Through Wolf's Eyes (Princess Mononoke- San's POV)

by adwhogwartsseeker

The epic story of Princess Mononoke told from San's point of view!

Through Wolf's Eyes - Princess Mononoke from San's point of view

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own Princess Mononoke as a story or its characters. That honor belongs to Hayao Miyazaki and the company that produced it Studio Ghibli.

Prologue

-In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where from ages long past, dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, but as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed. Those that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts…who owed their allegiance to the Great Forest Spirit, for those were the days of gods and of demons.-

Chapter One- Damn Woman Again

A young woman named San scented the air as she sat on the back of her larger than normal, white, wolf brother, Ichi. She wore a tattered, midnight blue dress, white, sleeveless over shirt, deer hide wraps that served as her foot protection, a white fur cloak with a tail, a tooth necklace, large, white, circle earrings, leather bands on her uppers arms and forehead. Her face donned three red marks like that of wolf fangs, one on each cheek and her forehead below the headband. Her hair was barely past her ears in length and was dark brown in color. Her other brother, Ni stood at her other side as the three scouted the brigade of humans and oxen off in the distance. The sky was darkened by storm clouds, giving the scent of the rain that was sure to catch up to the pitifully slow caravan of humans and oxen trying to make their way back to Irontown.

"It's that damn woman again." San commented with malice in her voice, her focus entirely on the human called Lady Eboshi. Eboshi was the leader of Iron Town. A woman with black hair and a pony tail pinned to the top of her head, who wore a dark blue cloak, a red yukata blouse with yellow fan embellishment and blue hakama pants. She brought all the destruction to the forest and its inhabitants with her fire sticks and poison within them. She must die.

"Let's go tell mother. This could be our chance to kill that woman. The rain will catch up to them, making the oxen and humans more slow, unsteady, and stupid as they walk on the mountain side." San told her white wolf brothers and the two wolves ran back into the familiar territory of the forest.

Deep within the forest, a large white wolf with two tails rested on top of a rocky outcrop that was the roof of a den for her and her three pups. Though now it merely served as a den shelter for her youngest pup, San. San was human, but had been raised by Moro. As far as the wolf clan was concerned San was a wolf. As the two wolves slowed to a stop upon reaching Moro, San jumped off her brother Ichi and exclaimed,

"It's that damn gunwoman again. She and other humans caravan this very moment back to Iron Town. Is now our chance to strike, mother?" the young woman asked, with a gleam of anticipation in her eyes.

The large wolf God bared her teeth in what could be described as a wolfish grin as she stood. She sniffed the air and looked to the sky, taking note of the rain that was to come. "Yes, this is our chance! I will finally crush that gunwoman's head in my jaws. You three will draw out their attention, making them fire their guns at you from a safe distance. Then I will take them by surprise and attack the gun woman. Let us hurry. The rain waits for no one." She beckoned and the four members of the wolf clan began their trek back to the human caravan to execute their plan, just as rain drops began to fall.

San watched as her mother went off toward the opposite direction, while she and her wolf brothers continued their trek toward the caravan. This part of the forest was mostly spare, having been destroyed by a lightning fire a few years before, there was no hiding their presence on the mountainside as the oxen and human caravan came into view.

"Coming this way! Wolves!" a human voice spoke, though San's human ears were unable to hear such an exclamation as they remained running toward the caravan in the now heavy rainfall.

San and her brothers approached the caravan, guns pointed at them though the action stirred no fear within her. She heard the gunwoman's order,

"Ready! And fire!"

Followed by an array of shots toward her and her brothers. They easily avoided being hit and she stuck her hand out signaling a change of direction, a coy plan to draw out more shots from the human guns, leaving them defenseless for the real danger.

Now out of sight of the caravan, San and her brothers watched as their beautiful wolf mother Moro, charged upon the humans, her sole intent on the gunwoman Lady Eboshi. When her mother's form reached the gunwoman a large flame erupted from some unknown origin. San's eyes widened in horror as she watched her mother fall off the Cliffside and out of sight below the misty fog.

"GO. NOW." She ordered her wolf brothers and the three began to run toward the depths of the forest to search for their injured mother.

Chapter Two- Go Away

A few hours later the rain had stopped and the sun was high in the sky when at last they had found their mother. Washed up on the edge of the river bank, San jumped off Ichi and rushed to her mother's side.

She gasped as her mother arose onto her paws and the wound of an iron bullet could be seen bleeding from her chest. San approached the wound immediately and began to suck blood from it and spit it out, hoping to draw out some of the poison that the iron bullet would inflict. Only when her mother gave a warning growl did her attention divert away from her task.

Her eyes turned and noticed the eyes of a human standing on the opposite side of the river, hiding within the branches of an old beaver den. Her eyes widened with shock, for no humans dared to enter the forest unless they desired the wrath of the wolf clan.

'Foolish human' San though and stood up and turned to face whoever. Taking a moment to spit out the rest of the blood in her mouth and wipe her face with her hand, she stared down the eyes demanding with her own that she was the alpha here, the dominant one that would not surrender or look away.

She watched as the human got up and stood on the log, revealing to be a male. One she had never seen before.

"My name is Ashitaka. I have traveled far from lands to the east. Are you ancient gods and I have I come at least to the realm of the Spirit of the Forest?" he shouted toward them, still keeping his gazed locked with hers. The young man wore a pale red hood with white markings upon the brow, a grass cloak, brown pants, blue arm sleeves, animal pelt shoe wrappings, and carried a bow in his left hand. A sword on his left side and a red pouch could be seen on his right.

'He is brave. But stupid, just like the rest of the humans.' She thought to herself, admiring the resilience she had seen in his eyes. Her wolf brothers shifted their stance, waiting for a signal to attack the intruder. Moro deemed him not a threat for the time being and turned her gaze away from the strange boy. Gingerly standing up and began a slow walk away. Ni grabbed hold of a oxen carcass while San jumped on Ichi's back and shouted in return, "Go away." and departed from the young man's sight.

Moro led them to the lake of the Forest Spirit, where the water was somewhat magical. It didn't cure any aliments but it numbed the pain of any if it was drunk. In the center was the Isle of the Forest Spirit. Sacred grounds to that of all the creatures in the forest, which San and her family revered. The large she wolf took a long drink, within moments the sharp pain in her chest dulled to a minimal ache.

Watching her mother go through such great pain, ignited the fires of hatred for the gunwoman even more than before. 'I will kill that woman, tonight.' She decreed to herself as the four of the retreated from the lake and made their way back to the den.

When they reached the den Moro laid on top, just as she had done earlier that morning and rested. "You will be okay, right mother?" San asked as she jumped off her brother Ichi and approached her mother's side.

"I now carry a poison bullet within my breast. I will not flee as Nago did. I will save my strength and kill that gun woman before death comes and takes me." Moro replied, her heart stuck on vengeance.

"No, mother. I will kill her for what she has done to you, tonight." San announced and that got the attention of her wolf brothers as they raised their head from a resting state, ears swiveled forward to the conversation.

"Do as you must, San." Moro said, feeling proud of her human child having such resolve.

San nodded and addressed her wolf brothers. "Come nightfall we will charge the town and with your swift and fast legs to carry me, I will scale over the wall and finally cut that gunwoman's throat."

"Eat my children. You will all need your strength." Moro instructed. Ni turned his attention back to the oxen carcass he had carried with him and the three siblings began to tear into it.

Chapter Three- I'm a friend

San and her brothers waited until nightfall to take leave of the den. Navigating in the dark came with ease as San rode on Ichi's back and the three of them made their way to the large human den called Iron Town. The three of them stopped on the top of a hill that overlooked the human dwelling. Ni let out a low growl of disgust and San grinned giving him a reassuring pet on the nose. She would not fail tonight. The gunwoman would die and pay with her life for what she had done to the forest and to her mother. Ready to continue with the plan, she pulled down her face mask, straightened out the fur behind her head and they began to run toward the town wall.

"The wolves are coming! It's the wolf princess!" a tower guard hollered as he sounded the alarm. San held a spear in her hand as Ichi picked up his pace down the slope. Dodging the bullets fired at them they did not slow as they charged toward the tall fortress walls.

Ichi ran as fast as his legs could carry him and did not stop as the neared the wall. Wooden spikes protruded from the ground, an aid to deter creatures from climbing up the wood barrier that surrounded the town, making it a fortress. San steadied her balance and eased into a crouch with a spear in hand, as her brother followed his orders and slammed his body underneath the spikes. The momentum gain launched her past the spikes and high up. Shoving the spear head into the wood at the apex of her launch, she was able to use it as a step to climb over the remaining portion of the wall.

She came face to face with a tower rifleman, who immediately tried to hit her with the metal end of his gun. 'Too slow.' San thought to herself and dodged his attack with ease as she jumped onto another point of the fortress wall, then another. With her dagger in hand she made her move and jumped off the wall toward him and attack. Swiping her blade at him was enough to cause him to panic and take a step back, making the mistake of falling off the narrow walkway.

