Rivers Never Die

by LadyRainStarDragon

Chapter 15: The Heart of the River and the Meeting of the God

I don't own Spirited Away or any brand names that may pop up. There is no excuse for BlowingWind, Ryu, Ten or Haku's lost spirit piece. That's all me.

New and improved.

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


Kohaku had finally fallen asleep very early in the morning, and Chihiro awoke to find his head pillowed on her chest. Her top had been nudged open a bit, his cheek resting on her warm skin. She was very glad that nothing was showing, although it was still embarrassing. Leaning her head forward a bit, she managed to get near enough to his ear so that she wouldn't wake the others. "H-haku?"

A snort was her answer as he burrowed further in. Unfortunately, it opened up her top way to much for her comfort now, and she began to blush.

"Kohaku. I need you to wake up for a second."

His pillow began to get warmer. He turned his head so that his chin was resting on her skin, then opened one bleary eye to investigate. He had obviously been comfortable and didn't want to wake up yet. Sleepily, he noted she was blushing yet again.

'What did I do this time? I was finally sleeping. I hope she has a good reason for waking me up.'

"Please lift your head a moment. I promise you can lay it back down after I'm finished, just no more, uh, burrowing."

'Burrowing? I don't burrow. River dragons do not burrow.' He lifted his heavy head up and Chihiro's hands flashed underneath it, gently brushing his whiskers as slender hands deftly closed her top. Then it registered. He saw skin. He had seen a lot of skin, and was that part of her . . .?

'That was odd. Wait a minute!'

Glancing down again, what had formerly been bared to his nocturnal nosing was very conservatively covered up.

"Ok. All done. You can lay back down now."

Then it clicked what his soft warm pillow had been, and he wasn't tired anymore. In fact he was wide awake with shock. He swung his head up the rest of the way as a loud roar filled the cave.

'That wasn't me.'

Chihiro and Kohaku both turned their heads to see BlowingWind standing, clutching the bottom of her shirt with one hand and a fistful of dragon nose-hairs in the other. Ryu had his head tucked under his forepaws, a look of sheer agony on his face. "Just 'cause Kohaku got a lucky look doesn't mean you do too."

Chihiro and Kohaku heaved twin sighs and looked at each other wearily. It looked like nobody was getting anymore sleep. Kohaku changed back to his human form and disentangled himself from Chihiro's legs in order to fix breakfast. Rummaging through the packs, he didn't notice new items arrive in the same way that last night's had arrived.

Chihiro picked up the note and read it out loud for BlowingWind, who was leaning on her shoulder.

For Chihiro, the blue and white

For your friend, the red and gold

"Why is this strange person sending us all this stuff?" BlowingWind picked up the kimono she was expected to wear, which she did like even though she was wary of things that popped out of nowhere. She noted that matching slippers and two gold flame-shaped hair combs were included.

Chihiro examined the kimono she had been sent, which was blue, with a beautiful white dragon on the back. Matching slippers had also been provided for her, and the hair combs she had been given were silver dragons. "Gee, think we've been staked out as to whose 'property' we are?"

"Really, why do guys have this possession thing going on? You work with a dragon, then you might as well marry them and get it over with, or either they or somebody else will figure out a way to get it done. Where are we supposed to change anyway?" As BlowingWind muttered that, a silk screen large enough for the two to change behind materialized a short distance away. Shrugging, they went to do as was obviously indicated.

The men were yanked out of what had been occupying them by an indignant scream. Looking around, they saw BlowingWind in a lavish red silk kimono, embroidered around the edges with gold flames. A gold-colored tie held it closed. Holding part of her hair back were two gold flame combs. Slits up the sides of her skirts flashed a bit of leg every time she took a step. The top of her chest was tastefully exposed, showing no cleavage but plenty of collarbone. The overall effect was not lost on Ryu, whose mouth was already beginning to water.

"I'm not coming out."

"You look fine."

"It shows way too much skin."

Suddenly, the screen Chihiro had been behind disappeared. A rich blue kimono clad her, and was graced with a white dragon that looked very much like Kohaku running up her back. A white tie held it shut, and silver dragons secured the bun that had a single white rose peeking up from the top. Not noticing that the screen was gone, she whirled, similar slits to BlowingWind's exposing her legs and glared at BlowingWind. Dropping her hands from her chest, she hissed "Take another look. You can clearly see cleavage. In fact, maybe I'd have more luck in my night shirts."

