Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa
Chapter 8: River's Jealousy
LadyRainStarDragon does not own Spirited Away, Chihiro, or Haku/Nigihayami Kohakunushi. They are the property of Hayao Miyazaki.
Kami, no matter how affable they seem at times, are actually rather hard to please sometimes. Nobody knows what puts them in a bad mood, but when they get that way . . .
AN: Due to some concerns that came to my attention today, I will be unavailable for a while. It's not anything too bad, but our budget is undergoing revision. So I won't be able to update as frequently for a while.
Chihiro had just finished stripping down her bed, irritated that her sheets and blankets were wet. Already she was wearing her white haori and blue hakama for a normal day of service, the wide azure legs seeming as a skirt to those unfamiliar with the cut. It was a bit early in the week to change her sheets, but she figured it was better than having a wet mattress later.
Now that it was done, Chihiro had to hurry to meet BlowingWind, or she would be even later than she already was.
Racing down the hall, the scent of bacon filled the air while Ryu got a jump start on preparing the keepers' breakfast. Her tiny feet tattooed out a rapid heartbeat as the priestess flew through the housing for the door. Chihiro wasn't really a fan of bacon, as her parents had once been turned into pigs, but she also wasn't going to complain. After all, she wasn't the one cooking, and BlowingWind needed to eat meat rather often since her body seemed rather dependent on it for some reason. Besides, the resident dragon ate most of it, being a predator and all that went with that.
"Slow down human. The river isn't going to run away as you well know. His course is pretty set."
"Sorry Ryu."
The slam of the door behind her did little to convince the dragon of her sincerity. In fact it convinced him of the opposite. Something was bothering her yet again this morning, which was understandable after the nightmare she had been protected from over the night. This lack of focus of hers seemed to be getting progressively worse.
The sun beat joyously down on the maiden as she joined the other maiden in the courtyard. Flagstones had been swept of the enshrouding snow over the course of the night, some spirit having decided to save the attendants the trouble. The pair would have liked to say a thank you, but if they did the helpful spirit would move to a new home. They would just have to remember to leave out a little food tonight instead.
Melodic sounds wavered in the air as BlowingWind caressed her guitar, drawing the Shrine Dancer into weaving the morning energies together with her rhythmic gyrations. The pair raised their voices in song pure and sweet, and Amaterasu drew cheer from the heartfelt gift for her long guardianship of the sun's light.
Shine forth, Golden Sun!
Sweet morning has begun.
Light our way this day.
Beneath your shining we shall stay.
Lift your shining face.
Bathe us with your grace.
Show us how to shine,
Us little growing children of thine.
Lovely Amaterasu!
We give thanks to you.
From your golden light
Comes all the lovely growth in sight.
The song chorused several times through, growing louder and more energetic with each pass. As the dancer swirled in the whirlpools of Love created by the winds of Life her voice carried down to the river and the waters reacted to the waves coming from the tiny human being. Alternately calming and frothing, Kohakugawa called jealously to the priestess of its spirit. Amaterasu had many servants willing to lose themselves to her, and Nigihayami Kohakunushi had no wish to allow his treasure to slip away. Chihiro was too far gone to hear the river's call though, lost in the sea beyond the fabric of reality.
Minutes passed on, marching to the beat set by the musician. The pair continued their chant until at the last they were released by Life and Love, dashed upon the shores of everyday life, driftwood cast upon the beach. Their eyes shone with health and excitement, and the two shared secret smiles before separating to attend their differentiated chores.
The woman blown across the sea to the island of Hokkaido had left to attend the morning breakfast, ever mindful of the scheduled cook's tendency to snack on her bacon. Dragons had large appetites after all, and the one she was bound to certainly was no exception.
The woman who was a native to this island of towering mountains, rushing streams, and reaching trees repaired temporarily to the kitchen as well. The river, impatient for his daily taste of the woman set aside for him, sighed after the retreating form as she once more disappeared from his view. As she listened to the fading murmurs, the priestess focused on what she would bring to her guardian spirit for the morning offering. He primarily ate rice and fish, although he was also partial to various fruits. To her delight, Ryu had already set up a tray with a variety of foods. The prankster had also included something else to her great exasperation.
"Ryu! Quit raiding my laundry hamper to offer Kohaku my worn bras!"
