Irritated that anyone could be so calm after such a rough ride, he followed the old priest's enraptured gaze.

'What's he gawking at? Oh.'

The Palace of the Sun rose before them. Impossibly tall spires of purest gold stabbed into the sky of the Heavenly Realm, while light permeated everything from everywhere. These spires proved to be fortifications around a traditional Asian Palace, gold adorning red beams while the creatures of the zodiacs ranged about the curved and tiled roof. Annexed to this central building by various courtyards were other Palaces, one for every culture, housing the sun deities for each land in the appropriate dwelling. In the very middle of these many buildings was a massive main hall, elements from every culture could be found in the details.

Ascending from and descending to this great central hall was a marvelous highway. It shimmered so that one could not be sure if it was made of gold, cobalt, silver, mist, a rainbow, or a myriad of other things, although the observant eye could see potholes on either side of the descending and ascending ramps. They were just in time to see the Chariot of the Sun beginning to land, Amaterasu herself holding the reins and shining as fiercely as she could manage given her present state of mind. Raven hair spilled plenteously down to stream behind, contrasted starkly by the gold of her kimono. Her vivid brown eyes glared down at the landing pad in concentration, the hosts of solar samurai that had preceded her making way and scattering to make room for the next shift while yet more hosts were arrayed behind her to protect the precious disk. The new shift of guards, a different culture this time, began marching up the ascending ramp. Fifteen seconds passed, and the sun began its trek yet again, this time with an unknown African god shouting and wielding the reins, more guardians marching behind. The twin golden dragons pulling the chariot roared in delight at taking off yet again, flames shooting from their muzzles on occasion to produce the solar flares that baffled human scientists.

"I have to go and greet my sister. She still looks ill. If the rest of you will go to the Egyptian Palace, that is where you will find the access port for the Hall of Records."

Quetzalcoatl rolled his eyes at Susanowo's back. After all, he himself used to be a Sun God once upon a time, one whole Sun ago. He knew where everything was located. He wasn't going to make a comment on it though, he was too old for that, and the storm lord would probably go into another snit. Amaterasu definitely would not appreciate another dead animal in her Hall.

The group, minus one Kami who was more worried about his sister than he would ever admit to, padded through the various courtyards. After a bit, majestic white pillars rose before them supporting a flat stone roof, the only thing separating the inside from the outside sheer bolts of linen. Assuming their human forms once more, Quetzalcoatl and Rainbow Snake were getting ready to call out for permission to enter. They were not fast enough though.

"Quetzalcoatl, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be down below?"

Two very surprised Egyptian gods had been stepping out from the shad afforded by the stone shading to encounter the fact that they had visitors. One was so bright, that he could not be looked upon. The other was a strapping dark skinned man with the head of a hawk. This one was possessed of piercing golden eyes that one could swear saw to the depths of any soul.

"Problems down below. The mothers have been cursed by my brother, and are in a deep sleep where their souls appear to have left their bodies. We need to search the Hall of Records to try to find a way to break it."

"That twin brother of yours has been troublesome ever since he hit puberty."

The speaker was the Shining One, who turned and headed back into the building while motioning the others to follow.

"I was going to say since boyhood, Ra. But he is my brother. I only wish I knew what had turned his heart so dark."

"Jealousy, Quetzalcoatl. You were the fourth sun for your culture, a position your brother wanted. Who knows why he would want this job though. Once any of those eight Primordial Negative Polarity forces worms their way into a heart, it can swiftly turn dark. Then the other seven take turns making the problem even worse."

Horus had spoken this time, and it was obvious that he had recently had a discussion with Thoth. The two loved to talk philosophy. If one was an immortal, there was little else to do.

The inside was as fabulous as the outside, with incenses smoking to perfume the air, and the floor was carpeted with palm fronds and flowers to release their sweet scents with each step. The light was no longer the terrible noon-time here within the palace, maybe only about 10 or 11 o'clock, much more pleasant for the eyes. Potted plants of various kinds resided in golden pots, leafy and well cared for. Various carvings were tucked in different places, and the supporting pillars covered in hieroglyphics depicting the accurate history of the Egyptian culture, carefully recorded.

At last, they came to a small hollow pyramid of limestone and granite, capped with a miniature pyramid of quartz crystal. With a gleam in his eye, Quetzalcoatl pulled his library card out of a pouch that was at his waist. With determination, he slipped the silicon wafer through the reader, as they couldn't use magnetic technology for fear of wiping the cards and disks out every time they touched them.

'Surely here I can find the information to cure my distant grandchildren. I hope that they and their friend can hold out against the curse long enough.'