Fighting to keep a blush off his face, Kohaku spoke up from where he was. He couldn't see as much as she seemed to think, even though it was still more than he'd ever thought he'd really see from her.

"You look fine to me Chihiro. It suits you. Come eat."


From where he stood in the meeting hall, Ten laughed at what his mirror was showing him. A prankster at heart, not to mention a bit of a womanizer, he missed playing such practical jokes on unsuspecting maidens. Now maybe he would get more of a rise out of Nushi. He was just way too morose lately, some blushing and blubbering over his 'crush' would do him good. As he heard a footstep, he blanked out the image.

"What are you planning Ten?"

"Me? Nothing."

"So you just enjoy cackling maniacally for no reason then?"

"Sure! It's good for the heart."

Sitting down on a cushion on the floor to wait for the 'guests', Nushi surveyed his friend quietly. Sometimes, he just really wondered about Ten's sanity. He would suggest finding a mate, if it wasn't for all the female spirits having already refused Ten's advances. Maybe he would find a nice human soon. Anything to get him to calm down and leave the women alone. Him too, come to think of it. Nushi was tired of finding little drawings obviously done by Ten tucked into his nest.


Chihiro was finding hard to keep from blushing since she didn't usually expose this much skin, and Ryu was busy teasing Kohaku about his morning treat. This is what the servant saw when he entered the room after it was obvious the group was done eating. All in all, it was a very amusing picture.

If you weren't already nervous about the air floating in the Spring Realm.

"I have been sent to welcome you to my Lord's holding. I see that the maidens have already found the attire that my Lord requested that they wear. If you are ready, then I will escort you to where my Lord awaits." With that, he spun on his heel and walked out, the group following behind.

They walked through a veritable labyrinth of passages, staying in the one that the crystals lit. Strange sounds encroached on the borders of human hearing, and Chihiro was very nervous, clinging to Kohaku's arm as she had once so long ago. All this did was distract him, as he was trying to ignore the triangle of flesh on his miko that flashed in the pale light. Suddenly, the air became chill and the servant was no longer visible up ahead. Looking back, the couple noticed that their friends stood as still as stone. Laughter filled the passage, and Kohaku nudged Chihiro behind him.


"Give me the Heart of the River."

A shadow disengaged itself from the wall and approached them, arms outstretched. Chihiro began feeling faint, but stood her ground. Kohaku growled.

"We do not have this thing that you speak of."

The shadow drew closer, and Kohaku felt the hairs on his neck rise. Something wasn't right about this creature. It was too familiar, the voice pulled at frayed threads in a darkened section of his memory. The monster pointed behind him.

"Give me the Heart of the River."

Chihiro began to waver as unresolved terror flooded through her veins. Her body felt so heavy, and she was so sleepy. Unnoticed by Kohaku, she began to glow a soft pink as she slowly succumbed to the shadow's enchantments. Silently, she slipped to the ground, her head bent forward, bangs shadowing her eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of movement as Chihiro slipped. Physically, it was only to the ground. Mentally and Spiritually, she revisited first the day and night the river had been lost, the night the demon that occasionally haunted her nightmares had attacked her.

The shadow seemed pleased as it looked behind Kohaku. He seemed to be looking right at Chihiro, and Kohaku did not like that one bit.

"What are you doing?"

"Merely taking for myself that which will heal your river. Have you already forgotten our fight River Lord? It is the same thing that you left to do so long ago and failed to find. These many years no sign of you has been seen by us spirits in the above, leaving open claim upon the river she seeks to restore. Now that the Heart is with you, you refuse to lay claim to her. So I will take her."

The blackened creature reached out to touch Kohaku, and Greed's touch rendered him immobile. Kohaku tried to think of what this creature was, and how it knew him. He had no idea what he meant by the 'Heart of the River' but was quite sure it had something to do with his Chihiro. Suddenly, images flashed through his mind. He saw an older self running through the woods with a young girl firmly pressed to his side. Another image of the spirit attacking the same self, attempting to rip out something that was not in his being. He saw a dog mononoke turning for the little girl that had been with him earlier, then felt a deep tearing as the older river spirit blocked the blow meant for the child now hidden in a dry river bed.

"I recognize you now. You are the energy that attacked me at the time of my river's demise. You are the Spirit of Greed. You were going to kill Chihiro!"

"How perceptive young River God. Now watch as I take what is precious to you yet again. This time, I will not fail. There is no one to release you from my grip this time." The shadow reached out for Chihiro, but was repelled. "What magic is this?"

