(A/N: I said I would write one. Didn't I say that I would write one? This is a fanfiction novel of Miyazaki's manga, The Journey of Shuna or if you prefer Shuno no Tiba. If you haven't read the manga, I strongly suggest reading it. It's really short, it'll take maybe 20-30 minutes to read, but it's very good. It can be found here, just remove the spaces:

www . mangafox . com / page / manga / series / 3351 / shuna no tabi

You don't have to read it, but I still recommend it. And if you do, don't forget that manga is read RIGHT TO LEFT.

Now then, here begins my new story. Oh, and don't forget to look for the Ghibli movie connections that I like to thrown in.)

Talking "…"

Thinking '…'

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"THE JOURNEY OF SHUNA"

Chapter 1: Setting Out

For many years, the tribe of the Emishi people lived in a secluded area. Not necessarily by choice, but by force. Their ancestors had been driven here by the emperor. Believed to be extinct, the Emishi people remained hidden. Though very much alive, the people never left the small kingdom they had formed, even after the emperor that had attempted to wipe them out had passed away. They had simply fallen in love with the land and believed it to be their one and only home.

Sadly the land that they had come to know and love was dying. It did happen. Land died and someday would be reborn, but should this happen then the Emishi people would surely perish. But they would not leave not leave their kingdom, for they feared what would become of them should they be discovered. After all, one emperor had tried to kill them all, what if the another did as well? And so they went on, fearing that they would soon die out, yet they lived everyday for what it was worth and found as much enjoyment in life as they could.

But the Hiwabie seeds they harvested, which provided most of their food source, was refusing to grow. It was almost as if the earth was planning to finish what the emperor had started.

Of course, they did hunt, but only when it was necessary, for the Emishi people believed that all life was sacred, and they valued it all, both good and bad. But right now the situation called for it, and so the prince of the Emishi rode on his red elk through the mountains, determine to find some food for his people.

"Things are getting bad." He said to himself. "Something needs to be done. I can't stand to watch my people suffer."

The red elk, if it even understood its master, gave no reply, unless walking faster could be counted as one. The young prince smiled down at his trusted friend and held the reigns tighter.

"You're determined to help, aren't you?" he asked. "I just wish the elders would be more trusting of the outside world. I mean, I know that one emperor tried to kill us off, even though I don't know why, but that was nearly 600 years ago, who's to say that his descendant is the same?"

Again, he received no reply, not a verbal one anyway, but it wasn't like he had expected it. So he was left to his own thoughts. He knew that they were afraid. Their ancestors had been exposed to the evils of the world and were nearly killed, but times change, people change. The world couldn't possibly be such a terrible place. They couldn't live in a constant state of fear just because of one man, who had long since passed away.

The elk came to a stop as a canyon appeared before them. The prince pulled for the elk to stop here. He simple sat atop his pet, listening to the wind howl through the canyon. Somewhere beyond it was the outside world. He was very curious of what it was like. But the Emishi people had a law that clearly stated that should any of the Emishi leave the kingdom for the outside world that they were never allowed to return. This was once again due to fear of being discovered.

Sighing, the young prince hung his head, looking down into the canyon. His eyes widened as he spotted what appeared to be a person at the very bottom. Whoever they were, they were lying down and not moving. The prince's heart began beating rapidly as he feared the worst.

"Yakul, quickly!" he cried to his elk.

The red elk was named after another elk that had once belonged to the Emishi people. He had been told that this elk had helped one of his people face down a demon that had attacked their kingdom, back when it was merely a simple village. When he heard this tale, he named his own elk after the brave one that had helped defend his people.

Yakul and the prince quickly made their way down a safe route that led to the bottom of the canyon. He hopped off the elk and ran to the fallen person. Now that he was closer, he saw that this person was a man, and that he was not one of his people. He also realized, much to his relief, that the man was alive. It seemed as if he had collapsed from hunger and weariness.

"Sir, are you ok?" he asked.

The man only moaned in reply. He was very old, and was all skin and bone. His eyes flickered open, taking in the features of the young prince holding him.

"H-Help… me…" he begged.

He didn't need to be told twice. The prince brought the foreigner over to Yakul and saddled up. This man needed medical attention, fast!

