Rivers Always Claim What is Their Own

Chapter 3: Witnessing the Verdict

By: LadyRainStarDragon

I don't own Spirited Away. I will never own it, but I can write.

No idea what inspired this, but I liked it after it was written. This may or may not be part of my continuity, depending on how 'Rivers Keep Flowing" ends.

Seven years had finally passed, time filled for my brother and I by the duties of the Shrine, regular work, and ceaseless prayers for our mother. That night, Father came to us.

'The Tribunal has called all of your mother's family and friends to witness the verdict.'

"We understand Father."

Without another word, we climbed on his back. Although we had inherited both Father's Dragon magic and Mother's strange Human magic, we were incapable of flight or transformation, something Father thought would change with time and training. As we rose, I could see the landscape change from the human world to that of the spirit world.

Mother stood firm before the court, which was comprised of several types of spirits I had never encountered. I did recognize King Yama of the Underworld, but that was all. Behind mother in the pews I saw several of what I thought were bathhouse workers, two Victorian ladies who were twins, Kaonashi who was Zeniba's helper, my grandparents and great grandparents, Aunt BlowingWind and Uncle Ryu, Ten, and many other people I did not recognize off of the top of my head. We slid in beside Koji-jichan, father wrapping his long tail about us in an unconscious gesture of protection.

"Nisou Nigihayami Ogino Chihiro. You are here tonight for your verdict after the seven years testing period."

Mother had kept the name Ogino for the human world, but here she was Priestess Nigihayami or Lady Nigihayami as Father's Priestess and Mate. Nigihayami was our secret name, used only among the spirits. It would cause too much explanation in the human world for our name to be known as our kami's as well.

"You have brought harm to none who have not needed it. Your loved ones have prayed devoutly for your soul to attain peace. You have protected many, and even served as a minor goddess to your home area in certain ways. However, we must bear in mind that they have come to rely on you even in your death."

Groans filled the room. No one had thought that it would be this hard for a faithful Priestess to rejoin her kami in her death.

"In your life, you served your kami, who was also your mate, faithfully. You gave him a vow that you would remain his in death as you did in life. You have inflicted upon yourself your own karma with that vow, and we may not stop it, only stay it for a time."

Silence pounded my ears. It was sounding like they would send her through the Fires of Purification after all before she could go home. How would Father react if it were so? I don't think the community is ready for another flood.

"Your death was a violent one, however you retained no taint upon your soul, and forgave them in a fashion, despite your mate's having wreaked such severe vengeance upon them."

Everyone was sneaking furtive glances at Father, wondering just what he had done. Even Mother looked as if she was barely keeping from looking back at him. Father looked as if he would be more than happy to do it again if presented the chance. He really could be violent if angered enough. Never anger a kami.

"It is our verdict that you are free. You will be going with your husband to his world. However, you must also serve as a kami. In addition to the normal and traditional family guardian role, you will also continue to guard the lone women within and around his realm from violent attacks such as you endured. Do you accept our verdict, Nigihayami Ogino Chihiro, Priestess and Mate of Nigihayami Kohakunushi who is Ruler of the Kohakugawa?"

"Yes, your Lordships, I, Nigihayami Ogino Chihiro, Priestess and Mate of Nigihayami Kohakunushi accept your verdict."

Cheers filled the room, and there was much hugging and kissing to our cousins', my brother's and my own embarrassment. Father had raced forward to wrap himself about mother's now solid form for the first time in what must have been ages to him. Even the normally dour faced King Yama smiled at the sight, and now that Mother was properly part of the spiritual realm, even the most stalwart of anti human-kami relations bigots would be able to find no fault with the match. I wondered if I would be getting more siblings someday, as Father was still rebuilding his realm's citizenry.

Hooking one of his horns beneath her arm, he swung her to sit astride him, grasping onto him as she knew instinctively what he was going to pull. They soared into the night, finally free to be together for forever, however long forever is. I wonder what our other home looks like, but I'm in no hurry to see it yet. I still have yet to have a family of my own.

"Well, Sis, it looks like Father forgot that we need a ride home, since we happen to be alive with human blood in our veins."

"Yup. Let's find a sober dragon this time though. Not like when we came back from visiting Auntie and Uncle underneath Mt. Fuji."

"I'll take you home kids."

Yawning from the excitement and long day I had had, I peered through my tears. Uncle Ten was beside us, and had assumed his dragon form. It was something he did only rarely, as he was a dragon without flight, the reason he chose to live underground. His brown scales were the color of the rich earth, and I was reminded of the times we would visit him when we were small. We climbed up, and I nestled into the fur of his mane. He started his dash along the ground, moving much like the large silk dragons in festival processions.

"I hope that someday I can find someone to love the way Mother loves Father."

I must have fallen asleep on the ride home, because I awoke in my bed with the sun. Beside my futon was a note, written in what I recognized as Uncle Ten's hand. I read the note, and smiled.

'He's right, I will find that person someday.'

An image of a man my own age flashed before my eyes, his brown eyes with a touch of green around the pupil searching for me. I have seen these eyes from time to time since I was very young, and I always got the feeling that he was somewhere jungle-like, waiting for our destiny to bring us together.

I pushed the thought out of my head. I had duties to attend to, and a new sign to inscribe for mother's Shrine. I would also build it up a bit higher and put a shoji between the walls of Mother and Father's public Shrines.

It wasn't like it could really hurt anything. After all, the rumors had been circulating for years that Mother had really married the river guardian. The elders who knew what the water dragon looked like from the old books had probably figured out whose children we were long ago by our eyes and hair. As for those who didn't realize their true status, it could always be said it was to ease her service to her Lord in her afterlife.

After all, rivers always claim what is their own, regardless of what the humans say.