A/N: This is the first in a series of four one-shots about what went through San's head each time she saw the demon mark.

If the boy hadn't walked between us, I would have killed the gunwoman. She tore down my forest just so that she could have the means to kill the animals and even kill the Forest Spirit. No way was I going to stand for that! I knew that the people surrounding us would kill me when I assassinated their leader, but I didn't care. Even though it meant that I would die, I would take her with me!

But then that boy! He had the nerve to step between us and block me from my goal! I didn't want to fight him, and shortly before, he had told me that he didn't want to fight me, even claiming to be my friend. Yeah, right! No way was I ever going to call any human a "friend." And now, as I struggled in his stone grip, I thought that if he ever wanted me to leave him alone, he would let go of me instantly.

"Stay your hand, the girl's life is now mine." He told the gunwoman. I blocked out all other sounds and sank my teeth into his arm, tearing at it. But he didn't even flinch. I didn't waste too many thoughts on why that was; I just wanted him to get away so that I could kill the Eboshi woman. If he would leave immediately, then I would spare his life. If not, well, it was nice knowing him, wait… no it wasn't.

And still he didn't seem fazed as my teeth sank into his arm! I growled, but then I let go, gasping. A blue aura surrounded his arm and tentacles began to dance out of and around his arm. They reached for me and I screamed as I swatted them away. I was the Princess Mononoke, but I have to admit, if he didn't have such a steel grip on my arm, I would have run far away from him and avoided him for the rest of my life.

"Look, everyone!" He cried out. "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!"

I don't know how I got knocked out. All I remember before the blackness came was thinking that bearing a curse such as his was the worst way to die.