Rivers Never Die

by LadyRainStarDragon

Chapter 10: Caught Nuzzling A God

I don't own Spirited Away or any brand names that may pop up. This story is just a result of too much psychology research, my cat knocking over a book, and my fascination with spirituality. Professor Arack, I blame you and my cat, but I'm dedicating this to my husband for all his encouragement.

There is no excuse for BlowingWind, Ryu, Ten or Haku's lost spirit piece. That's all my fault.

Important events time line at bottom to help ease any headache or temporary psychosis induced by trying to unravel what's going on. Also other bits that may interest or help you (due to reports of egg-headiness from other half).

Now, on with the story. I'm escaping while I can.


The sight that met his eyes made him smile. Chihiro was sitting up reading some papers that one of the nurses had brought her. She looked up as the door clicked softly shut. Shakily, she asked. "H-haku?"

He calmly pulled the little table over to her bed and put the dishes on it. "Yes Chihiro. Here, eat this, you must be hungry. You've been here 12 hours now."

Smiling a little smile as she looked at the food, she replied. "Last time you said to eat something, you told me you had put a spell on it to give me back my strength."

Sitting down beside her, he put his arm gently around her, leaned in a bit and handed her a rice ball. "So I did."

That whole experience wasn't a dream. She really had been to Spirit World, her parents had been pigs, and she really had given her heart to a River Spirit. All that time that her parents had yelled at her for her strange dreams, and she herself had been wrong about them. Spirits were real, the proof was right there beside her. Feeding her no less. Wait! Feeding her?! She blushed.

"Um. Haku, I'm pretty sure I can feed myself. Thank you."

"Are you sure? You have been asleep for a long time." In reality, he just wanted an excuse to be close to her without risking his pride.

Chihiro nodded and slowly began feeding herself. Looking at her plate she mumbled. "I missed you."

Kohaku heard this however, and a gentle smile warmed his whole face. Putting a finger under her chin, he lifted her face to look him in the eye. Chihiro met them and was swept up in the currents of emotion. "I missed you too, Chihiro. More than you know." He closed his eyes and lowered his forehead to Chihiro's. He exhaled slowly, and Chihiro felt like she was wrapped up in warm water. She was drowning in it, but it was perfectly ok.

SNAP! FLASH! WHIRR!

"Get your scaly forehead off my granddaughter's. I know what that means!"

"Ack! Grandpa! What?"

"Chihiro! You are going to STAY a virgin at least until your training is done and you are a full Priestess! THEN you can do all that AFTER you are married! Preferably after college. Maybe later."

"Ji-chan! What?! Get your mind out of the gutter."

SNAP! FLASH! WHIRR!

"BlowingWind! Give me that Polaroid! You were taking pictures weren't you?!" Chihiro was mortified. That was putting it mildly.

Grinning like a fool, she relented the camera to Chihiro. Then she leaned into Ryu and surreptitiously slipped him the pictures to hide. Chihiro might not think so now, but they knew she would thank them later if this worked out. It was fun to make her blush anyway. "Who me? Nah! Would I do something like that to you Chi?"

Chihiro glared at her while Koji separated her from Kohaku and accosted him for the indirect kiss he was giving his "most precious and only baby granddaughter" to quote him. Or at least, the nicer things he was saying. Who knew a little old man could say such colorful things, especially to someone he already knew was some type of dragon? It was rather scary.

Kohaku, on the other hand, was used to such displays as he had dealt with Yubaba and her temper for so long. He stood unmoving and regal, calmly staring into the face of the wild grandfather viciously defending his grandchild's honor. In fact, he listened to every word very attentively. He would probably sound the same if he had a granddaughter. When Koji had finished he bowed.

"My intentions were honorable, however I have been too forward towards Chihiro. I apologize."

"That's Miss Ogino or Miss Chihiro to you."

"Um, grandfather? I don't mind Haku calling me Chihiro. He hasn't been to forward either." Chihiro began to glow pink in the face as she said that last part.

"Nonsense! I will not allow any grandchild of mine to be treated in such a forward manner by someone she just met today. Why, in my day, we didn't even hold hands until the wedding ceremony."

Ryu rolled his eyes and shook his head at BlowingWind to indicate it was an exaggeration. A huge exaggeration.

"He's known me since I was little grandpa! He saved me when I fell in the river, and helped me that time I disappeared and became my friend. And you just yelled at him for telling me he missed me?!"

Ryu started edging behind BlowingWind, getting ready to grab her and run if needed. Ogino shouting matches could get very loud.

Kohaku gently placed his hand on her shoulder, a softly amused look on his face. "No, Chihiro, he's right and I forgot myself. That was a form of kiss that dragons use with dear friends. However, since your grandfather has stated his concern and since you are also a Shrine Maiden now, I must respect that. A kiss is, after all, still a kiss. Some Kami do not like their Maidens even receiving the most innocent of kisses."

Chihiro sighed, then bowed her head as her lessons came back to her. "Then as the Shrine Maiden of your Shrine I will say no more Nigihayami Kohakunushi-sama."

Did he hear her right? Did she say she was really working at a Shrine to him, as in his? That's the new River Shrine she had been telling him about earlier today? Chihiro was HIS miko? His eyes were half lidded and a small smile curved his lips as he processed that. He was not comfortable with the formality she had addressed him with though and it quickly faded. She was a friend, not a servant. "Chihiro, please just call me Haku, there's no need for you to be formal. We've been through too much together."

A loud thud drew the love-birds' attentions away from each other again. Koji was sitting on the floor in shock. He'd just chewed out the Kami of his Shrine.

Ryu clapped his hands together and plastered a goof-ball smile on his lips. "Well, given that the local River God has now been found we'll just need a little proof when we get to the Shrine as a formality. When are you being discharged Chihiro?