"No! Kohaku! It's a trap! I know my body sleeps, but surely you can still hear my voice! Run!"

Kohaku looked at Chihiro. He saw the rose in her hair glowing white, and getting brighter with each attempt by the greed spirit to claim Chihiro as his. However, he also saw that her own aura was getting weaker with each attack.

"No! Chihiro!"

"Kohaku! You can't die! Get up!"

Memories deeply suppressed, freed themselves from where they had been locked by the head blows dealt by the dog demon so long ago. So deeply buried had they been, that they only know could surface, well up from the depths of her unconscious. Coming directly to the surface as they did, they had no time to be known to her conscious memory, and so possibly would never be known to her.

"You Monster! You killed him! He was my friend. Now his blood feeds the ground!"

'I died that night?'

"Kohaku! Come back! No!"

Thunder rolled through the caves as her pain was released in great torrents of wind. The shadowy form of Greed lost its blackness, feeding from her pain. Slowly, he came tangible again, the white of his hair whipping in the winds of release, his death kimono snowy white as once had been the fur possessed when he was a mere dog. Golden eyes blazed with the light of victory.

"Yes, little Heart, release your pain and feed me. Bring me to life again as you relive your worst memories, your deepest fears. Sing for me, fill me with your waters and make me the new Lord. Bring me away from Death, Shining Pathway!"

Greed came closer to Chihiro, reaching to touch the Pearly shell that was forming around the hapless human. The Pearl of her soul came plain to view, Nature's pathway to the Beyond, lying in the heart of every person pure of heart, mind, and soul.

"No! You awful heads! Leave him alone! Leave my Kohaku alone! Kohaku, we're falling!"

Greed's hand was but six inches away from the Astral Shell.

"Kohaku!"

With a crackling bolt of silver and pearl lightening from Chihiro's Pearl, Kohaku was mobile again, and attacking the evil spirit, knocking him away from his Miko's Spirit.

'Wish I had my sword with me.'

Time was still frozen for their friends, the ending to something they had never been involved in playing out in yet another dimension of Creation. Greed and Generosity, Vengeance and Justice warred with one another, both seeking the upper hand. Both seeking Possession of the little human who's heart was filled to overflowing with love and compassion. One to Possess her and use her up, blackening her than leaving her after there was nothing left. One to Possess and Protect her as he had sworn to do only two months after her birth, nurturing and sustaining her that she may share her love with Spirit, Nature, and Man alike.

"Give it up River Lord. You couldn't beat me with your magic sword, how do you expect to beat Greed with just your hands, wits, and magic?"

"You may have killed me once, if that is what really happened, but you will not do so twice. I swore to protect her, and so I shall."

Water streamed for the dog now demon, knocking him to the ground, threatening to drown him. It would have worked if Greed no longer needed breath. It was time for his secret weapon. A shadow wafted from him and wrapped about the River Lord, entering through his ears, filling his lungs with each breath.

"Look at her, so defenseless and innocent. So much flesh bared to your eye. Do you not want her? Do you not wish to keep such a treat all for yourself? Perhaps safely within your nest and hatching your eggs, or polishing your scales. Cover her head to toe in the finest silks and flashiest gems, the plumage she should have as your mate? Would it not be fine to bathe in the light from her soul, and have her replace that Pearl taken so long ago from your very claws?"

Indeed, the images that Greed painted before the kami's eyes were fair, and there was a part of him that longed for such, tired of running from females that did not please him. Her soul was the one that pleased him, the one he wanted to bond to and with. Her body was the one he wanted to share. Being honest to himself, he would rejoice in being the one to plant life within that womb, or to feel her soft touch on his scales.

However, he was a kami, she was a human. The problems inherent to those relationships could very well prove to be too much for her as they had for many other women wishing to bond with the ryu and tatsu. She deserved to live her life as she wished, to love whom she wished, to grow old with one who would grow old with her.

He hated it, but he would be content to always care for her, her future husband, her future heirs. He was her guardian as well as the Lord of the River she sought to rebirth. It was not his job to take her, unless she wished it so.

"I could not do that to someone I love. I could not keep her from everyone. She would wither and blacken, and the light would be lost."

He had been frighteningly close to agreeing out loud and saying he wanted to keep her for himself. He had even felt Greed's grip on his heart begin, but something within his own heart pushed the sensual tendrils away. His body began to fade, and there was nowhere for the mist to go. Lost, it wandered towards Chihiro, seeking another living heart for its home, but the Light encasing her burned it away.

