By The River

Name: By The River

Rating: K

Summary: Basically a recount of the meeting between Haku and Chihiro in the river when Chihiro was five.

Disclaimer- I don't own Spirited Away. A big, fat plot bunny crashed like a big, yellow school bus (Why does this line sound familiar?) in my mind one day and yelled, "WRITE ME DOWN NOW!" So I had to obey the all-powerful Lord Plot Bunny. And here it is…

By The River

They say Gods were supposed to help all mortal beings and then be well known and worshipped for their 'heroic' deeds. Many say scriptures and rituals tell of Gods answering people with wise quotes and giving brave quests to worthy beings.

I have heard some think that Gods are there for good luck and for guidance. And some even say Gods are known to give grave news and foretell certain disasters, therefore saving many villages from destruction.

But that, somehow, all of this did not apply to me. I preferred secrecy to glory, anonymity over temples and rituals dedicated to me. I did not wish to be known. I did not want to be worshipped. And perhaps that was what caused my downfall.

But something had happened before all of the destruction that changed me. I do not know whether in a very significant way or in a very platonic way. But it did change me and how I thought of humans. It changed me…forever…

The river had still been flowing. I was not aware of them at first for I did not wish to associate with humans unless absolutely necessary. And that was not often. I had been resting, replenishing myself at the bottom of the river.

For I was very young, barely one thousand years old, at that time. And that was young for a God. But as little my age was, I felt my wisdom surpassed many of which whom were older than me.

It was a while later before I was dimly aware of voice flowing from above me, human voices. I rose a little and scrutinized the voices. After a while, I determined there were three. My ears had always been sensitive to sounds.

I found that one of the voices were significantly deeper than the rest, very loud and commanding, almost boisterous in a way. It had to be a human man. I was told that men were dangerous, perhaps the most dangerous.

For Men possessed strength. And with strength, they could destroy the homes of Gods. Men could chop down forests where Earth Fairies and Gods lived. Men could pollute the air where the Air Spirits and Gods resided. And Men could fill in rivers…like mine…

But I knew a single Man did not possess the strength to do much damage. So I was not too worried. Another voice had reached my ears, sounding softer and more feminine. It had to be a Woman. I had heard that Women were not as strong as Men but possessed the power of Life.

I was remotely worried that they would see my long form in the river but luckily they seemed to be focused on something else. Then, I heard it. The last voice of the group. It sounded soft, also feminine and more high-pitched than the others.

I was confused. What did this voice belong to? Certainly not a Man. And it was too high and filled with too much naivety and innocence to be a fully-grown Woman. So what was it? I narrowed my eyes, trying to see the figures above my river.

And then, the big incident happened. I felt a disturbance in my river, somewhere above where I was lying. A splash. I felt ripples encircling the point where the object had fallen, just above my tail.

I felt the hard object hit my tail and growled, thrashing my tail and trying to get the object off. I felt waves of my river rise and rapidly fall in a confused current. And then, something else, heavier and more lifelike, fell down.

I heard a little scream and another scream, sounding more frantic.

"Chihiro!"

That name hit me like a harpoon. It was a name. A human name. A human must have fallen into my river! I growled and turned to face the small figure. It was a girl. A Child! And she was sinking into the murky depths of my river.

I knew it was optional for a God to save a human, especially if they were full of sins, but I felt strangely obliged to help this little girl. I streaked towards her floundering figure, feeling my body dissolve into the water as I swam.

Soon, she was on my back, near my head. I felt her hair, a middle brown colour, waving around her like a little crown of seaweed or silk seams. I felt her frenzied chokes and lifted her out of the water and onto the shore.

I saw the Man and Woman rushing towards us and quickly sank back into the depths. I did not wish for them to see me. But I hovered in the water, watching…and waiting…

The Woman was bent over the Child, calling her. I heard the Woman's panicked cries and felt her frenzied heartbeat. For Gods can hear all. And the Child was roused by the calls, choking and wheezing, she had lived.

I saw her sit up, her little hands grasping the edge of the bank. Just for a moment, I saw her eyes, dark grey-blue eyes, lit with gratitude and knew…she had seen me. I could not waste any more time.

The Man and Woman were starting to bend over, peering at her and then at what she was looking at. The strange shape in the water I thought. I turned, preparing to leave. She had seen me…and she'd never forget it. But with luck, she'd have that picture buried within her memory, never coming out again.

I had almost fully turned, my tail now facing the riverbank. All my instincts told me to leave now for they were bound to see me if I didn't move. For I would resume my dragon form and my white sheen if I delayed.

But still, I lingered. I wanted to see…to hear if she had really seen me. If she had really known I were there. If she had really known I had saved her from death.

And just before I left her with her parents, I heard her whisper, "Thank you."

And I smiled.

Author's Note

Hi everyone! This is Eternal Phoenix by the way. It's actually the first story I've written without Moonlight Mage with me. So how was it? Please Review!

Cheers!

Eternal Phoenix