Disclaimer: I don't own spirited away.
The way long forgotten, the path now and forever free -Up the tall mountain - through the forest - drink the sea
The soft light of early morning barely penetrated the tree line, still illuminated by ethereal looking lanterns that marked the path the weary group followed, -many still bleary eyed and stumbling as they trudged.
Hideaki didn't understand what brought on this wave of superstition that had washed over the small town he'd grownup in -Whispers about monsters in the forest, and sharks that patrolled the bay like guard dogs. Town wide meetings to talk about dredging the river as if their lives depended on the action. Insisting the next generation to take over the town walk up this stupid trail at 6am to pray to the water god. Even going as far as carving it out of mountain and building a new shrine at it's head.
His father had superstitions -as did all men who lived off the sea.
But this was beyond anything he'd seen on the water. And it certainly wasn't what he'd been expecting when he'd made port the day before. He'd thought his mother would cry, as she did every time he came back from weeks at sea, and his father would praise him for the catch he'd brought back. He'd not expected the fear and sadness and resignation that had settled over the town like a fog. Or to see Satomi back from college in the middle of the semester. Ryoichi home from his job in the city with no notice.
He'd expected to buy flowers for his childhood sweetheart and mindlessly flirt with her while she ignored him in favor of helping her customers. He'd expected to met up with his friends from the next town over for a night of drunken revelry and women.
But instead he was told she was gone -with an evasiveness he didn't know what to make of. Told that he was to be prepared for a journey up the mountainside at dawn.
Something was very wrong here, and everyone in his company felt it.
"Kaiko," he began, looking down to the youngest of them, "You're the only one who's been home the past few weeks, do you have any idea whats been going on to make everyone so crazy?"
He knew Kaiko, in the way everybody knew everybody in small towns -she was the level-headed only daughter of the couple who owned the bakery, and at barely 18 it's sole employee. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." she replied quietly -hands stuck very firmly in the pockets of her sweater and eyes downcast.
"Our parents think there's some god that lives up here on the mountain," Satomi cut in smoothly, sounding exasperated and waving a hand in annoyance. "They think it woke up and that it's angry at them for the state of the river."
"Hey, The god of the Amber River is awake!" Kaiko snapped, finally looking up at them. "I saw him."
"You saw him?" Ryoichi's tone was sceptical as he paused to clean his glasses, looking at the girl with a disbelief that made Hideaki's jaw tighten.
"Hey, just because you don't believe her doesn't mean you get to look at her like she's insane," He couldn't quell the urge to jump to her defence, but before he could say more, she was speaking, and her words where sadness and fear -quiet resignation.
"He came out of the darkness. This great beast with fog that poured from his jaws -demanding retribution for the land. His wrath is terror; and nothing we did appeased him. Our parents did horrible things to try and calm his rage but the dragon is still angry."
Miori just looked at the rest of the group in bewilderment -eyes still bloodshot and foggy from her lack of sleep. "You realize you sound crazy right?" Hideaki looked at the woman in warning, and she held up her hands in surrender to his glare. "Hey, sorry to be there bearer of bad news here -but this is crazy. Gods? Come on."
"I thought it was crazy too at first! We thought we were all hallucinating, but he was still there. Days. Weeks later. Even after what they did, he stayed. He's the reason we're walking up to the shrine -the god demanded it."
"Are you seriously trying to tell me we're walking all the way up here because some imaginary beast told us we had to?" Satomi wasn't pleased, hands planting on her hips. "My parents called me back in the middle of the semester -I had to tell my professors that there was a family emergency."
"I'm very sorry to inconvenience you," A voice called out, and Hideaki's chest gave a familiar, aching thump that made his eyes snap forward; looking for it's owner. And when they landed on the woman, his breath caught. "But I assure you, my husband is very real. And very angry."
"Hanayome no Kawakami." Kaiko whispered bowing her head to pray -short hair flopping into her eyes with the movement.
"Chihiro?" Hideaki stood there for a long moment, barely daring to breath as he took her in. The image of her, standing there before a giant Torii gate -after all had told him that she was gone.
And he didn't know what to look at first -the rest of his company gasping at all the impossibility that was before them.
Her -in finery fit for a wedding, and wearing a smile that was so at odds with the occasion she seemed to be dressed for. One of recognition, and sadness.
The gate behind her that was in and of itself normal -lovingly maintained, unpainted stone that blended in with the foliage. But through the frame of it -within the perimeter of the great pillars, that was what had many of them stepping back in fear. It was the image of a sprawling estate -lavish gardens and sprawling pavilions. Maids and shadows that passed behind rice-paper walls.
But around the gate there was nothing -only the trees.
"Hello Hideaki, it's been a while." Her words where soft -quiet, in the cacophony of life that was the forest that surrounded them. She looked as if she would continue speaking, but Hideaki couldn't help himself -he stepped toward her, reaching out.
And she stepped back, fluttering just out of reach -hands hidden in her flowing sleeves as she turned to step through the gateway -into the place that was not there. "Chihiro stop! What's going on?"
"Hideaki wait!" Kaiko tried to hold onto his arm as he made to run to her, but her fingers slipped from his sleeve at his sharp pull.
Three steps, and he was passing through the gateway -passing the great stone pillars, reaching for the friend he'd thought he'd lost.
But she was gone. And so was he.
All there was, was the forest around him -no manor house, or sprawling estate. Just the trees, and the overflowing pool -bubbling up from the earth to mark the river head. Below the surface he could see the glimmering of red lacquer in the sunlight -the roof of the shrine. The place of worship that marked the realm of the Water god.
"Nigihayami Kohaku-nushi is master here." a voice whispered from behind him -and when he spun around all there was, was the gate. And his companions behind it. The trees and lanterns that flickered like fire in the waning light.
There were giggling voices, overlapping all around him, -childlike, and unbearably old. unsettling- sending a chill up his spine with a flash of color that sparked just out of the corner of his eye. "Chihiro Ogino, of the Village by the sea. Girl-child gifted to dragons. Salvation in a bottle. Her bride-price riches you could never deliver on. She believed so hard that she brought gods back to life. Not mortal enough anymore -not for you. Ours. Her flesh belongs in the belly of sharks. Her footsteps howl like wolves. You can not have her. "
"I don't understand." he finally called out -talking to the wind. Almost expecting it to answer as he walked toward his companions -noting the shock on their faces when he stepped back through the gate.
Kaiko reached for him, moved to say something -confusion written on her face but she never uttered words.
"My home is a realm you can't enter." Chihiro was speaking right behind him -close enough to feel her breath on the back of his neck. "I wish I could have eased you all into the idea of what's happening here, but there is little time and my husband's patience wears thin -The townspeople's little stunt bought them some time, but not enough to have waited so long."
Note: So this chapter got wildly out of hand. Whoops. It was really supposed to be a fraction of this length. But I hope it's everything you've all been hoping for and really worth the wait? Umm, surprise, meet Hideaki, the OC I've been playing with for months. Now, I know what a lot of you are going to be thinking, but I assure you that this is NOT going to be a love triangle. Really. I mean it.