Another gunshot headed her way, and she diverted it by jumping onto a nearby house roof. The gunwoman was her prey; she did not need to waste her energy on anyone else unless they got in the way. She ran across the rooftops and then another gunshot barely missed her. It took out a piece of a roof she had intended to run on. Falling with it she front flipped off the roof and landed gracefully on the ground, not skipping a beat as she continued her run toward the middle of Iron Town where the gunwoman would be.

Her eyes widened in surprise, behind her mask, as she came suddenly face to face with the strange male from before. The one who had braved the forest and dared to face the wolf clan. 'He's on their side.' She immediately thought, why else would he be in Iron Town. He was a human after all. She immediately began slashing at him with her dagger, hoping to drive him and the other humans near that crowded her way from reaching her prey.

"Stop." He called out, but she didn't listen as the sound of metal clashing rang in the air, his sword and her dagger.

"Wait. I don't want to fight you. I'm a friend." He called out and his words made her take a step back and think for a moment, 'What? A friend? Here mingling with these disgusting humans, foolish male.' She swiped her blade back and forth through the air in warning then jumped up and onto a nearby roof.

"She's on the roof! Hurry! She's after Lady Eboshi!" male voices announced as she continued her run across the rooftops. 'That's right. I am coming for you evil gunwoman.' She thought to herself as she quickened her pace.

"Somebody cut her off!" another voice shouted. "She's headed for the forge!" Another proclaimed.

San jumped onto the roof of a large building and made her way up it to gain the best vantage point. The heat from the ever burning fires below caused her skin to sweat and the smoke rising from the holes in the roof for ventilation stung her eyes.

San stopped when she reached the top of the roof and crouched down to overlook the gathering of humans at the center of town. 'Where are you damn gunwoman?' she thought to herself and was relieved when she saw her walk out to the middle of the square and heard the voice of her prey speak out.

"Can you hear me Princess of Beasts? If it's me you want, here I am. If you seek revenge for all the animals we've killed, well there are two women down here whom I'd like you to meet. They want revenge as well for husbands killed by your wolves." Lady Eboshi announced and the woman to her right shouted, "Come on out, you little witch! My husband's dead because of you!"

San stood up and made her presence known to the gunwoman. It was a pitiful sight to be seen as she watched the humans with their guns and spears scrambling about like frightened mice. She was but one wolf with her fang in hand.

"No! Wait! Princess of the wolf gods! Don't go down there! Go back to the forest!" she heard 'him' shout from somewhere nearby. He probably was on a roof just like her. But she didn't care. She would not turn to see where he was, or acknowledge his words.

'I am a wolf. I am on a hunt. I will not fail.' She thought to herself, as she stared down her focus solely on the gunwoman.

"Listen to me! Please! Don't throw your life away!" the strange male pleaded with her, though his words would not be any good.

The sound of a wolf howling in the distance rang through the air, carrying with it one message. "For mother…"

'For mother.' San thought to herself, her resolve burning every strong once more. San's eyes narrowed into focus as she raised her dagger up and began her run down the roof to face the gunwoman. The sound of gunfire reached her ears as a part of the roof in front of her was obliterated by the shot. She fell into a roll, aware of her body where it was going, but unable to slow the momentum. She fell off the roof and landed gracefully on all four paws, slowly rising to gain her bearing once more.

"Open fire!" San heard the gunwoman announced and before she could react shots rang out. The sound of clay shattering rang in her ears as she was thrown back in surprise as a shot hit her face mask, knocking her unconscious to the ground.

She was unconscious for but a few seconds, and the voice of the strange male brought her from her dazed state. "Wake up!" His closeness startled her and she immediately went into fight mode. Slashing her fang at him, she grazed his cheek, just below his eye. She continued to slash at him, making him retreat enough to get out of her way.

"No!" he shouted as she ran past him and toward the crowd of humans and their spears. She couldn't help but grin as she saw the big, stupid, male out in front with his spear, thinking that would stop her. It didn't. She launched into the air and stomped on his face, using it to fly over the rest of them and finally reach her prey.

"Aarraagh!" San shouted as she charged up to the gunwoman, ready to fight. The gunwoman was ready for her as she threw off her cloak and had a sword in hand, blocking San's attack. A surprise dagger came forth from the gunwoman's other hand, making contact with San's fur covered shoulder. A few white hairs drifted through the air as the one on one battle commenced. 'That was too close.' San chastised herself, grateful that her shoulder had not been injured at the gunwoman's surprise dagger swipe.

San jumped back out of range and readied her blade to block the gunwoman's advances. Every chance San got she would jab at the gunwoman, hoping to land a fatal blow to her throat. The woman was taller than San, making a strike to the throat a harder task then usual. But San was quick on her feet. She could dodge the woman's attacks and react when she saw an opening to jab at her throat.

Soon a ring of humans crowded around the two fighting women and San suddenly felt very much like a cornered animal. She turned her head for but a moment and saw all the spears around them, forming a circle that would limit her ability to dodge. Still, she would not give up and she refused to fail. San continued to shout her battle cries and attack the gunwoman, determined to see her die, even if it meant her death as well.

Suddenly 'he' was there again. He grabbed hold of her wrist that held her fang, while using his own sword to block the weapon of the gunwoman. She growled and used her free hand to claw at his covered arm, hoping to free her wrist from his grasp.

"What do you think you're doing boy?" The gunwoman asked, her tone more irritated than anything else.

"Stay your hand. The girl's life is now mine." He replied, and that sent San into a rage. 'Damn him. My life is my own. He is preventing me from my kill.' She thought and in her carnal fury bit down on his arm.

"I'm sure she'll make a lovely wife for you." The gunwoman replied sarcastically.

"There's a demon inside of you. It's inside both of you." Ashitaka replied.

San bit down on his arm as hard as she could and suddenly a dark, translucent, demon, worms erupted and covered his entire arm. San gasped in terror and tried her best to retreat. She pulled away from him but his grip on her wrist proved unbreakable.

"Look everyone! This is what hatred looks like. This is what it does when it catches hold of you. It's eating me alive and very soon now it will kill me! Fear and anger only make it grow faster." He told the crowd, but his words barely registered to San's ears.

She was gasping in sheer panic, her free arm trying to hit away the demon that attempted to touch her skin. 'NO! GET AWAY!' she thought to herself, feeling absolutely helpless.

"I'm getting a little bored of this curse of yours, Ashitaka. Let me just cut the damn thing off!" the gunwoman stated and readied her dagger to cut off his arm. Ashitaka dodged her attack and slammed the hilt of his sword into her stomach. San watched in shock and terror as the gunwoman fell limp onto his shoulder.

"Ahaa!" San said as she tried to once more pull out of his grasp. Getting this feeling in her stomach that she was about to meet the same fate as the gunwoman by his hand. The male tugged her forward, causing her body to fall forward toward him. 'NO! NO! NO!' She thought and terror filled her eyes as she gazed upon his face then her world went black.

San awoke from unconsciousness confused as her eyes processed the autumn colored pelt that came into her view and the sound of hoof foot falls against the ground. She was riding a red elk. She gasped in surprise, sitting up alert now as she felt the presence of someone sitting behind her and the arm wrapped around her stomach. She turned in time to see the strange man falling off the red elk they were riding. Unable to do anything but watch she flinched as his head hit the rocky ground face down and her wolf brother Ni dove to attack him.

"Stop it!" she shouted to her wolf brother, who held the strange male's head in his jaws.

"Leave him! He's mine." She shouted as she struggled to jump off the now bucking elk, who was all too eager to get her off now that his companion was not riding with her. Her hand fell to her stomach, feeling the ache of the strange mans stunning blow from earlier, "Oof!" she grumbled, as she walked to the strange man and her brothers.

Ni let go of the male's head and stepped away when San approached.

"His own people shot him. He's dying." She stated observing the still bleeding bullet wound in his chest. Ni nuzzled his nose under her arm, a gesture of affection toward her, a way of showing he was grateful she was unharmed.

The male gasped and San was surprised he was still conscious. "Why did you stop me from killing her? Tell me while you're still alive." San demanded as she crouched down to speak with him.

"I didn't want them to kill you. That's why." Ashitaka replied, his sentence coming out in painful rasps.

"I'm not afraid to die. I'd do anything to get you humans out of my forest." San replied to him, her voice conveying irritation toward this human male that had prevented her from killing her prey.

"I knew that from the first moment I saw you." Ashitaka said.

'What is it with this male? He doesn't know me.' She thought now irritated even more than before.

"And I'm not afraid of you! I should kill you for saving her!" San snapped, rolling him over onto his back and withdrew his sword from its sheath at his side. Kneeling beside him, she held the point of his sword to his throat."That woman is evil. And there's no one who can stop me from killing her."

