The Path of Water
By Arlia'Devi
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.
The Path of Water
LII: Time Off
Three months later
Hotaru rose from his wife early in the morning. She was sleeping heavily beside him, with her back to him. Her arm was draped over her stomach, which only a week ago was swollen and hard with a new child. She'd been delivered safely early morning six days ago, a girl, and had been named Avaya. Aeala, still too young to really understand what was happening, had only laughed and booped her on the head a little too roughly. All had been well for two days - they had been showered in gifts, extra food, and Chase had begun to smile again. But in less than a week, she'd slipped back into herself. All her time was taken up by the new baby, and the old baby, and any other time she took to herself in peaceful solitude.
Rising from the futon, Chase did not stir.
Slipping out of their quarters and into the hallway, he took in a deep breath. He was getting used to the smells of the Imperial Palace – less smells than a bathhouse on any given day, but still strange and jarring. The smell of the pollution of the city was the worst. He craved the long empty plains of the river lands to the south. He missed the bathhouse and knew his wife did too. Even the promises that the small group of once-slaves, Haku, Chihiro, Rin, himself and his wife had once made about rebuilding and living back there, were worn and weak by now. War had ravaged the Western Lands for three months later. The villages on the border were destroyed and the spirits had flooded to the Imperial Palace, but with nowhere to house them, the men had joined the army and the women and children lived together in cramped rooms, or on the street.
The people were hungry.
The trading routes were dangerous places. The pass between the Nirvana Mountains was clogged with snow from the avalanches made by the villagers. Nothing could get through from the lower river lands, and by the time they took the long route to the Imperial City, their produce was rotten and unusable.
Three impressive armies had navigated the mountains from the Western Mountains to the Eastern side, attacked a number of small sea-side villages. The house that Chase and he had once owned, the one he was sure she would run off too given any chance, had been destroyed. There was nowhere else to go.
He entered Haku's quarters just before Haku got there himself. When he did, he looked grey and sullen. His hair was in disarray and there were heavy bags under his cheeks.
"Have you slept?" asked Hotaru.
"No," Haku admitted. "I was up all night in the treasury. If we open the unused barracks, the women and children on the street will have somewhere dry to sleep at least, but we do not have enough money to feed them all." He shook his head. "I need good news. We are losing this war."
Hotaru swallowed thickly.
"I can't…"
Haku fell into his chair with a long sigh. His hand covered his eyes and he stretched back.
"Why won't he make it easy, I know -,"
"Yubaba," Hotaru said. "I could talk to Yubaba. Look at a few more caves."
"Unless you get the scent it's useless," he huffed. "We won't find him unless he wants to be found. We've been at war for six months now – it could go on for another six months, another six years, and another six hundred years. I don't know how much more of this I can take," he said. "Five assassination attempts on the Western Land's Lord have gone wrong. Good spirits have died."
Hotaru looked at his knees.
"I'll go out today, I-,"
Haku interrupted, "You were out all day yesterday."
"I'll look for a different path. A different way."
Then the lord let out a long laboured breath. He slumped into his seat.
"Take your wife?" Haku asked. "Chihiro and a handmaiden can look after the babies."
Hotaru shook his head. "Chase isn't well enough. She stays in bed most days, barely eats anything anymore. She isn't handling it very well, even when Chihiro comes around, she goes straight back to bed when she leaves," Hotaru said. "No, I'll ask Rin again."
Rin was a fine tracker. And a good hunter. They had returned five large bucks from the mountains last week, roasted them and carved the meat out to the homeless and the poor from the city. They'd smelt the third army coming through the mountains – known the signs and the tracks and by the time the Western forces had navigated through the valleys and ridges, they were met with strong Eastern forces but managed to push back towards the border. The time before, they had not been so lucky – the Westerners had destroyed five villages and were inching closer to the Imperial City – Haku didn't like to think of that time.