Kumiro flopped on the sofa in the living room of the Shrine's living quarters in an exhausted heap. Violet eyes closed as he tugged at his dark hair and removed the blue hair tie that released it from its dragon tail, his blue and white shrine garb clashing with his haphazard landing position. There was no way that he was going to make it to his apartment tonight, he was too bodily and spiritually drained. His mother had recently passed on, necessitating him to leave and assist in her funerary rites as was her wish. Hokkaido was quite the commute to go all the way to the main island and Tokyo just to do it, but he loved his mother and so thought nothing of it.

The Shrine was unusually busy today. He was used to it being busy during the summer, but this was ridiculous! It didn't help that he was the only one fully trained that was serving either. The rest were all children fulfilling community service requirements, but at least there had been help with the daily upkeep. He couldn't believe how many families were bringing children, sick, and elderly to be exorcized. It was like there was an epidemic of dark spirits taking advantage of the local ruling gods being busy with whatever important task they were doing.

He knew that Chihiro and Haku weren't on the vacation that he had been planning for her anymore. When you are as close to someone as the one that you work in an energetic partnership with, you know when they are in trouble. Those two were in big steamy heaps of it, he just could feel it. He knew that Kohakunushi would take good care of his partner, but the worry was still there. After all, the girl's gift was as a channel, a medium for spirits to communicate through while she was in a trance. The gift was far to easy to take advantage of.

A shaking hand found the remote under the cushion where Ryu always hid it, and the Tv blipped on. He was graced with the faces of Nakamura Kana and Takashin Kenji, the anchors for Chrysanthemum News.

"In business news, Tsuni Tsukaimono, co-President of Good Fortune, has been missing for slightly over two weeks now. Report has it that she was on her way to the Kohakugawa Shrine, but had never made it to her destination. Also missing is her father co-President Tsuni Ni, who is presumed to have gone looking for his daughter. These disappearances are coupled with the disappearance of Ogino Koji-daitoku, High Priest of the Kohakugawa Shrine but it is unknown if they are related at this time. Neither Nigihayami Kohakunushi nor his girlfriend have been seen yet, and police are following leads that the disappearances may have been committed to facilitate a corporate takeover by a rival company. Now I'll hand you into the capable hands of Kana-chan."

The female reporter colored a little at the warm tone that Nakamura Kenji could not keep out of his voice for his co-anchor. Last week, he had begun hinting at the possibility of taking her out to dinner. The studio had a betting pool on how long it was going to take to convince her to go out on a date, even if betting and dating co-workers was against company policy. Channel 9 was like one big family, and if alliances strengthened the 'family' bonds, then a few rules could be smudged a bit.

"For country-wide news, the strange disappearances are still happening, with many of the subjects showing up miles away with strange tales to tell. Many religious sects are now up in arms, prophesying that the end of the world is coming. However, the shrines to the major deities are strangely silent on the matter, the miko-gumi serving as mediums of the kamitachi only being able to relay one message from their kami. That message is this, 'Whether an end or a beginning, it lies in the hands of the Rainbow Children of three dragons and three human women.' Enigmatic and confusing as such prophecies usually are, some priests are interpreting it quite literally and searching for pure virgins to offer to dragon spirits as brides, reverting to the customs of the old days. Others are interpreting it much more philosophically, saying that the whole world needs to unite in the bonds of brotherhood and lay aside arms and war. An especially powerful admonishment in the wake of the last war in Iraq. Back to you Kenji-san."

Kenji got an interesting sparkle to his eyes when she slipped into the more formal honorific. For just a moment, one might almost think the hunger and longing made him look almost super-human. He must have made her uncomfortable somehow, and would have to proceed a little more carefully. He had waited this long, he could court her a little slower. After all, there was more to him than appearances.

Kana, even though they were both sitting as stiff and formal as chopsticks again, could have sworn she felt something wind around her leg, gently brushing her ankle as if to reassure her. She had to be imagining things though.

An image of a young woman with sparkling topaz eyes and a wild waterfall of raging red hair filled the screen. She was accompanied by a sapphire eyed and black haired young man, and together they were laughing with an older woman who looked very much like the younger woman in the center. The background of the picture was the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico City, and the young pair had obviously been treating the older woman to a tour of the historic sight.

"In the world of science, Top Meso-American Archaeologist Jewel O'Drake is still missing. Searchers are giving up hope of ever finding the intrepid young lady. Former search parties have reported being chased away from the ruins in the night hours that they were camping by such strange things as snake, jaguar, spider, and bat spirits. No sign has been found yet of Bill McBride, who was her college chum and long-time work partner, nor any of their assistants. Curiously enough, Jewel's mother Marcella O'Drake has also gone missing from the ancestral O'Drake clan stronghold in Northern Ireland."

"Elsewhere in the world of science, it is reported that the sun is still seeming to lose its strength, though it is slowing down. Scientific conjecture is that the sun is undergoing some kind of rest period that has never before been observed in modern times, although astronomers say that similar phenomena have been documented by such peoples as the Aztecs and Chinese in their ancient records. Do you have anything to add, Kenji?"