"As soon as I sign the papers."

BlowingWind snickered. "Good, then after a good night's rest back at our apartment you and I can clean the tarnish off of that silver relic you wouldn't let go of. We can move into the Shrine Grounds tomorrow since it's ready for that now. By that time, Koji should be out of his shock for having so severely reprimanded his Kami." She was going to have fun with this one at the next 'in my day' speech.

After Chihiro had gone through her discharge and gathered her things. The group all piled into the van. Koji was still in shock and BlowingWind had no license, so Chihiro drove. BlowingWind sat by Chihiro, Koji was arranged comfortably in the back. Kohaku and Ryu sat in the mid-section with great misgiving as a dragon in any form does NOT belong in a car. They were just pulling out of the parking lot when it occurred to Chihiro that she had gotten the offensive camera, but had not gotten the incriminating Polaroid photos. "BlowingWind, what did you do with the pictures?"

"Um, I lost them?"

"You gave them to Ryu didn't you?"

BlowingWind's face was a study in innocence. "Why, I don't know what you mean Chihiro."

Chihiro looked back at Ryu in the rearview mirror. "I know you have them somewhere."

"Nope, not me! You can even search me. I do not have them!"

Little did Chihiro know that Ryu had hidden them under her seat just in case she decided she had enough energy to rip into him when they stopped. He was glad that she just looked at him askance and murmured something like, "Only in my worst nightmare."

Kohaku was sitting right behind Chihiro, looking somehow both immaculate and carsick although still calm. Dragons and gas powered vehicles just do not mix. "Do they always try to stir you up like this?"

"No, they only do this when they are bored, tired, hungry, see something to use later, mad at each other, or have too much adrenaline in their systems. It will sometimes be worse, but other than those times, most of the time they are fairly well-behaved."

"Darn scaly coyote ruined me. I used to be such a nice girl." The tone was rueful, but her face and eyes were full of mirth. "Just don't let him near any sake. Then he doesn't stop."

Ryu choked on the air he was breathing. It was partially due to one of the cars they were currently passing as well as his incredulity. "Since when were you a nice girl? You snuck up behind me and gave me a nice kidney shot the day you met me."

"See what I mean?"


Time Line

Chihiro born 19 years ago.

16 years ago: Chihiro falls into River and Kohaku saves her. Chihiro age 3.

15 years ago: River filled in, something happens to the River Guardian God. A.K.A. "The Incident." Chihiro would have been 4.

13 years ago: Weird illnesses in Kohaku Community diagnosed. Had been most prevalent in children. Chihiro was 6.

Nine years ago: At age 10, Chihiro enters Spirit World and meets 12 year old appearing Haku. Events of Spirited Away occur.

Chihiro leaves Spirit World three human weeks after entering. Begins learning about traditional living and mythology. New sense of connection with nature, begins to study environmental issues. Parents chide Chihiro for her interests. Meanwhile in Spirit World, Lin gets itchy and makes everybody (including Haku) miserable with practical jokes. In current story Haku alludes to them being Kitsune (fox) tricks even though we know she's most likely a slug spirit. May possibly later do a story to explain where she learned them.

At age 11, Koji (Chihiro's Grandfather) starts insisting on miko training for her. Causes really big fight with her parents, but Koji somehow wins. Chihiro begins spending summers with her Grandfather in Kohaku Community.

6 years ago: Chihiro founds Kohaku River Restoration Project. Illnesses attributed to river destruction. Age 13.

Four years ago: Chihiro and the Kohaku River Restoration Project begin excavation and re- routing of river bed. Age 15.

3 years ago: BlowingWind moves to Japan and goes on her excursion to Mt. Fuji (volcano reminds her of area she grew up in). Meets Ryu and finds her way to Kohaku Community, joins the Restoration Project. Ryu follows her.

Two years ago, Chihiro enters University at age 17. Chooses to major in Environmental Science. Construction on Kohaku River Shrine begins this same year. Had been really lobbied for by Koji and many traditionally-minded and older folks in the community. Guardianship awarded to Ogino family as they had been the keepers of the original Shrine back when this was a farming community many generations ago. Chihiro moves back to Kohaku Community full- time (shorter commute to her university and closer to her 'pet' project).

Last year: Koji somehow convinces Chihiro to be the Shrine Maiden since he suspects the River's God had been the one to save her when she was little.

Current Story takes place.


Note about Shinto Shrine Guardianship. Both males and females can be Priests in Shinto. Miko (minor priestess often in training) serve supporting roles and are supposed to be virgin (among some families, may not always be the case for local practices), often the Priest's daughter or other female descendant. Guardianship is usually passed down through the family (hence the Shrine may often come to be known by the guardian family's name as well as its own). Priests (male and female) are allowed to marry and have families and still perform their duties. Kami have the honorific -sama added to the name when addressed meaning Lord/Lady as a sign of respect.

Inane Mythology bits influencing story.

Sometimes, a virgin would be promised as a bride to the local Kami/God/Spirit/Guardian. They were thought to prefer miko for their purity and reputed spiritual power.

Shrine families belonged to the Kami (as in under his/her protection) so in my renditions, Chihiro was therefore technically Kohaku's before she was even born. Whether you want to take it to mean his charge, priestess, mate or friend is up to your interpretation. I'm going to go with charge/future priestess at birth in this, though more might happen.

It is believed in some circles that Kami are able to influence to a degree how they age. The older spirits are often more powerful and wise. Among younger ones, status/power was often indicated by clothing and hair length (though not always). In this story, Nushi will be portrayed as the way Kohaku rightfully should look. In other words, Yubaba made Haku cut his hair. Poor guy. Spirits age slower than humans, much slower, unless something happens to increase their power. And yes, Kohaku and Nushi are going to merge, but it probably won't be until after the river is running again.