I came up with this chapter after eating a pickled daikon radish sidedish for dinner. It reminded me how much I really liked the Radish Spirit in the movie. After putting this story down for a while, I decided to pick it up again. I've been super busy lately, so haven't really had enough mind space for fiction writing. Sorry! I really didn't know if there would be an audience to this story, but I'm glad there is. I love this movie. Doesn't matter how many times I see it.
So, here's another update for our spunky heroine Chihiro. -Kero. (2/27/06)
Chapter 5: Daikon
Chihiro made sure that she maintained a safe distance from her target as they traveled up the long stairway up to the top of the hill where Ueno's main shrine sat almost glowing in the morning light. She was a bit relieved that there were still some old people dressed in their bright cotton jumpsuits and sweats doing their morning exercises up and down the steps. At least she wasn't alone.
She had no idea what she was doing, but something drove her to follow the demon when it exited the train. Was it simple curiosity? No, that couldn't be it. It was potential suicide if she were to confront this snake-eyed mystery demon who was twice her size, both in height and weight, and most likely endowed with godly strength. No matter how many times she played it in her head, it didn't end well for her…
Everything about her target was sinister. The dark clothing was an eerie contrast against the white stone steps. It gave out a dangerous aura and even other people avoided it, either consciously or subconsciously as it approached. Something was definitely afoot.
But, her actions went beyond mere curiosity. Deep down, Chihiro knew she had to do this. She felt that somehow these actions would take her down a path that would somehow take her back to him. She was determined find her way back to Kohaku this time, no matter what.
She silently counted the number of red Shinto archways to thirteen when the figure stopped. Instinctively, Chihiro stepped aside and hid behind one of the red columns. She knew the demon was looking back towards her. Grateful for the nearby shrubbery, Chihiro peered out around the opposite side of the column, behind a few low branches. It was continuing upward. Again, Chihiro continued her silent pursuit.
When they finally reached the top, the figure blended in with the morning worshippers so that she almost lost sight of him. The darkly clad priests were going about blessing this tree and that, putting urns of incense at the front of each stone shrine. Briefly, Chihiro wondered who these little shrine-houses belonged to. But she didn't have time to reminisce about the past as she caught sight of the demon slipping into the temple. Armed only with her courage, Chihiro ducked and swerved past the priests, the patrons, a few baby carriages and chatty grandmothers and found herself inside the old wooden temple.
The inside of the temple was sparsely decorated and smelled heavily of incense and burnt paper and mold. The glare from the outside made her pause, as she waited for her eyes to adjust. There was an altar leaning against the back wall of the room, and beside it was the one she had followed out of the train. The demon had somehow opened a side panel in the altar and was reaching inside when he noticed her, and glared.
"What are you doing here?" it asked in a dark voice that didn't sound human at all. Chihiro's blood froze. Though often praised for her quick thinking and witty remarks, Chihiro was at a loss for words this time. She lamely gaped at the menacing figure before her, wondering what the heck she was supposed to do next.
"I recognize you…" he said haltingly. "You're from the train. You followed me all the way here? Are you an emissary of the dragon lords?" it demanded. Finally, Chihiro found her voice.
"I cannot let you do…whatever it is you're doing. Leave this shrine at once, or face just retribution," she said in her bravest tone. Just retribution? thought Chihiro to herself as she groaned inwardly. Good grief, I'm starting to speak like Kohaku...
The figure laughed out loud. It stretched taller and stared her down. "You are but a child. If the dragon lords are relying on puny peons like you, then they really will lose this war," he sneered. The demon's shape grew larger as a dark aura shimmered. Its fingers grew into razor sharp claws and in an instant, he sprang on her. Chihiro moved out of the way, but was not quick enough to avoid being slashed in her arm. She gave out a little cry as her feet gave out from under her and her momentum caused her to trip and slam her back against the wall. The movement shook a little shrine that was carved into the wall with a wooden shelf for offerings. Two hard objects rolled off the shelf and hit her on the head.