"Earlier you said to stay out of your underwear drawer unless putting away laundry. Do you know any other way to keep spirits from stealing bras?"
"But why would he want my bra?"
"It smells like you. We dragons operate on scent after all, and poor Haku has so much business that keeps him away from you."
Chihiro could only give Ryu a deadpan gaze, embarrassed and exasperated to no end. Ryu on the other hand was quite pleased with his work. He had to keep these humans on their toes, as they were quite prone to settling into dull routine. Besides, he had found her new contraband edibles stash in her laundry hamper.
"Somehow, dragon habits are very confusing."
"So are human habits for us. What's your point?"
Chihiro knew better than to continue the conversation here. Instead she took the actual offering after stuffing the bra into a pocket, then gracefully made her way to the river. Sometimes, it seemed like his personal mission in life was to be annoying, and the dragon did it well. A visit to the river would calm her.
Or so she thought.
Today's shore conditions were more conducive to allowing close approach to the water than yesterday's. However, the waters seemed rather agitated to the priestess this morning. She could never remember seeing them this moody in fact. Normally they would calm at her approach, but as she came closer the river ran swifter and the wavelets upon the surface developed whitecaps even without the breeze.
Carefully making her way down to the very edge of the water, the human wondered what could be bothering her river so badly. If a river could glare, it certainly felt like it was glaring now. Did she do something wrong?
Indeed, the river truly was glaring. Every morning the river's priestess danced and sang for the sun, offering up sweet incenses and brilliant smiles. It was rare that she danced for him, and when he heard her sing by his banks, she was usually going about her chores. He appreciated the food offerings, but was it too much to ask for a dance or a song just for him? It would be difficult to dance by the river in the winter, but he did have a worship hall, where there was plenty of room for her to dance before his presence!
"I bid you good morning Nigihayami Kohakunushi-sama. Forgive this one for asking, but is something troubling you my lord?"
So she was using the ultra-formal form of addressing him now? She was promised as his consort and she still insisted on speaking so formally, even after she spent the night defending her? Did she truly want to know what was bothering him, or was she only being polite?
Since all that the woman could pick up from the river's spirit was agitation, Chihiro was still bewildered as she set out the morning offering. What was he wanting, and just how did he expect her to do his bidding if he didn't tell her what he wanted?
"Did I do something wrong?"
The innocent question only served to rile up the river further. Of course she had done something wrong! She paid more to the sun kami than to her own kami, giving to the Sun singing, dancing and such. What did he get? Food, and then some incense and more food when he extended blessings for people he would probably never see or speak with. If he didn't love his priestess so much, then he would consider going on strike and just attending his river.
Well, it was obvious to Chihiro by now that she had to have done something since she was getting the cold shoulder from a river. Every word she said just seemed to stir him up more. Was he suffering from male PMS or something? Did Ten play another joke? Maybe Kumiro or Ryu said something again? Were the stars in the wrong position for this tribute? Was it breeding season, and he couldn't chase down a female?
Whatever it was, it had to be quite bad, because his water was starting to look a little muddy, like he was getting ready to flood or something similar.
Oh crud. He was really working himself up. A bit of food wasn't going to satisfy him today.
"Haku, I don't know what your problem is, but I can't help you if you don't tell me what is wrong!"
Now she was going to talk to him like he was her pup? Whom did she think she was? Wasn't it perfectly obvious what his problem was? She was neglecting him, and after all he had done for her!
By now, the waters had already claimed the morning offering, which currently was sitting untouched on Haku's desk. He had no interest in food right now, and the exasperated tone his priestess had used had stung more than just a little.
"Haku, please tell me how I can help you."
Chihiro had been overwhelmed by feelings of hurt rising like vapors from the near raging waters, and had no idea what to do. It reminded her how sometimes Ryu would just go into an inexplicable foul mood and BlowingWind would have to coax him out of it. The problem was that she had never told Chihiro just how she would calm him down or why he got into the state in the first place, and whatever it was she did behind closed doors. Grasping at straws, the young woman put a hand in the cold water, shocking the spirit with the unexpected contact.
"Did the offering displease you?"
His little pearl was near crying with her confusion, and although he was very much enjoying the contact, Haku was afraid that she would become ill if she kept her hand in his waters for too much longer on such a cold morning.