Hotaru knew that time, when they had gotten so close, was when his wife had stopped speaking to him all together.
"I should go," Hotaru said. "Get some rest, my Lord. We'll be back before sundown."
Haku nodded and Hotaru left to find Rin. Early in the morning, she was still sleeping in her quarters and he knew from past experiences not to barge into the woman's quarters when she did not answer her door. The visual of the thunder god and Rin had been very visual and so had the promise of a right beating if he uttered a word about it to anyone. He had scurried off to his own quarters faster than he'd ever gone, he thought and waited until Rin was decent before they left.
He knocked twice on the door and when it wasn't answered, he went back to his own quarters to wait for Rin to dress.
Chase was pulling Aeala from her crib when he came into the room and her robe had parted just enough that he could see the slight swelling from where their baby grew in her stomach, though she had never told him of anything.
"Chase," he muttered, moving behind her and kissing her shoulder. Aeala grinned and reached for her father. Hotaru's fingers grazed over her stomach before Chase twisted away. "Come with me today?"
She turned back to Hotaru. "Where?"
"To the mountains."
Chase huffed and shook her head, "You're being ridiculous."
"Rin and I must hunt. You're a better tracker than any I've known, Chase. Come with us."
"I have babies," she said. "They need to be minded."
"A handmaiden can do it. They help Chihiro out all the time," he kissed her neck. "Come with me. Please. I need you. I love you."
She knew what he really meant – why are you acting like this? What is going on? I need you back, where have you gone my happy and lovely wife. Come back to me. She leaned back into his arms and closed her eyes. She thought about what it would feel like to be her again, without the babies and without the heaviness weighing her down – she hadn't felt so free in so long, hadn't known the bliss of her other side in months. Or the feel of a fresh water lake. Or the smell of the mountains.
"I'm worried if I go I'll never come back," she admitted.
"So what?" he said into her hair. "Would that be such a bad thing?"
"I'll stay up there forever, with you and our babies," she said, turning in his arms. "And I wouldn't need anything else, really." She kissed him gently on the mouth. His kisses were harder, desperately full of need. He wound his arms around her sides. Fat, solid tears streamed down her face and Chase buried her head into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Hotaru," she sobbed. Hotaru squeezed her tightly.
An hour later, Aeala was left with a handmaiden and Chase, Hotaru and Rin left for the mountains. Chase couldn't think of the last time she had enjoyed herself with Rin since coming to the nightmare that was the palace. When they came back at sundown, empty handed by for a wild bull and three deer, they feasted.
Haku had been awake for forty-nine hours. His mind was running quickly and his hands shook. Another smaller army had been found in the mountains and defeated. Some of the homeless had been fed, and opening the unused barracks and donating old sheets and blankets had taken almost all of the women and children from the street. But there was still more to do. He had a meeting with Dal, who had just returned from the Mountains, at 7am, and he was expected to have battle plans at the ready. There was the intelligence he was getting from the Eastern spies within the Western Lands – from the few small letters of the black doves flown only at night. They said the West was falling – but, thought Haku, so was the East.
There was a knock on his office door. He knew it was Chihiro – he could hear her rapid heartbeat through the door.
"Come in," he said.
She inched in, closing the door behind her softly. Chihiro looked at her husband. Her bright, fierce, loving husband. She couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled. Or the last time he'd laughed. He didn't even smile when he held their son, now almost five months old. He just sort of looked at Naoya with a long thin line of a mouth, as if he could find the answers he wanted just by staring.
"You need to sleep, Haku," said Chihiro. But even she looked tired. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun on the top of her head. She had put on a few creams on after her bath, so her skin smelt fragrant and it looked soft, but there were dark circles under her eyes and her mouth was being tugged into a yawn.
"I can't," he replied.
"You can."
Haku hesitated. "There is too much -," then he stopped. "I feel like I can't." Again, a pause. "Sometimes I," and then he let out a huge sigh and dropped his face into his hands. "I don't know how much longer I can do this."