What the-? Chihiro looked up warily to see if anything else was raining down on her.
Nope, that was it.
She could feel the blood dripping from her arm as it formed a pool on the ground. This was a stupid idea, thought Chihiro to herself. She pulled a small can of mace from her book bag and as her assailant charged her again, she sprayed it directly into its slitted eyes. The demon cried out and leapt back, rubbing his face on his sleeves over and over again. Its eyes were bloodshot now as he glared at her and panted angrily.
"You're gonna regret the day we met" it cursed. But before the demon could lunge at her again, a tall, round figure appeared behind it and clocked him over the head with what appeared to be a giant club. The demon fell to the ground in a huddled mass.
"Now, that's a cheesy line," said the tall figure. He stepped into the light and Chihiro gasped at what she saw. It was a tall…daikon radish…with stubby arms and legs and two tusks of radish. It had squinty, but kind eyes as it looked at Chihiro. She looked back at the shrine on the wall. It had a round shape, like a radish, and on the floor were the two radishes, most likely offerings, that had hit her on the head.
"Just one thing to do with demons, Chihiro, and that's this," said the Radish spirit. He took a paper talisman from the altar and placed it on the demon's head. The demon's shape shimmered and then exploded into a million pieces of ash. The Radish spirit took a deep breath and blew it away off the floor, talisman and all, so that no one would notice that anything had happened here. He looked at Chihiro and smiled.
"You're hurt, Chihiro. Let go take care of it before it turns bad," he said gently. The strangest thing was, he was talking but his mouth wasn't moving! Well, he didn't have a mouth…just a tuft of daikon radish roots as a kind of wiggly mustache. It was coming back to her now. This was not the first time he had helped her out. They had met before in an elevator at the bathhouse owned by the greedy witch Yubaba.
"Radish-san?" she asked disbelievingly. He was wearing a beige trench coat and dark slacks. He was the best dressed radish she had ever seen.
"The one and only," he grinned, which made his radish tusks spread apart on his face.
"You live here?" she asked, again in disbelief. "In Ueno?"
"Where else would I live but the capital of pickled daikon dishes?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
"All this time, I never knew and I've lived here for a good portion of my life. How is it that I can see you?"
"Did you touch a holy relic?" asked the Radish spirit. Chihiro thought back to that summer night with Haku in the forest. The relic she touched had dispersed the spell his father had cast on her. For a brief moment, her mind cleared a space to wonder how Kohaku was doing and how many relics he had found thus far.
"Holy relics have interesting and varying effects on humans. Ordinarily, you wouldn't be able to see me in your world. And, had you been anyone else and that guy had not been a demon, I wouldn't have personally interfered. But seeing that it was you, and since we go way back, I thought I'd lend a hand. Figuratively speaking, of course." He gave another wide grin and lifted one of his giant radish arms to show her that he didn't really have hands. Chihiro, despite the pain shooting up her arm, had to laugh at the idea of her enemy being clubbed by a giant radish.
"I'm dreaming," she smiled. "How is it that I can hear you talking but you don't even have a mouth?" asked Chihiro.
"Silly child, such nonsensical questions," he chided gently. "By telepathy, of course."
"Oh, of course," sighed Chihiro a little sarcastically.
"Come, let's get take a look at your wound," he said, extending a long radish arm to Chihiro to take hold. He hauled her up by her good arm, and they headed towards a back exit to the temple.
"Before you leave, you may want to take that," said Radish. She looked and saw the relic lying on the ground. Not wanting to touch it, Chihiro pulled a handkerchief from her coat pocket and wrapped the dragon statuette in it and stuffed it in her book bag.
"The dragon lords will be looking for it. I think it would be nice if you gave it to them personally. Don't want that getting into the wrong hands, you know," he said cheerfully.
"Is there really a war going on?" asked Chihiro cautiously, wondering how much Radish would tell her of his world.