"No…Live." Ashitaka replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That's enough! I'm not listening to you anymore." San shouted back at him, 'I should just end his misery now.' She thought to herself, tempted to push the sword through his throat.

Ashitaka's eyes fluttered open, if he was to die by her hand at least he could watch her do so, "You're beautiful…." He whispered, his eyes meeting hers.

San gasped in shock and was so startled that she took a couple steps back away from him. 'Beautiful? Here I am about to kill him myself and this human male thinks I'm beautiful? I don't understand him at all.' She thought to herself, still reeling at his statement.

"What is it San? What me to crunch his face off?" Her wolf brother Ichi asked as he approached her side. They were pups of a God; they understood the language of the humans. They simply chose not to listen.

Suddenly a rock flew through the air and landed near the strange male human. San turned her head toward the direction it came from and Ichi began to growl. "The Ape Tribe." She stated, not entirely surprised they were in this part of the forest. They could be found every night trying to plant tree seedlings in the mountainside that had been unearthed by the gunwoman and the other male humans of Iron Town.

"All right! What do you want here?" San called out to the gathering of apes. Ichi and Ni took a couple steps forward in front of San, growling their distaste, "Apes, how dare you show such disrespect to the wolf clan." Ni growled at them, as the apes continued to half heartedly throw rocks and sticks in their direction.

"This is our forest." One aped answered, and then another began to speak, "The human—give him to us." Then another, "Give us the human and go."

"You go, before my fangs find you." Ni replied, flashing his teeth in a threatening growl.

"We will not go. We will eat the human. Yes, let us eat the man creature." The apes replied.

San's eyes widened in shock, 'This is not the way the ape tribe should be behaving.' She thought to herself and said, "Are you crazy? Just what happened to make the ape tribe change this way? Since when do apes eat the flesh of a man?"

The apes spoke once more, "If we eat the human, we will steal his strength, and we will drive the other humans away. Give us the man creature."

"Stop this! You know you can't possess the humans' strength by eating them. All that will do is make you into something else, something even worse than human." San told them, hoping to deter them from continuing these thoughts.

"We plant trees. Humans tear them up. The forest does not come back. If we kill the humans, we will save the forest." The apes stated.

"You mustn't give up. We'll find a way. The Forest Spirit is with us. Go on planting your trees and someday we'll beat them." San told them, her eyes filled with sorrow at the way the apes were behaving.

"The Forest Spirit will not fight. We will all die. Wolf girl does not care. She is human." One ape proclaimed.

San froze, mostly in shock. All her life she had lived in the forest. Been a part of the wolf clan. Had treated all the animals and the forest with the respect they deserved. The apes' words stung her heart, 'Is that really how the apes and other animals see me after all this time? Just because my body is different than that of a regular wolf?' She thought to herself.

"Enough!" Shouted her brother Ichi, "I'll bite your head off, you chattering ape." He threatened and took off at a lope toward the ape tribe.

"Stop! Wait! Come back! Leave them alone." San called to her brothers. They heard his sister's plea and turned around and began to pad back toward his sister. It was enough to simply drive the apes away from sight for their insolence.

When they returned to her side she said, "Don't worry about them. It's all right." Her voice was reassuring, she didn't want them to think her pride wounded over the human comment the apes had called her. She knew she was a wolf, even if she didn't look it entirely.

"You two go on ahead. I'll stay here and deal with the human." She ordered her voice carrying a soft tone then that of before. Her brother Ni sniffed the strange male human, checking to see if he was dead yet. Sadly he was still alive. He looked over and noticed the red elk, that hadn't strayed far. "What about the elk?" Ichi asked, "Yes! Can we eat him?" Ni added, both wolves giving their sister a wolfish grin the desire for a snack gleamed in their eyes.

"No, you may not. Go home!" San told them, though her words were spoken kindly, having found their excitement adorable. Ichi grumbled but did as she told him, Ni followed close behind as the two headed back to the den where their mother lay resting.

"Come over here. Don't worry. I'm a friend. Don't be shy. I won't hurt you. I need you to help me carry him. Please?" San asked her voice kind and pleasant in tone as she addressed the red elk.

Chapter Four- You're free now

Yakul stomped his hoof, having been worried this whole time about Ashitaka, but been afraid of what the wolves would do to either of them. San returned Ashitaka's sword to his sheath and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling him up to sitting position. Yakul knelt down beside them and San managed to get Ashitaka onto the red elk's back, face down. Like that of a cub riding on the back of mother bear. She removed Ashitaka's sword from him and draped over her shoulder. 'He's surprisingly heavy.' San noted, feeling a wave of relief that the elk was cooperating.

"Follow me please." She asked the elk and began leading him through the forest to the lake that held the Isle of the Forest Spirit. When they reached the lake's edge she held her hand up, signaling to the red elk to wait just a moment. As the elk came to a stop she detoured from the water's edge to find a small sapling to cut. 'A token to the forest spirit.' She thought and placed the small branch in her mouth and entered the lake. Raising her hand up, she coaxed the red elk into the lake. When the water reached shoulder level she approached the elk and slide the strange male of his back into the water. She made sure to keep his face above the water as she pulled the human male toward the Isle.

Upon reaching the island's edge she propped the young man into a crevasse, keeping his upper body out of the water, while the rest of his body stayed buoyant in the lake. She removed the sapling branch from her mouth and stuck it into the ground just above the strange male's head. 'Is he still alive? He's lost a lot of blood.' She wondered as she gazed over his figure, his bullet wound still bleeding as she bend down and placed her head against his chest to check for a heartbeat.

Hearting the faint beat of his heart brought an odd sense of relief to her that she normally wouldn't have felt for anyone but her family if they were seriously injured. She saw the red elk still in the lake nearby, keeping close without touching the island.

"You are very wise. You know better than to set foot on this island, don't you?" she called out to him. She stood and noticed her scent, "Ugh! I smell like a human." She complained and walked off the island and back into the lake over toward the red elk. She approached the beast and removed the straps off the elks face. "You can go wherever you want to. You're free now." She told him as she swam away back to the main land. She found it curious the red elk merely shook his head and chose to stay nearby the strange male human, waiting within the lake, but not touching the blessed island.

She watched in awe as the last rays of moonlight shined down upon the island and the nightwalk appeared. At night he was but a bi-pedal transparent stag that looked like the nights sky walking in a human form with great antlers upon his head. The nightwalker stretched down upon the island and began to change into its day form. A brown shaggy coated deer with tri-toed feet covered in green skin, large antlers upon his head and a red face that resembled a human and eyes of crimson color. 'Please, save him great Forest Spirit. He is dying.' San thought to herself as she watched the creature take precious steps toward the strange male. The great forest spirit was ruler over life and death. He could chose to take what remained of the male human's life from him. She watched in worry as she witnessed the forest spirit take the life from the sapling branch she had presented. Then the creature nudged the male into the water, fully submerging him beneath.

She stood up tense, ready to go and get him before he drowned. 'But why? It's up to the forest spirit now to choose if he lives or dies.' She thought to herself but couldn't force herself to remain sitting. She watched in awe as the great forest spirit reached its neck down, partially changing into the nightwalker form as it submerged its head below the water's surface. She could not see what it was doing to the strange male human, but moments later it pulled its head out of the water. The Great Forest Spirit completed the change into his 'day' form and looked directly at her, for a long moment she merely held her breath as it gazed upon her. Then turned away and trotted out of sight.

She rushed into the water toward Ashitaka, the red elk close by him now shaking his head in irritation that he could not see his friend. "It's okay." San reassured as she approached and lifted the strange male human out of the water. The bullet wound in his chest no longer bleed. 'The Great Forest Spirit saved him. That's a relief….what? What am I saying? Why should I care about this male? He is a human. But, he is not an enemy.' She decided and dragged him back to the main land the red elk at his side. She pulled him out of the lake and laid him down upon the ground.

The red elk stood near and finally spoke,

"I am Yakul. I thank you for caring for my friend, Ashitaka."

Chapter Five- Eat this

San was familiar with languages of animals, though only few (besides the Gods and their offspring) could speak in that of a higher intelligence.

"This male is your friend?" She asked confused. She figured from the harness that once donned the elk's face that he was in bondage to this human.

"Yes. He has cared for me since I was a young buck." Yakul shared, lying down next to Ashitaka's side, hoping to transfer some warmth to him now that his friend's clothes were wet.

'My name is Ashitaka. I have traveled far from lands to the east…' she suddenly remembered his words the first time she encountered him. "From lands to the east?" San asked and Yakul nodded.

San sat down, desiring to hear more from the elk. "What is Ashitaka like?" she asked, wondering if it was anything like the other humans she had encountered before.

"Ashitaka has a good heart and determined mind. He was a prince in his village. Beloved by all, the Emishi people were looking forward to the day he would join with a female and become the village leader. It is a place that is respectful of animals and the forest around it. Red elks and the Emishi have been friends for many, many, many, sun rises. They have sleeping places for us that keep out the cold and wet, food a plenty, and keep us from being hunted as meat for other humans. In turn we let them on our back and take them wherever they need to go." Yakul shared with fondness.

