Written Rivers
A Home Amongst Rivers
Chapter 15: The Beginning of Understanding
Rumi's persistence to skirt around every attempt to discuss what had happened earlier that morning, or anything really, was quite frankly, getting annoying. Chihiro had come into the room after Zeniba had told her the story of her brother, Sojobo, and found Rumi was already in bed back turned to her as she kept herself hidden in darkness of the room. Makoto had returned to his Shikoku form and found a corner he could sleep in that was in just the right spot that he could keep an eye of both girls. Chihiro sat uneasily at her bed and let out a soft huff.
"Do you know what's going on Makoto?"
The Shikoku remained silent for a moment, gauging how much he could share. "There is not much I know about Yuuka's past… And I do not believe it is my place to tell. However, I know Rumi has probably seen more than she wanted."
"What do you mean?" Chihiro glanced to her friend, eyebrows knit together.
"Yuuka is able to share her memories with Rumi, however, she can be selective with them. Yuuka may have unintentionally shown Rumi more than she could process earlier."
She frowned. It explained Rumi's earlier behavior. But it hurt her that Rumi was handling it on her own. They'd been through thick and thin together and it seemed like all these secrets were bubbling up to the surface. What else was Rumi not telling her? "Makoto, I… I don't know what to do anymore…"
Makoto remained silent for a moment, the distant sound of the outdoors and Zeniba bustling in the kitchen filled the silence. "I know we have not given you reason to trust us as of late, however, you must believe we have your best interest at heart. Especially Kohaku-Sama. However, you cannot blame Rumi… We are the ones that told her not to tell you. There were several times she wanted to. She has been through a lot."
Chihiro sat on her bed silently, staring at the mass of blankets that was Rumi in the other bed. "It doesn't mean she has to take this all on her own." She crossed her arms and looked to Makoto.
"Have you not taken things of this sort on your own in the past?" He tilted his head.
She grimaced. She was known to not share everything that came to mind. It resulted in a lot of mental breakdowns in the past to be honest. She sighed and uncrossed her arms. "I guess you're right…"
Makoto approached her and rested his head on her knees. "Rest, Chihiro-San. It has been a long trip. With time, things shall make more sense."
Chihiro considered this, then scratched behind his ear and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you Makoto…" She gave him one last scratch and rose to change into more comfortable sleeping clothes. Makoto found his corner and closed his eyes to give her privacy, a habit she noticed that he did even back at the apartment. Once changed, she pulled the covers over her head and sleep found her quickly.
She didn't know how, but Chihiro was the first one up amongst her friends, that or they were both pretending to still be asleep. She padded her way back into the kitchen area where she found Zeniba making a hot brunch, with biscuits, eggs, bacon, and pancakes sitting on the table. Kaonashi nodded happily at her as he came to the table with a pitcher of juice and a teapot of tea.
"Ah Chihiro! Good morning to you. Did you sleep well?" Zeniba asked kindly as Chihiro came into the room.
Chihiro pulled out a chair and sat down, taking a cup of tea that Kaonashi offered her as she sat. "Yes, I feel really rested, especially after the last two days. It's been a bit hectic." She sipped lightly at the tea, breathing in the earthy-floral aroma of mint and floral green tea, soothing her senses.
"I'd imagine. You'll have to tell me of your adventures these last two days… My! Not just the last two days, but all the time you've been gone!" Zeniba sat across from her at the table, eagerly waiting for Chihiro to tell her recent endeavors.
The young woman smiled endearingly and went on to tell the old witch of her last month, starting from the earthquake, to her graduation, and to her unexpected travel to the Spirit World through the forest in the Human World. She explained her last two days in the Spirit World, meeting old friends and discovering the identities of her friends, Makoto and Rumi. When she came to the part where she was reacquainted with Haku, her voice faltered, playing with the handle on her teacup.
"Obaa-San… I… I don't know what to do with him…" Her fingers wrapped tightly around her cup, lacing them together around the other side. "All he keeps doing is reminding me that I don't belong, as if I didn't already know that. We haven't even had a proper conversation since I got here without him spouting that things are dangerous here and that I need to go back to the Human World. I didn't expect our meeting to be like this... I didn't know to expect honestly..." She mumbled the last part over her cup, sipping her tea.
Zeniba stirred sugar in her own cup, listening intently. When Chihiro stopped, she looked her in the eye empathetically. "Have you ever thought that maybe he is right?"
Chihiro's brows knit together and her nose scrunched up. "Excuse me?"