'At least I won't be going home empty handed.' He thought, directing Yakul to his kingdom.

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Though the Emishi people were hidden from the world, that didn't mean that they didn't receive visitors. It was extremely rare, and just by chance that they were stumbled across, but they treated their guests with the utmost kindness and respect. But they never revealed who they were. To any visitors, they were merely some people making their way in the world that wished to be left alone, for they didn't want their existence known to the outside world.

But it seemed as if this time they need not worry about their identity being discovered, for it soon became very obvious that the traveler would not live long.

The young prince waited outside the healer's room, waiting anxiously to find out how the poor old man was. He wasn't sure how long he waited, but finally the old healer exited the room the traveler now occupied.

"How is he?" he asked worriedly.

The old woman sighed sadly. "I am sorry, my prince, but there is nothing we can do." She told him. "His body is very weak, and he runs a high fever. Even our most effective spells and herbs have failed. Soon his soul will pass one to be with his loved ones."

Despair filled the prince's heart. But he knew that if the old healer said that nothing could be done, then nothing could be done.

"How long does he have?" he asked.

The old woman gave him a sad look. "He should be freed from his suffering by the coming of tonight's moon." The prince hung his head and the old woman put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing that could have been done. We can only hope to make his last few moments in this world as blissful as we can."

The prince nodded. "I understand."

The door opened and another healer poked her head out. "My prince, he is asking for you." she told him.

The prince winced. He didn't think he could bear to look into the eyes of this man, knowing that he would soon die, and that there was nothing that he could do to help. But he nodded just the same and entered the room.

The old man was resting in bed. He looked as if he could pass on at any moment. His skin was deathly pale and his eyes were glazed over, as if he were seeing something far away.

The prince walked over to the traveler's bed and said, "You asked for me."

The old man blinked and looked at the young prince. He managed to give him a small smile. "Ah yes, you are the young man that brought me here." he said in a raspy voice. "Thank you for your hospitality. May I know your name?"

"Shuno." The prince replied. "I am Prince Shuno of the Emishi people."

The old man looked amused. "A prince, you say." He chuckled and his laughs turned into a coughing fit. "What a coincidence. I am too."

"Really?" Shuno replied not sure if the old man was joking or not.

The old man nodded. "Indeed. I am the prince of a small country way to the east."

Shuno found it strange that a prince would be so far from his kingdom. "Then why are you way out here?"

The old man sighed sadly. "The country was poor, and the people were always suffering from starvation. I left long ago to find a way to help them. When I was young like you, I met a lone traveler. That traveling gave these to me." He held up a bag that he refused to allow the healers to take from him as they had attempted to help him. "He said, with this grain, the people would be able to live happy and prosperous lives without the fear of going hungry…"

Shuno's eyes widened in amazement as he listened to the old man. He accepted the bag that the traveler gave him and emptied out its contents into his hand. Large seeds that were surprisingly heavy fell into his open palm. They had a strange feel to them and Shuno knew immediately that these were no ordinary seeds.

"Our Hiwabie seeds are small and poor." He told the traveler. "Can we have these?"

The old man gave him a sad smile. "You can. But to sow these in the earth would be futile… These seeds have lost their shells… they're dead." He sighed and looked at the ceiling. "He told me that living seeds of this kind are wrapped in a beautiful shiny golden shell…"

Shuno felt his spirits sink. For just a moment, he had allowed himself to hope that there was a chance that his people would never have to suffer again, and that these miracle seeds were the answer. But just like that, he was in the same position as before.

"So you went searching for seeds like these that were still alive?" he asked.

The old man nodded. "I wished to experience the people's suffering for myself and set out on a journey to find these golden seeds…" He sighed again. "But I am now old… my strength is gone…" He looked very tired. "But I know that they're out there, those miracle seeds. Far to the west where the earth ends, there are rich, waving fields of golden plants…"

His eyes closed as he gave into his exhaustion. Shuno stayed with the old man until his breathing stopped.

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Ever since that day, Shuno could be found silently staring towards the west. Everyone knew what he was thinking. He wanted to go after those golden seeds. He wanted to bring them back and harvest them so that his people would never go hungry again. Of course, he knew that by his people's law that if he left he would be 'dead' to them.

It seemed so ridiculous to Shuno. Overall, he was perfectly content with staying in the kingdom and living a peaceful life away from the outside world, but his people were going hungry, they were dying! How could he not think about trying to save them anyway he could? But no, all because the elders feared the outside world that he wasn't allowed to leave.

"Up here again?" came the voice of an old woman.

Shuno turned to the speaker. He nodded to the old woman in greeting, giving her a smile. "Grandma Kaya, how are you?"

The old woman, who was actually his great grandmother, chuckled. "As good as 102 year old woman can be, child." She went to sit by him, her back cracking as she sat down. "You're thinking about what that traveler told you again, aren't you? The tale of the golden seeds."

Shuno didn't deny it. "How can I not? That's the answer to all our problems. But the elders won't let me go because they fear the outside world so much."

Grandma Kaya merely cocked her head to the side. "You are the prince. If you truly wish to leave, no one can stop you, save your father." She chuckled. "But I am his grandmother! I'm above him, even if he is the king!"

Shuno managed to crack a smile at the old woman's joking. But then he frowned. "Even so, what would be the point? I only want to leave so I can bring the seeds back to my people. But it would be pointless if I'm not welcome back."

Grandma Kaya gave him a stern look. "I would welcome you back, young Shuno. And I'm sure the others would too, for your cause is selfless. You just need to convince your father to welcome you back. I think I have a very good chance of convincing them. Our people need help, and this may be our only way of saving ourselves. That old fear is such a nuisance. But if they value their lives, then they will indeed make an exception with you."

She fell silent, letting Shuno think about this for a moment. After a while she spoke again. "Shuno, I'm going to tell you something that no one else in the kingdom knows, for it happened a long time ago, back before any of them were even born." She glanced back at the small kingdom. "Do you know the origin of the shrine in our village?"

Shuno nodded. "Yes, it's where a god died."

The old woman nodded. "Yes, that is true, but there is a story behind it, one that is not know to the others, for it was never spoken of. You see, it is true that a god died there, but it was my brother that killed him."

Shuno's mouth dropped open in shock. "Your brother killed him? Wait, I didn't even know you had a brother."

Grandma Kaya chuckled, but her laugh was humorless. "Yes, but it was a long time ago. And do not think badly of him for taking the god's life, for he did it to save mine, and the lives of everyone. You see, the god had become a demon, blinded by rage and hatred. He would have killed us all had it not been for my brother."

Shuno put two and two together. "A demon? Was he the one that killed the demon that attack long ago? The one who owned Yakul that I named my elk after?"

Grandma Kaya nodded. "Yes, his name was Ashitaka, but we do not speak of him because he broke the law and left the village."

"Why?"

"Because the demon left a curse on him. A curse that caused him great pain and would eventually kill him if he did not find a cure for it. And you know how our stupid law goes. If you leave the village you are dead to us."

'That's stupid!' Shuno thought. 'The guy was dying, what was he supposed to do?' He gave the old woman a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Grandma Kaya. Wish I could have known him."

"I wish you could have too." Grandma Kaya replied, wiping away a tear.

"Did he ever find a cure?"

The old woman looked thoughtful. "I don't know if he did or not, but I do believe that he managed it. If there was a way, he would have found it. But as are our laws, he was never to return." A determine look appeared over her face. "But I didn't care about those stupid laws. They had forbidden us to watch him leave, but I did anyway, and I gave him a crystal dagger to remember me by. So you see, Shuno, I broke the law, and do you know what happened?" Shuno shook his head. "Nothing. The elders understood that he was all I had left. He was my only living family, and no harm came from seeing him off, or from giving him my goodbye present." She gave him a smile. "If it's for a good cause, and you're not afraid of getting in trouble, then I say do what you feel is right and not what the elders say is right."

She fell silent and spoke no more of the subject.

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"Absolutely not!" the king yelled. "You know our laws. I forbid you from going on this ridiculous journey."

Shuno crossed his arms and glared at his father. "I did not know that wanting to save our people was ridiculous." He snapped. "Father, elders, we must face the truth; if nothing is done then we will be in even more trouble than we are now. If I find these seeds, then we'll never have to worry about going hungry again."

