Written Rivers

A Home Amongst Rivers

Chapter 16: Piecing it Together

The rest of the evening was spent learning new recipes and telling adventure stories at Zeniba's. By the time it was time to leave, Chihiro had a new collection of recipes that she was anxious to try out in a little notebook.

The trip back to the Bathhouse felt like a flash. After they had packed their small backpacks and said their goodbyes, they didn't leave by the train again, instead they would ride back on Makoto again. Chihiro was a bit worried about this announcement, since Makoto passed out last time they had traveled a great distance. Makoto simply deadpanned her and informed her that the last time they had traveled was after traversing across worlds during the spring equinox and lack of proper preparation, he was now rested and prepared to travel across the realm without issue. Taking his word for it, Chihiro had raised her hands in surrender, having learned that there was no getting passed the wolf once he made up his mind.

Chihiro and Rumi climbed onto Makoto in his full wolf form and they started their ride to the Bathhouse. Chihiro watched the world fly by in a blur as Makoto race across the train tracks in the opposite direction they came in. She couldn't tell if she was imagining it, but he seemed to be running faster than before, almost like they were phasing through space as he ran. She imagined sparks flying off him as he ran at what she would imagine was the speed of light, but that may have been an exaggeration of her imagination.

The Ogino had hoped to talk with Rumi on the way back to the Bathhouse but at the speed and way they were traveling, it didn't seem possible to have a conversation. She was coming to the conclusion that it was a conversation that probably wouldn't happen until they got back to the Human World. She let the thought slip from her mind and buried her face into Makoto's warm fur, clinging to it to keep herself stably on his back. The waters and landscape flew by them as they ran across the train tracks back toward the Bathhouse.


Above the noise of the Bathhouse, Haku made out the sound of Makoto's arrival. It was late into the evening and the Bathhouse was bustling a bit more than it had in the last few days. Word must have been getting around that the Bathhouse was under new ownership and the business was returning back to the way it once was. After many meetings and laying down new policies and procedures, Haku seemed to have regained control of the Bathhouse. There was an occasional stray employee that would cause trouble, but they were usually quickly dealt with by either himself or Rin.

If there was one thing Haku had learned over the course the last week as the new manager and owner, was just how complicated the management system of the facility was. None of the employees were necessarily paid according to records, although they probably should have been, and they were expected to accept employment regardless of who was asking. Haku had spent most of his spare time looking through the records of the Bathhouse to familiarize himself with the way it was operated. Records dated back several centuries, holding lists of supplies, employees, assets, and income. Haku had at one point sat at his desk trying to calculate how long it would take for him to sort through all the information. It was no wonder Yubaba had such a big head.

At present, Haku was talking with Rin in one of the main hallways on the bathing floor about a guest that had just walked out because of some lingering behavioral issues with the yuna and some frog spirits when the just audible sound of the okami's arrival gained his attention. He inwardly sighed in relief, silently thankful for his friends' return. He would have given anything for a distraction.

Haku decided to end their conversation in order to escape to the distraction. "I will see to it that I speak with the staff, again, about this." He pinched bridge of his nose. "Until then, I believe our comrades have made their return, we should go greet them."

Rin eyes glinted with excitement as he led the way to the foyer area and outside where he was met with a soaking wet large brown and white patched wolf startling the staff on duty outside. Rain was falling hard outside, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. Haku looked up to the sky, squinting and shielding his eyes as Rin ran out to the okami and the girls who were climbing off his back.

"Gods, you're soaked to the bone!" Rin exclaimed, and she ushered the girls away from the bridge and into the warmth of the Bathhouse.

Haku watched the girls walk in and nodded to them as they passed, making sure to acknowledge them to prevent grief from Chihiro later. He returned his attention to Makoto, who was shaking the rain from his fur under an awning before shifting to his human form and taking a towel from a frog spirit. Makoto patted at his hair with the towel and walked toward the doorway, stopping next to Haku.

Haku continued to stare out towards the rain, his eyes narrowing at the horizon. "The storms seem to be moving faster than we anticipated, would you agree?"

Makoto looked at Haku from the corner of his eye then turned to look at the skies. "I would, Master. It started raining after we made our stop for late dinner. There were a few thunderstorms and an unusual amount of lightning. Even I felt a pull towards the storm…" Makoto tightened his grip on the towel he had draped around his shoulders, his knuckles white from the rain and his hold.

Haku gave him a sideways glance and let out a sigh. According to Chihiro, the tsunami in the north had happened just under a month ago, the fact that the storms had made its way all the way down into southwestern part of the lands was a frightening thought he did not want to entertain. Because if the storms were closer, so were the sources of the storms. Closing his eyes, he patted the okami's shoulder. "You did well, Makoto. Thank you." Makoto's shoulders seemed to lose tension at the appraisal. "We will have to inform Ame that he will have to be cautious in the skies right now. And we need to keep Chihiro and Rumi from wandering off too far. I do not want them to meet the makers of these storms." He gripped Makoto's shoulder in reassurance and turned to go inside, the okami following not long after.