"You need to sleep," Chihiro said, "and I'm not leaving until you come with me. You've got enough people working, you've been in here for hours. You haven't eaten. You want to save us, you want to win, and you will, but not like this, Haku."
Haku nodded. Chihiro linked her arm through his and led him out of the office, down the hall and to their quarters. A handmaiden was ushered out, and she left with a small bowl and a mutter of, "my lord."
In the bedroom, Naoya was awake in his crib. Chihiro scooped him up and the baby smiled and laughed. He had a thick quiff of chestnut coloured hair now - he would definitely take after his mother's colouring – but his eyes had become a deep glassy green, like the weeds that grew at the bottom of the Kohaku river. That's what Haku thought anyway.
"Bath," Chihiro ordered.
"Yes ma'am," Haku sighed, pulling off his soiled tunic and toeing out of his slippers.
The bath was divine. Haku cracked his back and when Chihiro came in, after putting Naoya back in his crib, she took up the loofah and ran it over his shoulders, her fingers trailing over the lines of muscle, down his defined spine and skimming his shoulder blades. It was not at all sexual, but sensual and Haku almost groaned aloud when those fingers went into his scalp to wash his hair.
"Anyone would think you worked at a bathhouse," Haku laughed as Chihiro rinsed the suds.
Chihiro smiled, "Hmm. Would you believe I did?"
"Really?"
"Yes."
Haku grinned. "And how did you get to the Imperial Palace, bathing the Lord? That's quite a career advancement."
"You want to know how?" Chihiro's lips were beside his ear then. Her voice was hot and moist.
"More than anything?"
And then she leaned over and whispered in his ear and Haku barked out laughing as Chihiro splashed him.
"Stop it, you'll wake the baby," she said.
As he tried to catch her around the waist, intending on dragging her into the bath with him, robes and all, she twisted out of his reach and ran for the door.
"Not on your life," she said. "You are going straight to sleep."
"Not fair," he muttered, rising out of the bath and grabbing a towel. "Not fair at all."
But it really was fair because as soon as Haku slipped into bed and his head rested on the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep. So deep that he did not wake for another thirteen hours, completely unheard of. People did not knock on the Lord's door, did not bother to disturb him, and Chihiro was glad for that. Even when Naoya cried bloody murder at 10am after waking to find himself wet, Haku didn't wake.
Even Chase, who came around 11am, dressed in a fine cerulean blue robe with a golden obi, seemed surprised. Even with Aeala walking along in tow, holding onto her mother's skirts.
"And he's still sleeping?" she asked over the lip of her tea glass. "Right now?"
"Right now," Chihiro nodded, struggling to balance a squirming Naoya and take a sip of tea.
"In the bedroom?"
"In the bedroom," Chihiro nodded again.
Aeala sat on the floor near the women, stacking Naoya's wooden blocks as high as they would go and reveling in them crashing to the floor. Avaya was sleeping in her basinette a few feet away.
"Wow. That's so not like him."
Chihiro shrugged. "I don't know if anything is 'like him' these days. I don't like to say it and I like it less to see it, but all this has changed him."
"It has changed everybody, Chihiro," replied Chase. "Look at me, look at you – I mean, it's physically changed you. Look at Rin. She's even talking about getting married to Raijin now he's been given a pardon. Did you ever think you'd see the day?"
"Never, not our Rin," Chihiro laughed.
Raijin had been given a pardon two months ago. His case had been trialled, fairly and justly. Even Yubaba attended, well, forced to attend, and had confessed that Raijin had not been in his own mind. Though they were hazy, the memories still gave Chihiro shivers and that all-consuming darkness would sometimes visit her late in the night. Slowly, the memories were coming back of that event, though she would have wished they would have remained forgotten.
"And I have to apologise," said Chase. "Of all the terrible things I've said and done, and made you consider." She hesitated. "I made you choose and that wasn't fair to you."