"And the other Emishi humans?" San continued to ask curious.

"They respect everyone and everything around them. If they cut down a tree, they would plant another in its place. When they searched the river for fish or minerals, they did not destroy the land around it in search of more. They never wasted any part of the beasts they hunted or things used from the forest." The elk shared, remembering many hunts he had taken with the young man.

"What about his forest?" she asked.

"Much like this one, when the little kodama spirits revealed themselves to him he would watch and speak with reverence. He always bid respect to the mother tree and often we would go to the forest so I could eat of bark while he pondered."

San looked to Ashitaka's sleeping form, 'You have earned my respect, Ashitaka.' She thought to herself suddenly feeling something within her that hadn't been there before toward anyone but her family and other gods of the forest.

She stood up and said, "Thank you, Yakul. I will return with some food." She departed assured Ashitaka would be watched over while she retrieved some food for him. San didn't have to cook her meat. She had been raised to eat that of raw flesh. Only when preparing for the cold seasons did she cook her meat to save it in the den for later eating. She doubted Ashitaka would be able to handle raw meat and so she began to hunt for small game to cook and bring back to him.

Crouching down low in the tall grass she came upon a field that had a few rabbits taking advantage of the morning dew to drink from and the lush grasses to be chewed upon. She positioned herself near the rabbit's warren entrance and carefully threw a rock to make some noise. The startled creatures took off in a run back to what they thought was a safe place and San with the swiftness of a wolf, stabbed one with her fang in hand. Smiling at her success she carried it back to her den where she skinned the creature and built a small fire and began to cook up the meat in easy to chew strips.

"Why go through the trouble of cooking it, San? It is not the time of falling leaves yet." Her brother Ni asked curiously. Ichi took a sniff of her, "You smell of the red elk and human. What has become of them?" the wolf brother asked.

"The forest spirit saved the human's life. He wants him to live. I am helping since that man is not our enemy." She explained as she continued to cook the meat into a jerky form. A few hours passed before the process was complete. The sun was now at the highest point in the sky as she returned to the lake where Ashitaka and Yakul resided.

She approached Yakul who was standing near Ashitaka, raising her hand up to pet the elk under his chin. "Finally you're awake. You know you really should thank Yakul. He hasn't left your side this whole time."

Ashitaka grunted softly, feeling of utter exhaustion envelope his entire body. "How'd you know his name's Yakul?" he asked her, opening his eyes with some effort to see her and his friend.

"He told me, and he told me about you—about your village, your people, and your forest." San said then cast her gaze down toward Ashitaka. "The Forest Spirit brought you back to life again. He wants you to live." She told him then walked over to his side and crouched beside him, tearing a piece of the rabbit meat jerky with her teeth.

"I had the strangest dream. There was a golden creature." Ashitaka said to her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Eat this." San remarked, holding out the jerky to him, carefully placing it in his mouth. Ashitaka held the meat between his teeth. "Chew." She ordered, though her voice was gentle and encouraging. She watched as he tried to chew, giving a cough and then a small groan as the piece fell out of his mouth. His eyes closed and body relaxed almost into a sleep, too tired from the little effort he exhorted.

'He is too weak to eat. I must feed him . . . like that of a bird and her hatchlings.' San realized, picking up the piece of meat she placed it in her mouth and began to chew. When it had reached the texture of easy swallowing, San hovered over him and placed her mouth against his. She felt his lips push against hers for a moment, it was an unusual sensation. 'What is he doing?' she wondered. She parted her lips as she did, so did his and gravity carried the food down into his mouth. Then his body went rigid as the flavor of the meat registered on his tongue. 'Swallow, Ashitaka.' She thought and waited for a moment, making sure he wouldn't reject the food. She pulled away and saw him swallow.

She continued to chew another piece of jerky. This time when she gave it to him and she noted his lips did not push against hers like they did the first time. Nor did he tense up, he was completely relaxed. 'What was he doing before, with his lips, when mine touched his?' she wondered, as she sat up and chewed another mouthful of jerky.

Her gaze was on Ashitaka as she chewed; her eyes suddenly widened with wonder as she noticed his closed eyes began to pool water. 'Tears? But why? I don't understand.' She thought to herself as she watched his tears swell up enough that it streamed down the side of his cheek. She used her free hand to adjust the meat in her mouth so it was closest to the front and proceeded to feed him again. She repeated this one more time, finishing off the last of the jerky she had brought for him.

Chapter Six- You're blind

Yakul raised his head in alarm as he heard the approach of something rustling the trees. San stood her attention toward the direction of the noise. Her mother, Moro appeared looking straight ahead of her. San noticed this and suddenly a rumbling sound reached her ears. She turned toward the direction her mother was looking at and saw abnormally large boars approaching. A lot of them. San took a couple of steps forward, making sure to stand in front of Ashitaka. 'He is human and here in the forest. The boars will not like that. I will protect him.' San thought to herself as her two wolf brothers arrived, standing on either side of Moro.

"We are here to kill the humans and save the forest. Why are there humans here, Moro?" One boar asked, clear distain in his voice as he motioned toward San and Ashitaka.

"Humans are everywhere these days. Go back to your own mountain. Kill them there. The girl is San, my daughter." Moro told them.

"We will kill them here. We will save this forest. What is that other human doing here?" the boar demanded.

San felt compelled to speak, "He was shot, and the Great Spirit healed his wound. This man is not our enemy!"

"The Forest Spirit saved him. Saved the life of that loathsome runt? What didn't he save Nago? Is he not the guardian of the forest? Why?" the boar demanded, the other boars rallying in agreement of squeals.

"The Forest Spirit gives life and takes life away. Life and death are his alone, or have you boars forgotten that?" Moro growled to the boars, barely tolerating their insolence.

"You lie! You must have begged the Forest Spirit to spare his life! But you did not beg for Nago, did you?" The boar rebuked.

"Nago was afraid to die. Now, I too, carry within my breast a poisoned human bullet. Nago fled, and the darkness took him. I remain and contemplate my death." Moro told the boars.

'No! See can't die!' San thought to herself and spoke, "Mother! Please ask the Forest Spirit to save you." The young woman pleaded.

"I have lived long enough, San. Soon the Forest Spirit will let me rest forever." Moro said to her daughter, with no remorse in her voice. The wolf goddess had come to accept her death the moment the bullet entered her breast.

"All these years you defended the Forest Spirit! He must save you!" San replied her voice unyielding in determination, not ready to accept that her mother would soon die.

"You are not fooling us. Nago was beautiful and strong. He would not have run from anything. You wolves must have eaten him!" The boar accused of the wolf clan.

San turned her attention back toward the boars, with anger in her eyes, "Quiet! Watch what you say, you filthy pig!"

Ashitaka awoke up and heard the boars accuse the wolves of eating Nago.

"Gods of the mountain, please listen to me. Nago died far from here and I was the one who killed him. He had become some kind of demon. One day he attacked our village. If you want proof, look at my hand where he touched me." Ashitaka spoke softly, though even with superior hearing, the animals had quieted down to hear his words. San watched as the young man removed some sort of finger binding from his right hand that held the blue sleeve place. He raised his hand up and the sleeve fell down, revealing a deep purple and back mark that practically covered his whole arm. His fingers had yet to be consumed by the demons mark, but it was only a matter of time once his strength returned.

San's eyes widened in shock. 'He's still dying. But the Forest Spirit healed his other wound. Why would he not heal the demon's curse too if he wants this human to live?' she wondered to herself.

"I came here to beg the Forest Spirit to lift Nago's curse from me. He healed the bullet wound in my side, but the demon mark remains. First it will tear my soul apart, and then it will kill me." Ashitaka told them.

'No!' San thought, suddenly afraid for Ashitaka. She remembered Yakul's words about Ashitaka having a good heart. She did not want to see him become a demon or watch him die.

The boars began to step aside and make way for another boar that had reached the head of the herd. He was much larger than the rest of the boars and had a silver colored pelt and clouded eyes.

"Okkoto, finally, a boar who will listen to reason." Moro stated with relief.

San watched as the large boar approached Ashitaka, 'No! He's gonna eat him!' she thought and rushed up address the boar god.

"No, Lord Okkoto, wait! Please, you mustn't eat him." She stated respectfully.

The boar raised its head and turned to face in her, "Ah, you are Moro's human child, aren't you?" he asked taking a sniff with his large nostrils. "I have heard of you."

San looked up at his eyes and back at his nose as it took in her scent once more. His nose was easily the size of her whole torso. "You're blind." She gasped, having just realized this.

"Stand back. I will not eat him." Okkoto promised.

"It's all right, San." Ashitaka reassured her, having trust in the Boar God.