"In true honesty, for a human, the Spirit World truly is a dangerous place. He is telling the truth, he just may not be saying it the right way."
The Ogino scoffed. "But that's all he does! I thought he was my friend, but this isn't how it should be. He's done nothing but withhold the truth from me and argue since I got here. Is that what a friend is meant for?"
Zeniba chuckled and shook her head. "Dear, he's only trying to protect you the only way he knows how. He's spent part of the last twenty years without memory of who is and when he got his memory back, he needed to relearn how to connect with only half of his river. As far as I know, he has never had a need to be protective of anyone but himself. I believe in your world they call it 'every man for themselves.' Spirits are very independent by nature, especially those like dragons. The fact that he is worrying on you so much is his way of showing he cares. Dragons don't do that much, Chihiro, you're fortunate to have such a spirit calling you friend."
Chihiro blinked incredulously. "What…?"
A door opening in the hall disrupted her thoughts. Rumi, followed by a human Makoto, walked out of the room and sat at the table.
"Good morning." Rumi smiled, as if nothing had happened the night before.
"Good morning, dear." Zeniba said to the newcomers, Kaonashi offering them both tea.
Chihiro watched her friend carefully for a moment as Rumi spooned fruit onto her plate. "Hey. How'd you sleep?"
Rumi paused mid-scoop but quickly returned to the task. "Really well actually. It's been pretty crazy lately, so I knocked out pretty quickly." Rumi feigned a laugh, but Chihiro could see the darkening circles under her friend's eyes.
"Hm." She wanted to comment on what happened to her before she left the table the night before but thought it'd be best to talk to her about it later away from company's eyes. Rumi tended to shut out whenever she got like this and Chihiro wasn't sure just how guarded she was with all the recent events. "Well, I believe we're returning to the Bathhouse later today, so let's eat and figure out the rest of our day."
The trio began to eat and have casual small talk about completely mundane things that didn't seem to fit the setting of their current circumstances. At some point, Zeniba had gone to the hallway to retrieve Boh, who, at their return, sauntered drowsily out into the kitchen area, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes begrudgingly. Boh didn't seem to be much of a morning person, but overtime he started to wake up and interact excitedly with everyone at the table. As things settled down and Kaonashi took Boh out into the yard to play in the garden, Chihiro decided to bring up her idea on her book.
"Obaa-San, I've been thinking about writing a book about how we could help our environment and reconnect the Spirit World and Human World." She explained. "I think it's important that we go back to our roots and respect spirits and nature again, that way we don't have more situations like Haku's or that old river spirit in the future. Or at least less of them. The spirits used to have so much influence on our society, now it's faded into the background. I want to ask different spirits how they think humans can change to bring back the past."
Zeniba sipped at her tea and pondered for a moment. "That is a very admirable idea Chihiro." She started. "But do ever think that maybe it is for the best?"
Chihiro tilted her head. "What do you mean? I thought it would be for better that they reunite?"
"Not exactly." Zeniba shook her head lightly. "There are many spirits that hold resentment towards the humans now since they've lost their respect for the spirits. Most spirits are known to hold grudges and it is their biggest downfall resulting any many calamities."
"But that's why I want to ask." Chihiro insisted. "I want to mend those ties. Japan alone is still rooted in the beliefs of the spirits but the society itself is steering away. If we can amplify the number of humans that respect the spirits, things can turn around for both the Human World and Spirit World. They can coincide once again."
Rumi suddenly chimed in. "If Chihiro could catch the attention of the public, her story could possibly make a difference in the hearts of those that read it. It's worth a shot."
Zeniba considered this and smiled. "Well, I see your resolve. What would you like to know?"
Chihiro looked to Rumi with a grin, who replied with a half-hearted smile causing Chihiro's to falter. She pierced her lip and turned back to Zeniba. "Well… to start, when did humans and spirits start to drift apart? What changed that things have become this way?"
The old witch stirred her tea considerately, as if choosing her words carefully. "Hmm… I would have to say it was after the first ascension of the first human emperor, Jimmu-Tenno, marking the end of the Kamiyo."
"Kamiyo? You mean the Age of the Gods?" Chihiro leaned forward in her seat and sat her chin in her palm with her elbows on the table. "Ah, I remember reading about that. It was the time before the accession of human monarchs and humans started advancing. I believe the accession of the Human Age is referred to as Hitoyo."
"Indeed." Zeniba adjusted her glasses. "After the accession of Jimmu-Tenno, humans started to drift away from tradition. It didn't start all at once but over time, human advancement and international influence began to change the country of Japan and steered them away from tradition."