"You were scared," Chihiro said. "There's nothing to apologise for."
"It was selfish of me," she sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm glad you forgive me though."
There was a noise from the bedroom then and Haku wandered out. Scratching at his head, Haku yawned, and then, upon seeing the women and children at the table, closed his mouth suddenly.
"Hello," he said.
"Late rising, Haku," teased Chase. Aeala looked up from where she was playing on the floor.
"Uncle 'aku!" she said, because she was still having trouble with her 'H's and toddled towards the man. Haku lifted her effortlessly onto his hip.
"You have done something new with your hair," Haku said to Aeala, who touched her short crop of blonde hair self-consciously. She had her bangs trimmed and shaped into a boxed fringe across her forehead.
"Mama cut it," she said.
"It looks beautiful."
"Thank you," said the girl shyly as Haku put her down. She ambled back over towards her blocks.
Haku paced over to the new baby and peeled back the blanket to peer down at her. Avaya had soft porcelain white skin, and the tiniest tuft of blonde hair on her head. He remembered fondly when Naoya was that small, so tiny Haku was scared he'd break him. He tucked Avaya back into her basinette and turned back to Chihiro.
"And what are you ladies talking about?"
"Rin's wedding," Chase grinned.
"Ah yes," he said, reaching over Chihiro to pour himself a cup of tea. "Won't that be a spectacle?"
"Haku," Chihiro chided, elbowing him in the guts. "Be nice!"
Haku downed the tea in one gulp, then snatched a piece of fruit and a muffin from the centre tea plate.
"Well, only being honest, love," he said between bites. "I hear there are rumours in the parliaments of a wager. Who will end this wedding first. Who won't show up, that sort of thing."
Chase sniggered.
"She's your dear friend, Haku, don't you dare put a wager on her," Chihiro said but Haku had already departed, so she yelled, "I mean it, Haku!"
Hotaru almost couldn't stop himself from running down the halls of the palace. His blood was pumping and his heart was beating so fast, he was almost worrying it would fly from his chest or stop completely. He knocked three times on the Lord's grand door to his chambers, and then when no one answered in the exact moment after he knocked, he knocked another four times, raising the eyebrow of the guards who stood beside the door.
Eventually, Chihiro opened the door.
"Hotaru?" she frowned, "oh yes, you're here for Chase."
"No," he puffed. "I'm here for Haku. He has not shown up anywhere, he is here, is he not?"
"Yes, yes, I'll just see if he's ready. Come in."
"I will stay out, my lady, please if you would hurry. It is of the most importance."
Confused, Chihiro nodded. "Oh yes, well of course" and left the door slightly ajar.
A moment, a long, uneasy moment passed before Haku appeared at the door, his brows frowning and his eyes harder.
"Hotaru, what is it?"
"Shinji," said Hotaru.
"You've found him?"
"No, not exactly," Hotaru said, struggling to catch his breath. "He's here, in the palace, and you will not believe who he's turned up with. My lord, you must come with me now, at this very instant. I think if we do not hurry, he will disappear again, though he has many guards on him, I do not think they would have a problem evading them once again. Hurry, Haku, quickly!"
Why have I not updated? I know I ALWAYS PROMISE,
So I half wrote this chapter in France in March… and sigh, it's June suddenly. But here is the next chapter. I
A lot of you have been asking if I will keep writing Spirited Away fanfiction, and I have to say, though it won't be ever to the length of The Path of Water, I would definitely like to continue to write a few one-shots or smaller stories. All my other fandoms, I always seem to grow bored of the characters, but never Spirited Away, which is strange as it's just a one-off film. There's nothing else that helps us to know the characters, like a sequel movie or a television show, if you understand. So though it can be limiting in a lot of ways, it really opens a writer up to a world of possibilities. Strange, but it's really fun.
Okay, please do review. They take five seconds and really make my day.
Until next time,
~ Arlia'Devi