San looked shocked as she turned her gaze down toward Ashitaka, 'Brave, but stupid.' She thought again to herself. She knew the Boar God was capable of killing Ashitaka in many ways and the young man would be powerless against him in his current state.

"My Lord Okkoto, what I said about Nago's death was the truth." Ashitaka told the boar god and Okkoto approached the young man once more. Ashitaka raised his arm to the boar god's nose and the leader of the boar clan inhaled very deeply.

San took couple steps back and watched awe and remorse. She felt sorry for the boar god that he was blind, unable to see through eyes clouded.

"I believe you, and I thank you for it, young one. I am only grieved and ashamed that such a demon has come from our tribe." Okkoto said. The other boars lowered their heads and whimpered, accepting the tale as truth now that Okkoto believed it.

"O mighty lord, is there a way to lift Nago's curse from me?" Ashitaka asked, having a sliver of hope that the forest gods would know of a way, beyond that of the Forest Spirit's help.

"Leave this forest…for the next time we meet I will have to kill you." Lord Okkoto warned Ashitaka.

'NO!' San thought, her hand suddenly clenched into a fist as she resisted the urge to withdraw her fang out or even Ashitaka's sword that hung on her side.

Moro spoke up, "You cannot win against the humans. Their guns will destroy you all."

"Look on my tribe, Moro." Okkoto asked of her, "We grow small, and we grow stupid. We will soon be nothing but squealing game…that the humans hunt for their meat."

"You'd risk everything on one last battle? That's just what the humans want." Moro retorted.

"I do not ask for the help of the wolf tribe. Even if every one of us dies, it will be a battle the humans will never forget." Okkoto told her and began to walk away. The other boars began to leave, following him.

San looked down at Ashitaka and saw him relax into unconsciousness once again. 'Just speaking has worn him out. I'll must tend to him more.' She decided, she raised her head and looked around. Upon the water of the lake was the Forest Spirit.

"The Forest Spirit." San said, her voice barely above a whisper. She watched as the creature looked over at her direction then seemed to have a grin upon his odd face as he padded away across the water's surface.

Chapter Seven- Feeling all right

"Yakul, help me carry Ashitaka please?" San asked the red elk to which he obliged and knelt down beside Ashitaka so she could lift him onto his back. San and Yakul followed Moro and the other two wolf pups back to their den.

Moro retreated to the top of the rocky outcrop to lay and rest, the ache of the bullet in her chest ever present. While Ichi and Ni headed off to hunt. San led Yakul into the den from the back entrance opening, coaxing him into the den. It was a simple dwelling many leaves covered the ground so the cold rock did not sap warmth away from San while she slept. One large light brown fur pelt lay on top of an indented portion of the leaves. A smaller, dark brown fur pelt that was bunched up on top off the lighter pelt. This served as San's bed and blanket to keep her mostly furless body warm at night.

"Here." She said and Yakul knelt beside the fur pelts. San carefully lifted Ashitaka off the elk and laid him down on her bed. 'He feels cold. His clothes are damp. I need to warm him up then get him some more food.' She decides and quickly covers him with the smaller, dark brown, fur pelt blanket.

She and Yakul retreat from the den and she began building a fire. When her brothers returned with a couple of freshly killed deer, she ate her fill then got to work making some jerky for Ashitaka. Moro watched her daughter's movements casually as she ate very little of the deer, then she normally would have if she was well. Yakul didn't stray far from the den's entrance, grazing upon the grace and feeling at ease that the wolves would not eat him. For a moment the wolf goddess was grateful to have lived long enough to see her pups grow up. A calm reassurance set in her that they would be fine, no matter what happened in the days to come.

When San finished curing the meat she gathered some leaves and wrapped it up. She carried it back into the den and set it down near Ashitaka's head. She touched is face, letting out a sigh of relief as he felt no longer feverish. She hurried out and returned with a wooden bowl that contained some water.

"Ashitaka…drink." She said, as she knelt beside him and propped his head up with her arm while the other held the bowl to his lips. He gained consciousness enough to sip the water slowly but surely. When it was empty she sat his head back down to rest.

She noticed his head covering had a tear it in. 'I did that. When I grazed his cheek with my fang.' She recalled, the cut on his face just below his eye from that fight they had in Iron Town. It was now scabbed over and starting to heal. 'I should fix that.' She thought to herself and removed his head covering. She went to a corner of the den and moved some rocks that had been piled in such away to contain items. From the pile within she grabbed a needle she had carved from bone and sinew she had tanned into suitable thread to sew when necessary. When she returned to his side, her gaze stared at his face and came down to his arm. He had forgotten to replace his arm sleeve and the demon mark was showing. Taking a hold of his arm she pulled the sleeve back down and placed the orange loop back over his middle finger that kept the sleeve intact. 'It's getting bigger.' She noticed the deep purple and black starting to form at the base of his fingers past the arm covering. She removed his sword from her waist and the red pouch that was at his side, 'That should be more comfortable if he rolls over.' She thinks and places both objects on top of the head cover.

She yawned and looked toward the front of the den. It led out to a cliff that overlooked the entire forest. It was her favorite sight. To see the forest in all its lush beauty, to hear the trees, the animals, the river's song. The sun had set and the night's sky was out, the moon shining bright. San lay down beside Ashitaka on a bed of leaves. Using her white fur cloak as a blanket she curled up into a ball and closed her eyes. Sleep taking over quicker then she had expected.

That night San's dreams were not so pleasant. Her subconscious conjured up an image of Ashitaka turning into a demon. The transparent, worm like figures she had seen come out of his arm before were covering his entire body. His eyes void of anything except darkness and hate as he looked at her. Footfalls brought her out of sleep. The soft sound of steps as a few dry leaves crunched quietly for a moment. She opened her eyes and saw only Ashitaka's feet and legs. 'He's standing.' She thinks, turning her head to look up at him as he sat down she asked,

"You're feeling all right?"

She resisted the urge to smile as Ashitaka gasped in surprise that she was awake. Something within her was pleased when she could sneak and surprise others. Call it a wolfish desire. However, the young man instantly had a small smile appear on his face when he looked at her.

"I'm fine, thanks to you and the Forest Spirit." Ashitaka replied.

'Good. It was just a dream.' She thought as she heard him say he was fine. She looked back at him and with a small grin on her face she nestled her head back down to resume sleeping once again. Her body curled up tighter into a ball to allow the small white fur cloak to cover her.

A moment later she felt the weight of a fur pelt being draped over her, 'Ashitaka…' she thought as she drifted off to sleep once more. An unfamiliar warmth grew for the man she had viewed as brave but stupid, who had earned her respect, been accepted as not her enemy, and come to care for in ways that she had never done for human or wolf before.

Chapter Eight- Pretty

As the sun's rays peeked across the land, awakening a new day, San awoke before Ashitaka. 'I must go and fight for the forest.' She thought to herself and stood up, placing the brown fur pelt over him, just as he had done to her. She grabbed his sword and head cover and folded it neat and placed it next to the wrapped food near his head. Then silently she headed out of the cave, her mother already left for the morning. Ichi and Ni were standing near waiting for San.

"Stay here until Ashitaka awakes; show him the way out of the forest." San instructed to her wolf brother Ni. She was about to get onto Ichi's back when she noticed a raspberry bush baring ripe fruit. 'Perhaps something sweet would be nice, to say goodbye.' She decides and gathers a handful and wraps it up in a smaller bundle of leaves. Quietly entering back into the cave she places it next to the larger leaf bundle containing the jerky. She looks upon Ashitaka's sleeping face one last time and whispered,

"Goodbye, Ashitaka."

An unfamiliar ache clenched in her stomach as she looked upon his peaceful face one last time and walked out of the cave. It's wasn't the ache of hunger or thirst. Or the ache of injury such as when he knocked her unconscious and she awoke with a sore stomach. 'I don't understand this feeling? He is cursed. Very soon the demon mark will kill him. Why, Great Forest Spirit did you save this human? He is not our enemy. But is he an ally?' She wondered as she jumped onto Ichi's back and he carried her to their mother. Moro lay hidden in a grove of trees, watching the humans prepare for the final battle down below. San jumped off Ichi when they arrived, she approached her mother's side and moved the mask up off her face to see well.

Brown smoke was rising in various places over the mountainside. The humans appeared like little ants, building strange things as they prepared for battle.

"It stinks, and it burns my eyes." San commented, rising her hand up to cover her nose.

"That's what they want. They're trying to kill our sense of smell." Moro explained to her daughter.

San's eyes widened when Lady Eboshi came into view, "It's that damn woman again. She knows we're out here."

"It's a trap and a stupid one." Moro said,

San looked over at her mother confused, "What?"

"They're trying to lure the boars out of the forest." Moro explained,

"No." San retorted, 'The humans will be at a disadvantage if we fight them within the forest, the boars must know that.'

"The humans are planning something." Moro said, though the wolf god herself wasn't entirely sure what it was the humans were preparing to do.