'Look at what you did now Haku.'
(Nushi! When did you wake up?)
'When Chihiro touched our water.'
Now the priestess felt utter exasperation roiling in the waters, which only threw her into more confusion. Believing it was aimed at her instead of her kami talking to himself, the restrained tears finally began a slow descent, floating down her face like snowflakes.
"I don't understand what you want Haku. I'm just a human."
'You idiot! You made her cry! Bad Haku! Bad, bad, bad! You shameful Aramitama. What is your problem today?'
(She pays more attention to the sun than to us. I am jealous.)
'You are always jealous and possessive, but you've never nearly caused a flood over it before. What set it off this time?'
(She was dancing and singing for Amaterasu. You know how many people dance and sing for her all over, and her shrine is the grandest! Not even our own priestess sings for us, much less dances.)
Nushi could see his Aramitama's point. He had never noticed that they had not been danced for in the mornings, and Chihiro was a wonderful dancer. It would be nice to watch her twirl and undulate, and to hear her voice raised in song just for him. He was starting to feel a little cheated himself, but it certainly wasn't anything to throw a tantrum about. After all, it was only right that she gave thanks to the sun in her own way, as the sun brought life.
'Did you tell her that we would like a dance and song?'
Up above the surface, the priestess was now even more confused as the river surface suddenly became very still, as if it were considering something. However, the raised waters did not drop their level, and the currents ran just as swift.
'Boy I hope I said the right thing to him. What is his problem this morning? Is he sick? Haku is so confusing.'
(No, I was too busy fuming about it Nushi.)
It was exactly as the Nigimitama had thought. Great, now he had to clean up after his Aramitama's temper yet again. It was really getting old.
This whole exchange down at the river had taken quite a while, and the others had now come down to find out what was taking so long. So Ryu and BlowingWind had arrived at just the right time to hear Chihiro's question to the jealous river.
"Haku, what else do you want from me? How am I supposed to keep you happy if you just grumble and don't tell me why?"
"Oh dear lord! Chihiro! Are you ok?"
"Down boy! I can sympathize with you, but seriously! Down in all meanings of the word."
As BlowingWind was asking Chihiro repeatedly if she was unharmed, the Shaman had already pulled the priestess away from the river that she served. The woman was pounding rhythmically on Chihiro's back as if to make sure that she was completely seated in her body. While that was going on, Ryu kept talking to the river, apparently trying to reason with the riled river.
At length, Chihiro was escorted back to the living quarters while continually going on about how she needed to find out what was bothering Haku. It was a while before Ryu came back, during which everyone else ate breakfast and Kumiro absolutely refused to leave Chihiro's side. She had no idea what was going on, and it really irked her that no one would let her leave the building to go find out what was wrong.
Finally, a very irritated Ryu stalked into the living quarters long enough to bark at his own Miko.
"Wind! I will expect you before noon. Meanwhile, you will explain to Chihiro how to placate Haku when he gets into that state again, as it will happen again now that it already has. Apparently, he has become jealous, and his Aramitama thinks that Chihiro is going to run off to Ise because she does not dance for him."
With that, the dragon prowled back to the room that he shared with BlowingWind while muttering about floods and self-imposed deprivation and how now he had to calm down before he started an unauthorized eruption, not even bothering going and eating what the others had saved for his breakfast. The humans that had been left in the wake of the peeved kami could swear that they saw smoke curling from his ears, and maybe even the flickering of a flame or two.
BlowingWind heaved a sigh as she massaged her head, motioning Chihiro to follow her to a more private place.
"I hope he doesn't burn anything while he's waiting again. Dragon kami need Miko manuals or something to just pass out to the ones they choose for this. Come on Chi, this may take a while."
As the women walked down the hallway, no doubt bound for Chihiro's office, this left the two human males to puzzle.
"Do you think he wants Chihiro as a virgin sacrifice, sir?"
"I have no idea Kumiro. I've never known him to be jealous. Enraged I have seen once, but never jealous."
"Was Ryu saying something about floods?"
"Yes. Look at that river! He's risen a whole foot in this season! He'd better drop back down before the news gets wind of this."
"Wow. I think we should clean the store rooms today instead of doing blessings."
"Good idea."