"You heard about that, huh?" he sighed as they went out of the clearing where a small well poked out from the grassy green courtyard. Chihiro half expected him to draw water from the well to help clean her wound, but he just went over to the water fountain on the side of the building and gathered the water in a large leaf. He sat next to her on the edge of the stone well and she propped up her arm so he could wash it off.
"You must be careful of wounds from demons, Chihiro. Their aura is dark and could easily cause illness and infection as if poisoned. The only way to heal it properly is with temple water." As he administered to the wound, Chihiro dared another question.
"What is the war about?"
"Well," he hesitated. "Since you lived among us for a time, I consider you as one of us. But dare not breathe this to the ears of outsiders." Chihiro nodded eagerly. "The demons are rising up against the dragon lords for their territories. The river dragons are among the last defense. The mountain dragons have already fallen."
"The earthquake in Tokyo a few weeks back?" Chihiro asked fearfully. Radish nodded sadly. "It was a hard fought battle. The heavens wept and the earth shook when it was over."
"Why are the demons rebelling against the spirits now, of all times?" asked Chihiro.
"Now is as good a time as any, I suppose. The power of Nature weakens as mankind grows stronger. The balance has tipped and the spirits are weaker now since we draw our powers from Nature. Then recently, one by one the stronger spirits have gone missing. I suspect the demons may have had a hand in that as well. Now, the river dragons are being assailed. I hear their relics, such as the one in your bag, are being collected one by one in order to subjugate, or even destroy the great river dragon."
"Kohaku's father?" she asked in astonishment. Radish nodded.
"Why would they do such a thing?" she demanded.
"There are some demons who enjoy the mischief. Once they are in control of the earth shakes, the flooding and tsunami's they will be able to create great fear. They feed on fear. I have a suspicion that their envy of spirit worship has driven them to want to be gods. Somehow what was once a disorganized lot is now organized. What's more shaming is that the spirits, not being as organized, are losing the war. Quite disgraceful that we are no longer able to keep demons in check."
He looked at her seriously now, through his squinty eyes. "That which you hold in your hands is perhaps the last relic of the Water Dragon King to be found. Half are in the hands of his sons, the other half have been stolen. Yours could be the one that tips the balance in favor of one or the other."
"I heard a demon once talking about its Master. I have no idea who that could be," sighed Chihiro. "But he sounds menacing. How will I get this to Haku for safe keeping? How can I help?" Chihiro was at a loss at what to do next. It wasn't bad enough that she skipped school on the first day of the term. She was holding on to the key to turning the heavens upside down. What a perfect way to start the morning, sighed Chihiro.
"Perhaps these questions can be answered by one who is wiser than I," smiled Radish. To her astonishment, he took a potato peeler out of nowhere and started peeling a long, thin strip of radish from one of his tusks. With this, he wrapped Chihiro's wound and tucked in the thin layered ends neatly like a professional nurse.
"Didn't know daikon had healing properties as well, did you?" he smiled proudly.
"The spirits never cease to astonish and amaze me," smiled Chihiro. Radish got up and looked down the well.
"What's down there?" asked Chihiro with a little trepidation. The dark chasm looked like a giant mouth of sorts and stood out strangely in the grassy courtyard.
"That's another gateway to our world. Just like the one near your house."
"Don't tell me that I have to go down there," grumbled Chihiro.
"Well, you don't have to do anything, Chihiro-san. But I'm thinking that you want to do this. After all, it appears that you are one favored by the gods. Our meeting today was not by chance," smiled Radish. "You should get that relic to the appropriate hands. I suspect the demons will be hunting you now and you will not be safe in this world for long either. You may hold the key to turning the battle in favor of the gods. You may be the catalyst that defeats the demons. Or not. Who knows?"
"What will I find down there?" Chihiro peered down into the abyss and wondered if this was going to be her last adventure.
"Your cavalry, I'd imagine."
"My what?" asked Chihiro. She didn't like the sound of that at all.