Ashitaka awoke to find that San was gone from her spot on the cave floor next to him. He slowly pushed the fur blanket off of himself and stepped outside. The morning was cold and damp, the wetness making his shirt stick to him. The rain was barely a mist.
San was slowly making her way up the hill, carrying a stack of wood. Ashitaka ran down to meet her.
"Let me help you with that," he said.
San let some wood drop into his arms and they continued walking.
"I accidentally left our wood outside last night when it rained. Its too wet to start a fire with it now. I found some dry sticks under a tree at the bottom of the cliff," she said, motioning to the wood and sticks they were both carrying.
"Where are the other wolv- I mean..your brothers today?" asked Ashitaka.
San gave the ground a mean look. "They're away, getting food."
As they got to the top, San suddenly slipped on a wet rock and fell flat or her back. Ashitaka immediately dropped the wood and reached for her as she slid over the side. She fell the 20 feet to the nearest rock on the cliff below. Ashitaka jumped over the side and landed on a dirt path on the edge of the mountain.
San struggled to get herself up.
"San!"
Ashitaka jumped across the rocks and made his way to San. The rock was most red under her leg and arm.
"Can you move?" he asked her.
She said nothing, only clutched her back with pain. He carefully picked her up, being careful of her bloody arm and leg, and made his way back to the top.
"San, just hold on. We'll be back in the cave in a second."
"My back..." she moaned.
Ashitaka set her down on her fur blanket and ran back outside to collect the wood.
"I can fix this myself," she told herself.
She put her hand on her leg and immediately pulled it away.
"Ahhh!"
Ashitaka ran back in and sat down by her. He riped a piece of his tunic off and wet it down with a bowl of water.
"I can do this by myself, I've been hurt before."
"I want to help you," said Ashitaka.
"I don't want you to help me! I just..don't like other people touching me!"
"You'll heal better if someone else helps you," said Ashitaka as he wiped the blood off her, "just let me help you."
San hesitated for awhile.
"Do what you want."
Ashitaka smiled and began to wrap up her injuries.
"Well I guess we won't be able to do anything today," said Ashitaka jokingly.
"Are you mad at me now?" asked San, laying down.
"No. Why would you think that?" asked Ashitaka, "San, you have to think more positively."
"I'm positive! I knew this day was going to be bad and I was right!" said San.
"And you think thats positive?"
San gave him a mean look.
"Don't you? I said I was right, thats positive."
Ashitaka frowned.
"You said you knew this day was going to be bad! Thats not positive!"
"Why do you want me to be so happy?"
"Becuase I like you! Why are you so sad?"
"I'm not sad! I'm just angry," she said.
"Why?"
"I don't know why! I still don't like humans you know. Neither do my brothers, they don't like it when you come here! Thats why they're gone today!"
Ashitaka was taken aback by this.
"Do you like me? Do you like it when I come here?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"You came to see me in Iron Town didn't you?" asked Ashitaka.
"You shutup! You don't know that!"
"But you do," said Ashitaka.
"What are you doing? What are you trying to do? Just because I've lived with wolves dosn't mean I'm stupid. Moro was smarter than most humans and she taught me everything I need to know."
Ashitaka got up and walked out of the cave. She was more stupid than he imagined. Her temper was way out of control and she took everything offensively. Why did he bother?
The rain was coming down heavy now, almost hurting his head when it hit.
San stumbled out of the cave, falling on Ashitaka's shoulder. He slowly turned around and looked into her eyes. He moved closer. The distance between them closed, even though San was actually moving backwards. Their lips met and for a second, they had both forgeten all their troubles, but San's quickly shot back at her with a force that broke their kiss.
"San, I-" started Ashitaka.
"Don't feel the same way," said San, barely audible and barely knowing she said it.
"San-"
San collapsed on the ground, half from her hurting leg and half from her forgetting to stand. She put her hands over her face. Ashitaka expected her to cry, but she did not. He slowly sat down in front of her.
"San, I'm sorry."
"No."
He put a hand on ehr shoulder but she did not move.
"Sorry."
"No, don't be. You obviously know what you want. And so do I, I just want to much."
"What do you mean?," asked Ashitaka, forgetting about the rain.
"I'm a wolf, I still hate humans and I still want alot of them dead. But I want to be your friend, your-"
She paused.
"I can't though. I can't like one and hate the rest, and I can't stop hating the rest. I'm a wolf, I live with the wolves, you are not excepted with them. You are a human, you live with the humans, I am not excepted with them."
"You're wrong, San."
He got up, picked her up and carried her down the cliff.
"Where are you taking me?"
"I have to show you something," he said.
He set her down by the river and helped her over to it. They both looked into the calm water.
"San, look in the water. What do you see?"
San gave no answer.
"San, what do you see? You must see something."
San started to open her mouth.
"Don't say you see one wolf and one human. You see two humans. You see Ashitaka and you see San."
A tear dripped into the water.
"No."
"San, you know thats what you see. Do you look like a wolf? Does a wolf have skin like ours? Do we have hair like a wolf? Do we look like wolves? You don't. You may be a wolf at heart and that will never leave you but you can't stay with these animals forever. What will you do when they die? Humans except humans."
"But they're my brothers, they like me. Humans hate me. They really hate me."
"Your wolf brothers can live in peace with the humans. I remember you said that you still can't forgive the humans and you'd go back to living with the wolves. You forgive the humans and they'll forgive you, one of you has to start first. I'll protect you."
San stared into the river for minutes.
"I should have learned from you to see other people's point of view. I'll try but not all at once. I'll still live here...for now."
Ashitaka smiled.
"But I don't like being told what to do and promise me you'll never think of doing it again!"
Ashitaka laughed.
"I promise."
The rain slowly started to dissapear and the sun started to come out. Ashitaka took San in his arms and their lips met again, this time, San leaned in also.
Post Story Note: Boy, that was bad ending. There was so much more I wanted to do with this part. Maybe I'll make a "Writer's Cut with deleted scenes!" or rewrite it or just add onto it. I don't think this will have more parts but I suppose it could....