"Then we have to find Okkoto while there's still time to stop him or else they'll be killed!" San retorts, her hands clench in reflex as the sudden adrenaline to take action sets in.

"Okkoto is too stubborn. He won't listen. None of them will. They may even know it's a trap. The boars are a proud race. The last one left alive will still be charging blindly forward." Moro states, knowing this battle was in vain.

San looked back at the humans once more, noticing something else strange. "Why chop the trees down?"

"To make them angry, which makes them stupid." Moro stated.

San turned her spear around and plunged it into the ground then approached her wolf mother, "Mother, I have to go. Okkoto's blind. I must be his eyes. You understand?" she asked as she buried her head within the white, soft fur upon her mother's face.

"Do as you must." Moro replied, the wolf god recalling the conversation she had with Ashitaka and added."You know that boy wanted to share his life with you."

"I hate him! I hate all humans!" San immediately stated, though much conviction lacked in her voice.

San heard the approaching footfalls of her brother Ni as she approached her. She turned to face him and saw something blue dangling in his mouth that he held open. It was a blue, crystal dagger necklace. Three inches in length and secured by an earth red colored rope.

"From Ashitaka for me?" she asked her brother, who gave an affirmative nod. Her face held great shock as she took it from his mouth and gazed at the dagger. "Pretty." She said, though her voice was quiet. 'No one's ever giving me anything like this.' She thought.

"You two, stay with San. I must go to the Forest Spirit." Moro instructed Ichi and Ni.

She broke the red rope with her teeth then tied the dagger around her neck. "Right. Let's go." San said, reverting back into fight mode, mentally preparing for the battle that she was about to face. She grabbed her spear and jumped onto Ichi's back and the three wolf pups ran to meet up with the boar tribe.

Chapter Nine- Ashitaka

They approached the herd of boars running through the forest. Each boar was embellished with mud in swirls and lines upon their fur coats, a tradition of war. The wolves made their way through the herd, nearing the front she said, "The Moro tribe has come to fight with you. Where can I find Lord Okkoto?"

"In lead." The boar squealed and San replied, "Good luck, my friend." The wolves continued to run with the boars, nimbly making their way through the herd and to the front of the pack where they found Lord Okkoto.

"My Lord Okkoto, the Moro tribe has come to fight with you. May I be your eyes? The humans are planning something." San addressed the blind boar.

"You have my thanks. Stay by my side and be my eyes, young one. For we go forth to battle to save the forest!" Okkoto shouted, rallying his tribe as the smaller boars squealed in battle fervor. Then the sky darkened suddenly, storm clouds filled the sky, and a heavy rain fell over the land.

San stayed upon Ichi's back as they ran beside Lord Okkoto. The mighty boar led his tribe out of the forest at a full charge toward the gathered humans. In a battalion of three, San, Ichi, Ni, and Lord Okkoto led the middle herd. While the others ran on either side, covering all sides and cornering the humans in the area that they had set on as their battlefront. Some of the faces San vaguely registered as humans she had seen before, driving oxen on the mountain trail with the damn gunwoman.

As the boars collided with the first line of humans that were men from Iron Town, a massive explosion of fire and light erupted from the ground. "AH!" San yelled, unwavering in determination as she, Ichi, and Lord Okkoto ran through the large flames.

Boars all around charged where they could. Taking out the humans with guns that had tried to remain safe on higher ground. She jumped off Ichi just as another round of great fire and light erupted. Causing San to suffer temporary blindness as she had to cast her eyes away from the explosion. The sound of gunfire and arrows reached her ears. 'I must find Lord Okkoto.' She thought in haste.

When her vision returned she found him, "Lord Okkoto…" she gasped, he was covered in blood on his underbelly, his pelt had many bleeding gashes, and two spear heads sticking out of his ribs.

All around her a dark smoke began to rise as the rain came to a stop. Her face wrinkled in disgust as the scent of burning animal flesh filled her nose. All around boars lay dead. Any who had not been killed by the explosions had bullet holes and spears that pierced there sides. Her wolf brother Ichi was nowhere to be found.

"My Lord Okkoto, we must retreat and go to the pool of the Forest Spirit." She said, reaching out to grab hold of his tusk and pull on it to lead him away from the remaining destruction and devastation. Ni padded up to her, covered in patches of blood, but walked normal and presumed to be unharmed. "Where's Ichi?" San asked and her brother replied, "I don't know." Worry clenched her heart, 'I have to get Okkoto out of here.' She decided, they would have to look for Ichi later, or trust he would find them later.

The three returned to the covering of the forest and Ni took point while San stayed by Lord Okkoto's side. Her eyes widened as each step he took spilt more of his blood as they made their way to the pool of the Forest Spirit.

"We're almost to the pool of the Forest Spirit. Just a little farther. Keep going." San encouraged, hoping that when they reached the pool, the forest spirit would heal Lord Okkoto's wounds. Ahead of her Ni's ears became erect and he turned his head toward the left. San noticed this and turned to see what her brother had noticed. Lord Okkoto's step became unsure on the rocky slope and he lost his balance. "Ah!" San screeched in surprise as she grabbed hold of Lord Okkoto's tusk to keep him steady. The large boar God collapsed, sending San tumbling down and slammed her back and head against a boulder.

'OW! Ow! Ow!' San thought as she curled her body forward, a muscle relax until the pain in the back of her head subsided after a moment. She heard some rustling noise, "What was that?" she asked, looking up all around as she stood up and walked back to Lord Okkoto.

"Lord Okkoto, something's wrong. We have to keep moving." She told the mighty boar, his breathing in heavy pants and eyes half closed.

"Something's out there." Ni said as he stood by his sister's side.

"What? There's so much blood in the air, I can't smell it." San asked, her eyes fixed on the direction the rustling noise was coming from. Branches starting falling down on them from the trees above. San gasped and raised her arm to block any from falling on her face.

"I should have known it was you!" She hollered, and Ni growled.

"You did this! Because of you, the forest will die!" The apes accused as they traveled through the tall trees.

"You're wrong! We've all been fighting to save it! This is the thanks you give us?" San remarked, batting away the pieces of branches still being thrown at her.

"You bring bad things! Bad things coming, neither human or animal." The apes remarked.

San's eyes furrowed together in utter confusion, "What do you mean, 'neither human or animal'?" she asked, many squeaks could be heard and she turned to see the rodents and smaller critters running away in haste.

"They're coming! It's the end for us!" The apes remarked and retreated out of fear and sought refuge in the higher branches of the trees.

San gasped as many mice and several raccoons scurried past her feet. Some climbing over her and Ni without a second thought. Ni growled as something came into view. It was one of the fallen boar tribe members. It had no eyes. Then another rose beside it, and another.

"They're warriors." San said out loud, her mind reeling at how this was possible. Lord Okkoto sniffed the air and suddenly his strength returned enough that he began to stand. "They've come back." San gasped, 'No! They aren't alive.' She thought and looked to Lord Okkoto. "My warriors! They have come back to me from the land of the dead." The mighty boar have a rally cry, "Forward, my warriors!"

"Okkoto, listen!" San said,

"Forward to the pool of the Forest Spirit!"

"Okkoto, no, wait!" she begged, and Ni stepped forward and growled as the fallen boar warriors came toward them. San hurried to Okkoto's side, having to run to keep up with him, "No, Lord Okkoto! Your warriors haven't come back to you. Those are humans wearing the skins of your warriors to hide their scent! It's a trick!" she pleaded, hoping the boar would listen to reason.

"Don't you understand? It's just a human trick to get us to lead them to the Forest Spirit!" she begs as the boar God continued on his running rampage. 'Rock! Ah!' she thought as a giant boulder came into her view that was directly in front of them and coming up fast. She grabbed hold of the great boar's tusk and held on for dear life as he slammed into it with all his might. The boulder crumbled into pieces and San had to run at full speed to keep up with Okkoto.

"Come out Forest Spirit! If you are truly master here, give my warriors the power to slay the humans and be victorious!" Okkoto yelled, as he made his way to the pool of the Forest Spirit.

"Stop, Lord Okkoto, please! You've got to listen!" San begged of him.

Ni ran up to her side, "San, they're all around us. Okkoto's done for. Leave him!" the wolf remarked, as many of the humans dressed in the skin of the dead boar warriors surrounded them.

"No! I won't let him turn into a demon like Nago did! Tell mother that the humans are setting a trap for the Forest Spirit. She'll know what to do. You'll have to hurry, or it could mean the end of all of us! Go on now." San ordered her wolf brother, giving him a small, reassuring pet on his head. She watched him go, nimbly leaping over the crowd of humans dressed in fallen boar skins.

They reached an empty river bed and Lord Okkoto collapsed once more. San fell with him but quickly stood up on guard as human in boar skins surrounded them. "Ah!" she yelled, swinging her spear around, trying to keep them away from the boar God. "Stay back or you die! And this whole forest will see just what you are!" she threatened with confidence. 'There's too many of them.' She thought to herself, knowing she would not be able to fight them off if they decided to attack her and Lord Okkoto.