"In local news, millionaire Nigihayami Kohakunushi's prospective bride has been identified as Ogino Chihiro, the current High Priestess of the Kohakugawa Shrine. Interestingly enough, the kami that she specifically serves is also named Nigihayami Kohakunushi. Long-time friend MountainChild BlowingWind who is a miko at the shrine, and her working partner Take Ryu who serves as an acolyte at the shrine have not been seen since Chihiro was 'Spirited Away' by her Nigihayami Kohakunushi. The only regular staff in attendance at this time is one Taijiya Kumiro who serves as Miss Ogino's working partner and is the final male acolyte at the Shrine. For the curious, the kamitachi honored by Kohakugawa Jinja are Amaterasu-O-Mi-Kami the Goddess of the Sun, Nigihayami Kohakunushi-No-O-Kami God of the Kohaku River, Nigihayami Tatsu-No-O-Kami God of the Sacred Mountain, Nigihayami Nyuuhakushoku-No-O-Kami who is a Goddess in charge of sending rainstorms, and Izumi Ten-No-O-Kami who is the God of the Sacred Spring feeding the river although the only one literally enshrined there is the kami of the river."

Kumiro sat up, no longer tired. Their names had been released on nation-wide tv, so something was definitely up. It was a sort of secret code that the spirits who were stuck in the material world used, mentioning Shrine Keepers and honored kami via their 'plants' in the news industry. It was a method of attracting help to the Shrines in need of assistance. Word would spread from the Shrines that had Tv's to their loosely associated miko and ascetics, as well as to other shrines. He needed to prepare the spare rooms reserved for pilgrims that would now be sure to come and offer their services.

Whatever was happening in the spiritual world, the spiritual humans were being called to work.


"NEVER!"

The room that she awoke to was dark. Not a light could be seen in the never ending blackness, a perfect void that she was sure was just waiting to suck her soul. The mental torture that she had been subjected too had forced her into unconsciousness, and Tsukaimono could only pray that the Ogino's were doing alright. Before she could help them though, first she had to get back to them. Where was she?

The dream that had finally released her had been utterly disturbing. Her husband was gone, she knew that already, could feel the moment that his soul had left his body. He was wandering somewhere, lost and scared, no guide to lead him to the land of the dead where he could rest before rebirth or whatever was in store for his soul. That was why the dream had been so disturbing. It had been someone else performing her husband's duty to her in these, torturing her body in horrendous ways at the same time. Someone very dark, it was someone whose smell still lingered in the empty room, a scent that she instinctively hated.

The air stirred in the room, sending cold chills over her exposed skin.

'Wait. I know I was wearing more than this.'

Looking down even though this lack of light not even her keen fox eyes could hope to penetrate, Tsukaimono ran her hands over her body. She found numerous shallow cuts, evidence that they had been much deeper as she healed so quickly, as well as quite a few bruises. Her spring dress was ripped and torn, modified by someone's passion to be much more revealing. Her hips and nether regions ached, abused, as too did her breasts.

It struck what had to have happened. Running her hands frantically over her neck, she searched for any mark of possession. Many dark beings or powerful beings would mark those that they had 'taken' somewhere as proof of ownership. A bite, or a certain pattern cut into the skin, was the normal mark, although she searched for less common ones as well.

She was relieved to find none. He may have taken her bodily, but the absence of a mark meant that her soul was still unmixed. She would get free, free the humans, rip Mikaboshi to shreds, then go home and lay her husband's soul to rest. Crawling out from under the rest of the blanket that had been haphazardly tossed over her lower extremities, the kitsune snarled.

"You will pay for this, Amatsu Mikaboshi, Lord of Evil. I, Tsuni Tsukaimono, swear this on the tablets of my Husbands and Ancestors."


Rain's Replies

Redrose Moon - I don't know what I'm going to do after 'RKF' is done. I'll probably do some more stories in the 'Courting Collection.' I've got a couple ideas for ritual stories, so 'Sweat / Ritual' will probably end up being a collection of rituals done at the Shrine to explore the cultural interplays, and the name of the thread will then change if I do. I have a couple ideas incubating for in 'Threads of Destiny' also, but I think mainly I'll take a break.

Monchi - Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. By the way, what didn't you like about 'Sweat?' The idea of all that sweat? That's why you jump in the river!

Hearts - The Zorro image I have been waiting patiently to use ever since Queso was born in my twisted little head. Growing up, I adored Zorro. The whole family would gather around the tv to watch the black and white re-runs (Dad rooted for Sgt Garcia, I rooted for Zorro, we were very active). I had always conceived that he was trying to live up to the dashing and debonair Zorro, and so decided that he would be the very antithesis of him. Of course, Zorro still impresses me. Accept no substitutes!

KatsyKat - thanks.

Aharah Musici - I hope so too. What am I saying? I'm writing the story::Hangs head in chagrin.: