Princess
Mononoke II:
Rise of the Deer Girl
Chapter 1:
San and Ashitaka meet Inochi
The night was still and dark. San sat on the edge of her stone den, crying, awaiting Ashitaka's return to the forest. Her two brothers, Nero and Dante, padded up to San, quiet as the night its self. They sat on either side of her, licking the tears off her face. "What is bothering you, San?" Dante asked, puzzled, but concerned. "Is it that human boy you keep going on about?"
Dante's deep, growling voice soothed San. *sniff * "No, it's just that these stone walls carry too many memories for me to bear." The younger one, Nero, laid down next to San, sighing loudly. "Where is he anyway?" Nero shuffled restlessly. "San, you've been siting there for hours, and there is still much of the forest to be taken care of!" Dante said "Besides, me and Nero aren't meant for sitting around, look at us!" Nero nodded his head. The three of them sat for a moment. Then, Nero and Dante told San they were going to try to haul some trees away from what was left of the Sishi Gami's pool.
Now San was alone. About an hour or so later, a rustle greeted her.
And there was Ashitaka. Accompanied by (as always), by Yakul, Ashitaka's always loyal red elk and best friend. "Ashitaka!" San said, as she rushed down the rocky but only way down from her den. San felt so warm and happy inside, she thought she might burst. "San!" Ashitaka called back. He looked just as happy as San. "I'm sorry I couldn't find you earlier, were are your brothers?"
"They're at the Sishi Gami's pond, want to go find them?" Ashitaka agreed. "Sure, want to ride on Yakul?" San was delighted. The two of them hadn't rode on Yakul since the second time they met. "Lets go!"
Yakul stopped arruptly. San was surprised. Even though the forest was terribly damaged, Yakul knew the way to the Sishi Gami's pool by heart. He seemed to be focusing on the top of a small cliff. San and Ashitaka didn't have to wait long to find out why. A deer, with three-point curved antlers, slowly walked into view. On his back, a young girl, about 10 years of age was sitting there. She was wearing clothes much like Sans. She even had a wolf-fur cloak. "San, do you have anything to do with this?" Ashitaka asked in awe. "Only the clothes..." San said
*FLASH BACK*
San, Nero, and Dante, were mourning they're
(now head-less)mother, Moro. Suddenly, San
saw something move in the water. "Probably a
ghost-fish." Nero said, not taking his eyes off
Moro. A loud sizzle made all three of them look
up. It was the Fire Gami. He had taken the shape
of a boar, and he looked furious. He looked at
San and her brothers for a moment, then charged
What Nero called a "ghost fish" wasn't even a
fish. It was a girl. Naked, the girl sprang from the
water. The droplets she made landed on the Fire
Gami, causing him to screech in pain. The girl
landed on her feet and whistled. Then, a deer came
through the trees, jumped in the pool, jumped out,
and sailed right over the Fire God. More droplets
fell on the gami, and he screeched even louder, this
distraction gave the girl enough time to start hurling
stones at the Fire Gami. This was too much for him,
so he started storming off back to were he came from
The girl looked at San, then took her deer and rode
into the tangled mass of trees
*END OF FLASH BACK*
San remembered she had left the clothes out for the girl three weeks later. "San, look!"
Ashitaka said. The girl had only three differences in her clothing. The clay mask on the wolf-fur coat resembled the Sishi Gami's face. And instead of wolf ears, the ears on the coat resembled a pair of deer's ears. And, two two-point curved antlers made also from clay, stuck out, one behind each ear. The two scanned the forest.
Then, the deer's eyes snapped forward on something, and the stench of invaders rose into the air. The girl seemed aware of this, and pulled out a whistle. She blew, and a deer call came out. Then, the girl did an amazing thing.
First, she hung to the side of the deer, putting one a foot on it's back, a foot above the shoulder, and hung on one of the deers antlers. Then, after four or five deer appeared, she tapped the heel of the foot closest to the deer's shoulder,and the deer took off, the little group following behind. Then, the deer jumped off the cliff. While he fell through the air, the girl grabbed both antlers, swung her feet around so they were both on her deer's back. Then, she climbed onto the deer's antlers. The deer didn't seem to notice. He landed hard on a ledge, then jumped again.
The girl was still miraculously on the deer's antlers. Her cloak and skirt billowed backward as they met the wind. It was then San noticed the girl's weapons were a bow, fifteen arrows, and a dagger just like San's. (San had given the dagger along with the clothes). Even though San knew the weapons the girl was carrying, she didn't know why she had them with her. San soon found out. When the girl landed, a group of twenty samurai warriors appeared.
When they appeared, the girl drew her bow and arrow, and shot. The arrow harmlessly skidded of one of the samurai's helmets, and one of them shot an iron-made gun at the girl. It missed by inches, and her little army kicked in. They started attacking the samurai, but many were dead within the hour.
It was only the girl and her deer left now, and they appeared to beginning to tire. The two were fighting off a warrior who had lunged onto the deer's back, when a gun shot, and hit the deer in the leg. He collapsed, and the warrior went back to his remaining group of five. The girl rolled away, unharmed. When she stopped, she stood on her hands and knees. Tears dropped out of the mask's eye- holes.
The samurai sneered, it appeared that the girl had given up. How wrong they were. After a minute, the girls head snapped up, and she charged, the muffled cry of anger escaped her mask. As she charged, the girl whipped out her dagger. San wasn't sure what happened, but the closest samurai warrior collapsed before the young girl.
Another came behind him, but the girl was too quick. Two feet and one hand on the ground, she finished the warrior off in one movement. She jumped into the air, and while she jumped, she tore out the late samurai's sword out of it's belt. When in the air, the girl did a little twirl, stretching out her arm with the sword. The sword met the warrior, and like his friend collapsed. The girl ran and started to climb a nearby tree, witch stood about five feet fro Ashitaka and San. When she reached a sturdy limb, the girl drew her bow and arrow, and shot one of the remaining warriors in the temples. Then she drew her dagger, and jumped, clearly aiming for the last samurai. But, the man pulled out his gun, and shot her in the chest, then ran away. The girl landed on the ground and rolled to her side. Ashitaka ran to help her,before it was too late.