Her wolf brother Ichi gave howl that echoed in the distance, conveying the message, "Where are you, San? We come to you."

'We?' San thought for a moment, knowing Ni was not with Ichi. Then whispered in utter disbelief, "Ashitaka?"

The humans in boar skin began to crowd around Lord Okkoto's side, prodding him gently with their noses, hoping to stir the dying God to get up once more. Lord Okkoto began to shriek. 'They're hurting him!' San thought and rushed to his aid, "Get back!" she yelled and swung her spear back and forth, driving the deceptive humans away from Okkoto.

"I burn! There are flames growing inside of me." Okkoto spoke, losing the last of his soul to the poison within as red demon worms began to grow from the top of his snout. San turned and saw the demon worms; 'NO!' she thought and screeched she tried to wipe them away with her arm.

"You must fight it! Don't let yourself become a demon! Lord Okkoto!" she begged and suddenly sharp pain exploded from the back of her head and darkness took her as she fell forward.

Chapter Ten- I'm on fire

San awoke from unconsciousness. A burning sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before encompassed her entire body. She had fallen onto Lord Okkoto's tusk and was now being carried away toward the pool of the Forest Spirit. The crimson red, demonic worms were everywhere, devouring Okkoto and her.

She gasped in fear, "I'm on fire." She shouted as she reached out and grabbed hold of another tusk, attempting to get off the demon boar. Red demon worms shot out from her hand. She cried in fear and agony as the demon worms encompassed her body and dragged her deeper into its depths upon Lord Okkoto's snout.

"No! I don't want to become a demon! Please stop, Okkoto!" she begged, but it was no use. The demon boar continued toward the pool of Forest Spirit, unyielding to the girl's pleas. 'It can't end like this. I must save the forest, even if I die. I don't want to become a demon.' She thought as the burning within her body became more and more intense.

Then a voice pulled called out her name, bringing a sliver of hope. She gasped in surprise, 'He's all right! The demon mark hasn't torn his soul apart or killed him yet.'

"Ashitaka!" She yelled as loud as she could. A few moments later she heard his voice again.

"Lord Okkoto, calm your fury! Oh mighty lord, let me have the girl! I beg of you! Please, let her go! San! Are you there? It's me! Ashitaka!" Ashitaka shouted to Lord Okkoto, unsure of where she was at.

'Ashitaka!' San thought when she heard him speak and she felt Lord Okkoto come to a stop. She began to kick her feet, anything to show Ashitaka where she was. The burning was so strong, it drained her of what little energy she had left. All she could see was demonic red worms, feel the burn of her entire body, and barely hear the other sounds outside the roar of the demon boar god Okkoto. Growls from her wolf brothers rumbled the air as they attacked the humans beneath the pelts of the fallen boar warriors. Her eyes grew heavy as darkness threatened to take her once more.

"San!...San!" She heard Ashitaka cry once more, this time much closer than before. His voice carrying a sense of relief. She opened her eyes and saw him, right there in front of her, his hands reaching out for her.

"Oh, Ashitaka!" she said surprised yet relieved to see him. She grabbed a hold of his arm as tight as she could. Lord Okkoto squealed in rage as he thrashed his head back and forth. She felt Ashitaka's hand sliding down her arm, their grips coming loose.

"San!" he cried out as Lord Okkoto thrashed and set Ashitaka flying away. "Ashitaka!" she screamed, as the red demonic worms engulfed her once more. 'NO! I don't want to become a demon!' San thought, as the burning spread over her body and made it feel like her very soul was being devoured.

"Give me back my daughter, demon." San heard her mother curse out, but the young woman could do nothing. All that was there was the burning sensation and endless sea of red. Her whole body felt heavy and she felt her life force slipping away. Then it all stopped. The burning, the sensation of demon worms devouring her skin, and the noise. The world was suddenly silent except for her mother's voice calling out,

"Ashitaka, can you save the girl you love?"

'Love?' San thought as the crimson red began to fade from her view, replaced by darkness, wet, and cold.

Chapter Eleven- It's over

The sound of gunfire roaring in San's ears awoke her from unconsciousness. She awoke with her head against Ashitaka's shoulder and being carried in his arms. When she turned her head toward the sound of the gunfire, her eyes beheld a fear beyond anything she had nightmares about. 'The Damn Gunwoman's shot off the head of the Forest Spirit! NO! I'll kill her!' she thought and began to struggle against Ashitaka, attempting to go after Lady Eboshi.

What happened next though made her hold still as Ashitaka's strong arms wrapped around her held her in place against him. The Forest Spirit did not die, but rather a large black and purple blob emerged from the elk like body and exploded. Everywhere the blobs touched death, destruction, and decay commenced. It was searching for its head.

San gasped as the demonic essence shot out toward her and Ashitaka dove both of them down into the lake. Underwater was the only safe place the demonic blob-like essence couldn't penetrate. Ashitaka let San go and they swim back to the surface of the water. San gasped as her head come out and sucked in precious oxygen, having not been prepared to go underwater so quickly.

"Here it is! One head as promised!" She heard the gunwoman shout, 'Damn her! I'll kill her myself!' San thought and began to swim toward Eboshi.

"No, San! Get to the island!" Ashitaka instructed as her two wolf brothers Ichi and Ni, approached them padding through the water.

San glared but did as he asked and swam with her brothers to the Isle of the Forest Spirit. When the three wolf siblings reached the island and got out, Ichi and Ni sat side by side, their heads hung low. They knew their mother, Moro, was dead. Having been consumed by the demonic essence. San stood and watched as Ashitaka swam toward them, with the damn gunwoman in his arms. She reached up and pulled off the dagger necklace and ran to meet them when they reached the island.

"Give her to me! I'll cut her throat!" she cursed stamping her foot on the ground. 'It's all her fault. She killed the forest spirit! She shot my mother and put the poison bullet in her chest. She's the reason the forest is dying!' San thought as the call for blood fueled her rage.

"Your claim has been avenged. Your mother saw to that." Ashitaka told her and removed his shirt. Gonza approached, "Here!" Ashitaka replied to him and the man couldn't help but look shocked at the state of Lady Eboshi. "Lady Eboshi!" Moro had managed to bite of the gunwoman's arm with the last of her strength. "Help me!" Ashitaka snapped to him and Gonza supported Lady Eboshi's torso, while Ashitaka wrapped his shirt around her, making a temporary tourniquet to stop the open wound where her arm once was.

San's watched this sight, her body growing tense and face scrunching up in udder rage. 'DAMN YOU ASHITAKA! HE'S ON THEIR SIDE! WHY ELSE WOULD HE SAVE HER? I HATE HER. I HATE HIM. I HATE ALL HUMANS!'

"Don't waste your sympathy. Ow!" Lady Eboshi remarked. She figured she was going to die, either bleed out to death or the demonic essence was going to kill her since she was in no condition to flee. "I promised Toki that I'd bring you back to Iron Town." Ashitaka explained and finished tying the last knot to secure the makeshift bandage.

The demonic purple and black blob body of the forest spirit was now in a bipedal form. The limbs knocking over trees as it searched for its head.

"He's searching for his head. We can't stay here."Ashitaka said and looked at San. "San, you have got to help us."

"No! You're on their side! You always were!" She snapped and took a step back away from him, glancing for a moment at his arms that were held open. "Take that damn woman and just go away!" she yelled at him, the grip on the small three inch dagger tightening.

"San." Ashitaka replied, his voice quiet and soft his eyes pleading for her help.

"Never! I hate all of you humans!" San snapped hatred and pain filled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm human, San, and so are you." Ashitaka told her as he took another step closer to her.

"Stop it! I'm a wolf, you hear?" She demanded, as she raised her right arm up in a offensive position, readying to strike him.

"San?" Ashitaka said his voice quiet and tone that carried the echo of a broken heart as he stepped closer to her.

"Stay back!" She warned and closed her eyes as she brought the dagger downward toward him, landing a strike into his chest over his heart.

San opened her eyes and saw what she had done. 'I hurt Ashitaka. If I had my normal fang I would have killed him.' She gasped and looked at him, her eyes moist with tears that threatened to spill and the expression of sorry all over her face.

Ashitaka said nothing and his face totally neutral as he stepped forward and encompassed her into a hug. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop it." He apologized.

"It's over. Everything's over. The forest is dead." San spoke, her voice shaky with emotion as she closed her eyes and buried her head into his chest. She found comfort in the feel of his arms around her and in the strength of them hugging her even tighter. The sound of the dying trees crashed all around them as they tumbled into the lake.

Ashitaka let go and pulled her away enough so he could see her face to face once more. "Nothing is over. The two of us are still alive. Now, will you help me, San?" he asked his voice still unwavering in determination.

San took in a deep breath and gave an affirmative nod and pulled out the crystal dagger from his chest and tied it around her neck once more.