One of the elders spoke up. "We must follow our paths even if it is our fate to be poor, and allow ourselves to be laid to rest here."

Shuno angrily slammed his fist against the wall. "I will not stand by and watch my people die! Just listen to yourselves! You're letting our ancestors' stories of one long dead emperor that had tried to kill us a long time ago; long before even the oldest of us was even born, stop us from saving ourselves." He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "Had the old man not perished, would you have forbidden him to leave? What about the others that have come and gone? Why did you let them leave when they knew about us?"

"They knew about us, but not of us." The king replied. "They were not Emishi. They did not know we are Emishi, and we kept that secret."

"Father, do you really think that I would say or do anything that would give away the continuing existence of our people? I can remain silent. And besides, what's the difference whether I leave and never return or leave and come back again. The chances of others finding out about the Emishi's continual existence is just as great. These laws are made to be sure that no one would ever want to leave."

He took a moment to catch his breath, letting his words sink in. He had thought long and hard about this law and could come to only one conclusion. His ancestors feared the revealing of their existence so much that they had made it that anyone who left the village would not be allowed to return. This was the only way they could make sure that no one would ever want to leave and risk letting the world know that the Emishi people still lived. That meant that Grandma Kaya's brother, if he did indeed find a way to lift his curse, was banished simply to keep a bogus law, all out of fear.

The king and the elders were silent as they thought over what the young prince had said. Shuno took a deep breath and finished his speech. "I understand your fears, but whether you like it or not, I am going to find those seeds, and I'm going to return, regardless of those stupid laws. I am going to save our people!"

Without waiting for a reply, he stormed out of the room. The king and the elders remained where they were, surprised by their prince's behavior. After the initial shock, they began to discuss what would have been discussed long ago.

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"They say the prince is leaving." The women gossiped. "He's packing far too many bullets for a simple hunting trip."

"They say he's going against his the king and the elders' wishes."

"He's going to bring back food. He believes what the traveler said about the golden seeds. Oh, wouldn't it be great if he did bring them back?"

"But once he leaves, he is to be considered dead to us. He won't be allowed to return."

"That's stupid! He's going to save us. They can't banish him! That law is ridiculous!"

Shuno ignored the talk as he continued preparing for his journey. It didn't matter what was said, he had already made up his mind. He would find the golden seeds, and then return. If he was banished for it, fine, but first he would make sure his people were saved.

If he did return, that is. Shuno knew that there was a chance that he would never find the golden seeds. After all, the traveler had searched for them his whole life and found nothing. Shuno could very well be following in the man's footsteps. Even so, he would try anyway.

So, on the night of the new moon, Shuno saddled up Yakul and prepared for his journey. He didn't get too far before he ran into Grandma Kaya, who seemed to be waiting for him at the end of his kingdom.

"It was night when my brother left as well." She told him. "I'm experiencing déjà vu, only this time it's my great grandson that's leaving."

Shuno offered her a smile. "I will return. With the golden seeds too."

"I have faith in you." the old woman told him. "And I will welcome you back with open arms. As will your father and the elders." She smiled. "They have agreed to welcome you back if you do bring the golden seeds with you."

Shuno's eyes widened. "They have?"

"They have. They were going to tell you tomorrow and see you off, but I had a feeling that you would be gone before then. So I came to tell you myself."

Shuno smiled. "Don't worry, I will find the seeds."

"I know you will. And maybe you'll find a wife to bring back too." She winked at him.

"Grandma Kaya!" Shuno cried, turning red.

The old woman laughed. "It would be nice. But just having you come back at all would make me happy. Good luck to you, my prince."

Shuno smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Grandma Kaya. Goodbye. Let's go, Yakul."

Yakul took off, taking Shuno with him. Grandma Kaya watched him go, smiling sadly. Shuno's journey had begun.

(A/N: Well, that brings the first chapter to an end. Who liked it? As I'm sure you noticed, there were a lot of connections to 'Princess Mononoke' in this chapter, and you'll find more connections with other Ghibli movies later. So, thanks for reading, now hit that review button and tell me what you think.)