Chihiro sat in one of the stalls with Rumi, neck deep in warm herbal water. It was hands down the best bath she had ever had. It was a smaller room, but they sure didn't mind. The girls were perfectly fine with being out of the eyes and gossip of the Bathhouse and staff. The storm had hit the group out of no where during their trip back. She remembered Makoto becoming very precautious over the sudden change in weather, constantly checking their surroundings and stiffening before each strike of lightning. He had become very adamant about leaving and returning to the Bathhouse, it felt like the first rush to the Bathhouse all over again. But judging from the way the rain was coming down from their spot on the train stop in the middle of the open waters, she had no complaints to a swift return to Bathhouse.

Rumi hadn't taken the storm as well. She wasn't, per se, the biggest fan of lightning, and apparently, neither was her spirit counterpart. Chihiro couldn't remember the last time she had moved so fast (well except in Kumano Kodo, but she wasn't going to go into that). She remembered her friend mentioning that she vaguely remembered a thunderstorm during her move to Tochinoki, causing the car accident that her family had gotten into. Probably the cause of her fears.

But none of that mattered now. They were now both perfectly content with the soothing waters of the baths. Rin had insisted they get in the baths to warm up, so they didn't catch a cold, and they obliged with no arguments. On their way to the stall, Chihiro had noted that the Bathhouse had more guests than it did last time she was there, not by much, but at least it looked like the staff had enough to keep their hands full.

"There's so much they're not telling us…"

Chihiro turned to Rumi, who had half her face under water. Chihiro creased her brows and looked at where her hands would be under the murky water. "Yeah…"

"Even after being around them this long, there's still so much I don't understand… They always talked when I was asleep or in cryptic, so I wouldn't quiet understand." Rumi looked Chihiro in the eye. "It's been so frustrating. And the fact that the one person who would believe me and I could say 'you were right the whole time' to, was the one person I couldn't talk to." She let out a gruff. "And then Yuuka here goes and jumps me with her family issues and her messed up childhood." She grimaced and rolled her eyes. "Oh, be quiet. You've said worse and I never asked to see those memories." Rumi shook her head.

Chihiro could only guess the last part was meant for something Yuuka said. "I think I know what you mean…" She empathized. "There's been a lot that Haku hasn't told me since we got here. He's been very distant, and I can tell there is so much more he wants to say. He just won't open up about it…" She bit at her inner cheek.

Rumi stared at the rippling water for a moment. "Well, let's piece what we do know together, maybe we can be of assistance." As soon as the words passed her lips, she visibly flinched, presumably from something Yuuka yelled at her.

"What good would that do?" Chihiro asked, skeptically. "We still have to leave in two days."

Rumi didn't answer at first, she seemed to be having an inner dialogue with Yuuka. When she finally answered, Chihiro assumed she won the argument. "Well for one it could help your book. Two, there's something about what they're holding back that gives me the feeling that something bigger will be going on in the future, something we will have no choice to be a part it. Whether if it's here or in the Human World."

The Ogino didn't say anything for a moment, weighing her options. "Well…" She started. "I guess we can start from the beginning: when I left. Since then, Haku had gotten his name and found his river here in the Spirit World. He then practically took on the position of co-owner of the Bathhouse. After that he sent Makoto to… protect me and Yuuka followed. But from my understanding, Haku didn't send Yuuka, she tagged along on her own?" Rumi nodded before she continued. "During this time, he starts to notice Yubaba's unusual behavior and starts to take on the role more seriously."

"Zeniba mentioned that it was a… hinnagami doll that she made years ago that caused her to lose it and run off." Rumi noted.

Chihiro nodded. "Then… there's the tsunami…" She glanced at her friend carefully. "Judging from Haku's reaction, there's more to it than just a tsunami. He kept bringing that natural disasters in the Human World were always a result of waring gods and spirits and how the Spirit World was facing another war soon."

"That would explain Yuuka and Makoto panic during the surprise storm earlier. Is the war getting closer to us?"

Chihiro shrugged. "It would seem so." She traced her finger through the water. "There's also the prophecy…"

Rumi tapped her chin thoughtfully before wincing. "Yuuka says to quick calling it that."

She ignored the comment and kept staring at the rippling water she created from tracing. "Who was that spirit?" She mumbled audibly and looked back up at Rumi, meeting her mahogany eyes.

Her friend seemed to understand and grimaced. "She got real quiet when you said that. I think she knows who it is…"

Chihiro's nose wrinkled a bit. "Then she better speak up if she knows something. She owes us that much."

"I do not!"

The sudden change in Rumi's behavior caught Chihiro off guard but she was thankful for the sudden take over. "I'm afraid you do, Yuuka." Chihiro crossed her arms. "What do you know?"