Chapter Twelve- There They Are

"Thank you." Ashitaka said and dropped his hands from her shoulders. He turned to address Gonza, "Gonza, take Lady Eboshi and follow the river back to the lake that lay on the other side of Iron Town. If you find any more men take them with you. Go into the water if necessary, it slows it down. Now hurry!" Ashitaka demanded and Gonza departed.

"San, we have to go warn Iron Town and then find Jigo and return the head of the forest spirit." He stated and San jumped onto her wolf brother Ichi. "Get on!" Ni said to Ashitaka, and San led the way as the wolves swam across the lake and ran through the dying forest to reach Iron Town as fast as possible.

'It's coming!' she thought as the black and purple demonic essence was close to their tails when Iron Town came into view. When they reached the outer wall Ashitaka jumped off and shouted to the woman on the wall and watch towers,

"Get everyone out! The Great Spirit's head's been cut off, and he wants it back! If that black ooze touches you, you're dead! Run for the lake! The water will slow it down! Lady Eboshi and the men are on their way from the other side. I'm gonna try to return its head before he kills us all. Hurry!"

San watched as the black ooze rolled down the hillside toward them. 'Come on, Ashitaka!' she thought as she looked over at him while he shouted instructions to the women of Iron Town. Ichi took a nervous step, as the black ooze grew nearer. Soon it was too close and they had to take off into a run or risk getting killed by its fatal touch.

Ashitaka ran jumped onto Ni's back once more and they headed the direction of the Nightwalker, who was bound to be following its head that Jigo now carried in a metal box. They ran up a hillside past the enormous creature, dodging the black ooze essence as they ran over a mountain ridge crest, scanning for any sign of Jigo.

"There they are!" San called out and pointed toward a downward slope, where Jigo and three other men carried the Forest Spirit's head, contained within a circular metal box. When they reached the men, San and Ashitaka jumped off the backs of Ichi and Ni.

"Go!" San ordered her wolf brothers and motioned with her hand for them to run away. 'If I die, at least my brothers may live through this.' She thought, this sliver of hope that resided within her that their swift four legged paws would carry them out of harm's way, while she ran to into the 'belly of the beast'.

San followed Ashitaka who held his arms out in front of the four men and ordered, "Stop right there!" Her hands clenched into fists and she wished she had her fang or something to fill them with. She stepped off to the side, in case the humans decided to try and run.

"Whoa! Oh, You're both alive. Oh, how nice." Jigo replied, beads of sweat formed upon his brown and his voice conveyed he wasn't really happy to see them.

"I'm giving the creature back its head. Put the box down and back away." Ashitaka told him and he began to walk up to Jigo.

"Give the head back now? Come on, boy. Don't be silly. Now, when the sun's about to come up? Look! He's a brainless, swollen, life-sucking god of death. At sunrise he'll vanish. Like a bad dream." Jigo retored,

"Sir, its coming! We've gotta get out of here!" One of the other men said, his voice filled with worry. Judging by his addressing Jigo as 'sir' and his simple tan ginbe garb and white head wrap, he was probably a man from Iron Town.

"Look, everybody wants everything. That's the way the world is. But I might actually get it." Jigo stated to Ashitaka, trying to by time. It was a race against the rising sun and the black ooze that now grew closer and closer to them.

"Don't force me to kill you." Ashitaka warned, and San's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced over at Ashitaka and thought. 'This whole time he's been an advocate for peace among everyone. It's hard to believe he would kill. Not that I mind. The forest spirit's head must be return no matter what.'

"Oh, dear, you make it sound so very easy. You really ought to…relax." Jigo replied and on the 'relax' he attempted to kick Ashitaka as the short, fat, and surprisingly nimble man jumped off the arm of the carrying box and lunged for Ashitaka.

Another man withdrew out a knife from his gi wrap shirt and lunged for San. She dodged then growled and kicked the man in the face, knocking off his head covering. She dodged the swipe attacks of his blade until he was vulnerable once more.

"Get going!" Jigo ordered the two men that remained carrying the head of the Forest Spirit within metal box. They took off running uphill as fast as they could muster while balancing the carrying contraption that was meant for four persons.

She kicked him again, this time in the side of the head that sent him down to the ground. She began to run after the two men that were carrying the head uphill and gasped in awe as the enormous hand of the Nightwalker stretched out over her and toward the two men and its head.

In a panic at being cornered the two men lost balance and dropped the head. The metal container it was held in began to roll down hill. "Ah!" she shouted as she tried to reach out to grab it but it was out of her range by then. "Ashitaka!" she shouted, hoping he could grab it as it rolled downhill in his direction.

"I got it! Whoa! Oh!" Jigo said and held his arms out to catch the rolling metal bin, only to get thrown back and roll with it by its massive weight, just as Ashitaka reached out to catch it.

"Everything's-Oof! Under control!-Oof!" Jigo said, in between rolls as he tumbled down the hill and came to a stop against a boulder. The metal box rolled up to the top and landed upward.

San ran right behind Ashitaka as they went toward Jigo once more. "Master, we're surrounded!" one man said and suddenly screams in fear as the ooze grew near.

"Come on, Sun! Rise!" Jigo begged, as Ashitaka, San, and the other man joined him on the boulder, the ooze surrounding them. There was no escape.

"Open the box!" Ashitaka demanded of the monk.

"Don't you see? It's too late for that now!" Jigo replied.

"Why are you wasting your breath talking to him?" San snapped, her glare entirely focused on jigo.

"Human hands must return it!" Ashitaka said to jigo, leaning forward invading what little personal space jigo had left.

The monk grunts and bends down to unlock the metal bin. He withdrew the large bar that kept the metal top cover in place and says, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Ashitaka bend down and removed the metal lid. The head was floating in bright green ooze. San moves to the other side and helped him lift it up. 'My hands may be human but I am a wolf in heart.' She thinks as they raise the head up above them. The green ooze falls down and San looks at where it touches her skin. She gasps as patches of demon mark begin to grow all over her, just like Ashitaka's curse.

"Forest Spirit! We give you back your head! Take it and be at peace!" Ashitaka shouts up to the Nightwalker. The massive headless blob appears to turn and 'look' down at them.

"Uh, well, that got his attention, all right." Jigo mutters, as the four being huddle upon the boulder.

As the creature began to descend toward them Ashitaka removed one of his arms from holding up the head and wrapped it around San. The gesture brought peace within her, 'Ashitaka…' She thought even though she couldn't take her eyes off of the Nightwalker as it came toward them.

She closed her eyes and thought, '…My friend.' As the Nightwalker came crashing down on them and the world went black.

Chapter Thirteen- So Much To Me

"San. San, look." Ashitaka's voice called to her, pulling her from unconsciousness as he gently nudged her shoulder.

Her eyes peeked open as Ashitaka's form. 'I'm alive? We're alive!' she thought as she blinked a few times and widened when she saw how close he was laying near her and the color green that surrounded them. She immediately sat up and looked around. Where once was trees and forest, the land now covered in lush green grass and bushes. Her two brother Ichi sat the boulder and Ni lay down up on. Close by them was the metal container that once held the Forest Spirit's head. It was no dark brown and rusted as if been touched by time itself.

'They're okay! And Yakul too!' San thought feeling overwhelming relief as she stood up and followed Ashitaka as they ran toward a hill crest to survey the land. It was lush and green and full of potential, but sadness still formed in San's heart.

"Even if all the trees return, it won't be his forest anymore. The Great Forest Spirit is dead now." She commented, her voice saddened by this realization.

"Never. He's life itself. He's not dead, San. He's here right now, trying to tell us something, that it's time for both of us to live." Ashitaka said, as he held up right arm. The curse was lifted. Only a pale purple mark remained at the base of his finger, along the curve of his palm, and wrist.

San looked over at him, 'Such an optimist, Ashitaka. He is my friend and ally. Could he be anything else to me?' She thought, recalling the last words her mother had spoken out loud, 'Ashitaka, can you save the girl you love?' She reflected on this for a moment, 'Could I ever love him? He is human. And I am a wolf. I don't know.' She pondered, not sure if she fully agreed or disagreed with his words but felt immensely happy that he was alive.

They walked back and with a nod of her head Ichi and Ni got up and walked over to her. She jumped on Ichi's back and Yakul approached Ashitaka's side. She looked down at Ashitaka and said,

"Ashitaka, you mean so much me, but I can't forgive the humans for what they've done." She told him.

"I understand. You'll live in the forest, and I'll go help them rebuild Iron Town. I'll always be near. Yakul and I will come and visit you…whenever we can, all right?" Ashitaka asked her.

This brought a small smile to her face and she nodded granting him permission. 'I don't know why but I look forward to when he will come and visit.' She thinks and turned her head away and the three wolves departed without saying goodbye to the strange man and his red elk.

For this was not goodbye. It was just the beginning of another adventure, yet to come.