After a moment, wherein Greed looked on stunned, Kohaku became solid again, flinging himself at the dog demon. The two rolled about, biting, scratching, and clawing. The two flickered back and forth between humanoid and natural form, man against man, dragon against dog. Ivory was bathed in red, blood welling from flesh to form tiny rivers as life escaped. Fist found face, finger found eye, knee found groin, fang found neck.

Feeling the warning tingle, he knew that he was about to fade yet again. However, he was going to hold it off as long as he could. He could not let this vengeful dog spirit harm his Chihiro, the one whom he had promised to protect. Feeling slightly nauseous, he slipped into his dragon form.

The greed spirit lunged at the dragon he so envied. This being had love and life. Things that had been stolen from him centuries ago by the one whom he had devoted his love and service to. Finally, this day there would be a true end to this pain. He would either be dead, or the dragon would be dead and the dog would possess the one thing that could resolve his curse. Fur, blood and scales flew. Claws ripped and jaws snapped, teeth gleaming white thanks to his cleansing saliva before being stained with liquid life.

"Nigihayami Kohakunushi!"

Finally, after much pain and sacrifice for his charge, he had the upper hand and was just about to finish it, when Kohaku felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw Chihiro, but glowing so brightly that it hurt to look at her.

"No Kohaku. Stop. What he did was wrong, yes. But he does it to fill an emptiness. Beings become greedy when they are not loved or feel like they have no control. Whatever betrayal he has suffered, wherever I know him from, it is time to end this. Fighting is not the answer, my Lord."

She reached to touch the monster.

"I refuse to be afraid of you, you have no power. Let it go. Come home."

With that, the light dissipated, and the monster was gone, ash in it's place, not a trace of any remaining energy from the old dog Greed. Exhausted from all the power that had been coursing through her vessel from the very Heavens, Chihiro dropped to her knees, chest heaving as her lungs fought for air, as her body strove to ground the extra energy still coiling itself within her small frame.

Unnoticed by Kohaku in his panic about her continued well being, once more her chest lay open to him, her valley enthroning her shining heart beckoning it's Lord to come Home before another could attempt to claim the Virgin.

Kohaku was looking at Chihiro in surprise. "How did you do that?"

A haze seemed to lift from Chihiro's eyes. She heard what she thought was Kohaku's voice. "Do what?" Then, she realized that he was in his dragon form. There was no way that she could have heard his voice then. Or so she thought.

BlowingWind and Ryu began to move again, carefully as if they were not fully in their bodies again. "What happened here?"

Kohaku shifted back into his human form, bruises already turning purple and blood slitt slightly oozing from wounds sustained in the battle, clothing torn in places, but magically beginning to mend themselves it seemed.

"Chihiro just defeated a Greed Spirit."

Chihiro just looked confused. She had defeated a Greed Spirit? As if! She had no power that could counter anything like that. She didn't even have any faulty charms. In fact, she'd never even heard of a Greed Spirit before.

"Look, I know what I saw, even if you don't believe it Chihiro."

"If you say so, but I don't remember anything after that creepy guy started reaching out to me. Hey, how'd you get so banged up?"

Kohaku then knelt on the floor, pressing a hand to a particularly bad wound on his side before winking completely out of sight. In a panic, Chihiro swooped down to where he had last been seen, reaching out and screaming his name. The catacombs echoed the cry throughout them, and in any hall way, the pain in the maiden's heart could be heard. That is, by all except two halves of a particular dragon.

Chihiro threw herself the rest of the way to the ground, and sobbed out her heartbreak, uncaring that she was witnessed by her best friends and a servant of the spring god. As the pitch of her cries increased, the young being she was mourning flickered back into existence, moaning in protest to the figure on top of him.

Hearing his voice and feeling him beneath her, she brushed away her tears and sat up.

"It's going to take more than a dog spirit to take me out Chihiro. But I could use some help in getting this wound bandaged. It is rather deep."

Awed, BlowingWind handed Chihiro some bandages from her pack. Kohaku removed his top in order for the miko to clean and bandage him. As she helped him back into his top, she asked him, "Is it really gone this time?"

Tiredly, Kohaku nodded.

The rest of the trip to was uneventful, unless you counted the girls' awe over the increasingly large rooms now carved out of the passages. After about a half an hour more, they were finally to the meeting hall.