Yuuka's face contorted in hesitation. Chihiro was realizing that Yuuka was very easy to read and that with a little persuasion, she'd probably be able to get information out of her just as easily. Then a thought occurred to her and she smirked inwardly.

"Well… Since you don't want to give anything away, I guess I'll have to skip out on making that awesome cake for Rumi's birthday this year. And you know I look forward to baking that every year. Such a shame." She feigned disappointment, but she had a feeling that Rumi's sugar tooth went deeper into Yuuka's habits too.

Yuuka's ears perked and turned red. Chihiro could tell she was resisting. "I don't care… It's Rumi's loss, not mine."

"But you'd never hear the end of it. Rumi loves that cake and if she gets her favorite triple chocolate cake with mocha filling and strawberries taken away, man, she'd be bitter for a long time." She added emphasis at the end for effect. "And who would there be to blame?"

The thought of Rumi chewing her ear off was probably not a battle Yuuka wanted to fight and she grimaced. She probably wanted that cake too. "I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't." Yuuka frowned. "I made a promise I wouldn't tell." She crossed her arms and frowned in way so unlike Rumi that it was almost funny.

"Why not?! Is it that big of a secret that you can't tell someone who is literally leaving in two days, probably never to return?" Chihiro exasperated, water splashing as she made broad gestures with her hands.

"Exactly." Yuuka grit her teeth. "And you don't have to burden yourself with our problems, Chihiro."

"I already have!" Chihiro replied, her expression pained with concern.

Yuuka didn't reply.

"Yuuka. The spirit told me that I am a part of whatever is going on here. If you know something I don't, I ask you tell me before I go to find out myself."

Yuuka seemed to search Chihiro's eyes before she sighed. "He's a pretty big and well-known spirit in the Spirit World, I'm surprised he took the time to come here."

"Who?"

"His name is Chimon, but he is most well known for being called Genbu."

Chihiro's narrowed for a moment before widening. She'd met one of the Four Holy Beasts? Genbu the wise? Genbu, the serpent turtle? She was dumbfounded. According to Zeniba, the Holy Beasts sat beside the emperor, why would one choose to talk to her and tell her that she was part of some bigger plan? She didn't know what to say and for all she knew, she had barely gotten any words out that made any coherent sense.

"He's a powerful spirit, Chihiro, not someone you want to be on bad terms with. He is currently one of the oldest of the four. Genbu is known to be wise, but he is definitely at his peak. His word is practically law."

Chihiro gapped and attempted to stamper out a coherent sentence. "Why? Why would he talk to me?"

Yuuka grimaced and shook her head. "That I can't tell you, but if he thinks your important, and would actually take the time to come out to meet you, it must be something significant." She looked about the room. "I'm gonna go now. I'm probably in enough trouble." With that, Yuuka's purple eyes faded to the mahogany of Rumi's and retreated to the back of Rumi's mind.

Rumi ran her fingers through her wet hair, contemplating the latest information. "Is that what you expected?"

"I don't know what I was expecting." Chihiro admitted, sinking nose deep into the water.


Haku watched from a balcony as Chihiro went stall to stall asking willing guests questions about how to improve the relationship between the Spirit World and Human World. It was the first thing she did after emerging from the stall Rin had escorted her to. It almost seemed like she had a renewed drive.

From what he could see, she was now getting a mixed response from the spirits as she interviewed them. Most were angry or upset about pollution or the tearing down of forests. Before humans would pray and ask the gods for the land and to bless it before removing the forests, and they would use everything that was removed from the forest. Now the humans were wasteful and did not even bother to acknowledge the gods or any life within the forests or lands anymore. Haku had experienced this firsthand and could empathize with the sentiment.

As he watched her, he could not help but feel she was avoiding him, a feeling he did not care to like. He understood that she was angry about him keeping secrets, but it did not deem her right to purposely avoid him. Then again, last he checked he was trying to avoid having her too close, lest he keep her around and get her into trouble. But it did not stop the pang in his heart every time she purposely averted her eyes, pretending not to see him as she went about her interviews and duties in the Bathhouse. Was it jealousy? No, that would be absurd.

He sighed. Hopefully, he could have one last conversation with her before she left, at least to be on good terms before she left. He did care for her and wanted her safety above everything else. But the storms that brewed overhead told him that the war that waged itself every several centuries was near. She did not need to be in the middle of that.

Haku let his eyes follow her for a few seconds more before he scanned the bathing floor at the staff and guests that meandered through. Satisfied with how everything was running, he turned and went to his office to finish paperwork and go through more documents.


A/N:

So, I was doing some extra research for the story and realized that I have been spelling Makato's name wrong this whole time! DX It is meant to be spelt "Makoto" and I will be spelling it that way from now. I'll try to go back and edit that throughout the other chapters. I dun messed up. XD

EDIT: For those that are confused... I finally fixed that!

Makoto means "sincerity" (誠)… Not Makato… Makoto… Makato isn't even a name… ugh… rofl

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God bless! KawaChou