"But humans still honor Shintoism to this day. Why is it different?" Rumi asked.
"Humans honor and celebrate out of habit and tradition now, it is not the same as respecting the gods and spirits." Makoto answered. He sat quietly in his seat with his arms crossed across his chest, eyes closed. "Not many people still honor the gods and spirits out of respect for what they have given them."
Rumi's nose crinkled. "Are you saying humans are simply creatures of habit with no respect for anything?"
"With all due respect, Rumi-San, but be honest, when was the last time you went to pray or thank the gods or spirits out of genuineness and not out of habit?" He opened an eye toward Rumi. "It is simply human nature to forget where they come from and act out of habit. Few know their origins as humans unless it is their field of study. Even students in school lack the care to learn their history or retain it. Tradition does not mean what it once did."
Chihiro considered this. It was true, humans were simply creatures of habit and rather selfish in nature. Give them a little power and they became entitled and self-righteous, she'd read enough old fables and myths to understand that much. It was part of humanities down fall, just like the seven deadly sins of western culture, they held truth. But how could they turn that around? Was it possible? Even a little?
Zeniba's crackled chortle interrupted her train of thought. "What Makoto speaks is true. With progression comes a need to refocus, humans decided that they wanted to refocus on their own further development rather than continue to depend on the gods and spirits. Japan is not the only one to do so, it has happened across the world as humans continue to make technical and political advancement, forgetting where they came from. Gods are being forgotten and left behind everywhere, but they are still there, simply no longer involved."
"No longer involved?" Chihiro inquired. "You mean the separation of the Human World and the Spirit World?"
"Yes, Chihiro, dear, you're catching on." The old witch nodded, smiling. "Before the rise of Hitoyo, the country was run by a council of gods who ruled over the Spirit and Human World when they were still one. However, after the rise of Jimmu-Tenno, they decided to reevaluate the humans' involvement with spirit affairs and reconstructed the council with a human emperor at the center and four councilors to advise him known as the Four Holy Beasts, or the Shishin. The system was inspired by China's Four Guardians of the Four Compass Directions and adapted to fit our needs and land. The council of the emperor was meant to help keep humans under control and the human emperor would be Jimmu-Tenno who stand at the center. Over time, things didn't improve, and the council of gods decided to separate the Spirit and Human World, making it so only during the night that the two become one and the only thing connecting them were the natural habitats of the spirits and the council of the Shishin. Every few hundred years the Holy Beasts would change either because of war or a death of a beast, but the spirit of Jimmu-Tenno, the first human emperor would remain at the center to help advice humans in the Human World."
"Wow…" Chihiro pondered. "I remember the Shishin, but I never heard of the council or the fact that Jimmu-Tenno is still… er… alive here in the Spirit World. To think, all of this has been going on in the background." She tapped her chin, lost in thought.
"Each of the Shishin have their own dominion in the sky and land, no?" Rumi asked.
"Yes, Rumi, and they each have their own subordinates." Zeniba nodded. "Now I hope some of this information helps you write your book. Use it wisely and do not hesitate to ask me anymore questions."
Chihiro beamed up at her. "No, thank you, Obaa-San! This is a step in the direction that I needed. This will definitely help! Thank you again!" She gave a small bow from her seat.
"Of course, my dear." Zeniba smiled. "Now, why don't you help me in the kitchen in making your meals for your travel home. I believe Makoto will be taking you back, no?"
Suddenly Chihiro realized that they had never truly discussed their way back to the Bathhouse. She turned to Makoto with concerned eyes. "Makoto, can you really take another journey like that so soon? The train ride was pretty far."
Makoto scoffed. "Please, Chihiro-San, give me more credit. I may not be a full fledged okami, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve that makes for interesting travel."
Chihiro looked skeptically at her friend and gave in. "If you insist, just don't faint like you did last time."
"Well, now that that's settle, let us prepare the meals." Zeniba announced.
A/N:
Another chapter I struggled with… I apologize it's been a busy/long last couple weeks and I had a small writer's block. :( There's so much I have planned for this story that I forget that I have to lay down so much more before I get to it. T-T Saaaaaad panda.
Tenno means "heavenly sovereign," or the Japanese Emperor. I will be using this suffix whenever referring to a emperor, but will use the term "Emperor" when not saying a name. IE: "The Emperor of Japan is Akihito-Tenno." Cool? Cool! I'll try to catch myself if I don't keep this up. :D
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! And for those that do review, I thank you a bunches!
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God bless! KawaChou