Ten and Nushi had been waiting in the meeting hall for their guests to arrive. Nushi sat upon his cushion rater tiredly, as if he had experienced a rather hard night. Ten on the other hand could not stop pacing.

"It's seems that you've been a bad influence on me Nushi. Now I've picked up your bad habit of pacing."

Nushi lifted his head a little, coming out of his thoughts. "You habits are entirely your own. I'm just lucky I haven't picked up your bad habit of ogling women."

"Like you don't ogle Chihiro every time you check on her in the mirror."

Nushi didn't respond. Instead, he looked like he was going to be sick.

"I didn't mean to insult you . . . Nushi, are you in there?"

Nushi didn't even look up. It was hard just to hold himself upright, and he could feel the darkness struggling to claim him. He wanted to lay down so bad, and he felt like something was attacking him. "Something bad is happening. Chihiro is in trouble."
Ten was going to turn on the viewing mirror, but as he started to move, his friend vanished.

"Shit." Ten sat down to wait. His servant was capable of taking care of things if needed. Right know, he was needed to find where Nushi had vanished to.

A cry rang through the halls later, filled with an anguish that broke the spring keeper's heart. He began to wonder if his friend was gone forever, when Nushi reappeared on the floor. He looked like he had collapsed in exhaustion, and the echoes of wounds marred his aura although not marking his body. Slowly, Nushi sat up and looked around suspiciously.

"Is it gone?"

Whatever the it Nushi had been referring to, Ten felt it was probably the danger that confronted Chihiro. Most likely the same dark entity he had been trying to get rid of since Nushi had drug himself into the spring after the river had been destroyed. He had never told Ten the full story of how he had come by all the wounds he had at that time. He had never pressed Nushi for the details, knowing how tight-lipped his friend could be at times.

The cry Chihiro had made sounded unwounded physically. As Nushi had returned, Ten suspected that Kohaku was fine, although probably injured. That meant that they had survived the monster. If they survived, then it must have been destroyed, or at least harmed enough that it would slink away to recover.

"I think so."

With that, Ten made his friend eat to regain his strength. Together, they resumed their wait.


The rest of the trip to was uneventful, unless you counted the girls' awe over the increasingly large rooms now carved out of the passages. After about a half an hour more, they were finally to the meeting hall.

"My Lord awaits."

Suddenly, the great doors swung outwards and a booming voice echoed through the passageways. "Come in honored guests!"

And this is how the travelers were introduced to Ten, Lord of the Sacred Spring. His voice was very loud booming through the room like thunder, and he must have been very eager to meet them. The small band entered the chamber and once again, the girls were overawed with the sheer majesty of the cavern. As the girls were gaping about them at the magnificent columns, first a chocked gasp and then a male voice sounding much like Kohaku's broke the silence.

"Chi- Chihiro!" Surprise wasn't going nearly far enough for what Nushi was feeling when he saw her dressed the way she was. The flash of leg and glimpse of cleavage was much different than the Miko's robes he was used to seeing her in. Shock was more like it. Especially with the obvious stamp of dragon symbols all over her, the colors and forms marking her as his.

Responding to the tone of surprise, she whirled around to face to speaker, more leg flashing him quickly as the rapid that once were part of his course.. Confusion spread over her face as she hunted for a name that was on the tip of her tongue, familiar and yet not, begging of her to taste it. "Nushi?"

Kohaku felt jealous for some reason that she knew this male's name. He was also surprised at how much this spirit looked like him. If Yubaba had never made him cut his hair or change his clothing (which had been burned after he signed his contract, the reason he had saved Chihiro's) he would swear that they would look exactly the same. "Are you - me?"


Bibliomaniac: Yes, it was a big cave, and I realized that they probably hadn't brought blankets (been there, done that, it sucked). So of course the guys are going to want to keep the girls warm. Yes, his dragon form did grow a bit bigger (aw gee, more to cuddle, snort). The river disease will be discussed in a separate story, unless Ryu the Nosy can pry it out of her in this one.

Archangel: I'm going to be doing a story about when she falls in the river, but don't know when I'll get to it. There will also be stories for other important parts of Chihiro's life. Basically, this is picking me up in it's teeth and shaking me about quite a bit. So many possibilities, darn imagination.

Thanks to all my reviewers so far: redweb111sakura, Bibliomaniac, Dark Angel, Shitza, DreamCherry66, Nightfall2525, ArchangelRhapsody, flute9217, natster988, and anybody that I might have missed

Wow, nobody's trying to kill me.