Chapter 9 - The Spirit Realm
Ashitaka wandered the land of Kyushu for hours, not sure of what he was to do. He had lost his companions and was unsure if they were still alive. The pain in his arm pulsed through his body, though he was sure that without the medicine his pain would be much worse. He felt very much like a monster in human skin.
He soon wandered into a small village. It was the middle of the night, but most people were still outside. As Ashitaka walked the streets, people turned and stared - mostly at Ashitaka's right arm and face. Mothers protected their children, some began to cry, and men stood ready to fight.
"Who is that?"
"He looks scary..."
"Is that a..."
Ashitaka did not care for the idle comments, as they were all the same. Ever since he gained the curse, people have all treated him like a demon. And if they didn't say it explicitly, he knew they said it under their breaths when he wasn't around. A dark cloud of hatred loomed over the warrior as he approached an outdoor noodle cart. He stopped and asked for one bowl of noodles. The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man, complied and quickly whipped up a batch for Ashitaka. He placed it in front of him in a quick manner and just as quickly backed away. The warrior took the bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other. He brought the hot noodles to his mouth, quickly slurping them down. They tasted delicious, but the people staring at him quickly soured his appetite.
"Look at that!"
"Mononoke!"
Upon hearing this, Ashitaka stopped eating and turned to face the person who said it. His anger began to rise as a little girl came into his view. She was pointing directly at Ashitaka as his eyes pierced through her. She began to shake as her mother came by, grabbing her by the arm and leading her away.
"I knew it...a mononoke," A man in the crowd said under his breath.
"It might kill us!" A woman screamed.
The people of the village started to panic from the hysteria, thinking that Ashitaka had come to kill them. Before Ashitaka could plead his case, the villagers rallied together.
"Get out of here, mononoke!"
"We don't want you here! We have enough trouble with the Shimazu, so we don't need any trouble from you!"
One of the men walked right up towards Ashitaka, screaming in his face. He carried a sword on his body - probably a guard of the town. The people, as angry as they sounded, all looked like scared little children. Ashitaka wanted to turn and leave the village, but his right arm began to reach for the Shibo. Struggling, Ashitaka tried to keep himself from causing any harm. The man began to push Ashitaka, taunting him even more.
"All mononoke are scum!" The man said.
Enraged, Ashitaka's right arm pulled the Shibo right out of its sheath and Ashitaka swiped upwards. The man luckily backed out of the blade's range as he tumbled to the ground. A great fire grew in Ashitaka's eyes, a fire that the people of the village associated with the demons. Ashitaka's right arm turned black.
Just then, a loud bang came from the east. The people turned their attention towards it, and saw a group of men on horseback coming straight for the village. Ashitaka calmed down and noticed the men as well.
"Forsaken..." Ashitaka said to himself. He pushed through the surrounding crowd and ran as fast as he could towards the Forsaken. The Shibo glistened in the moonlight as he made a swipe at one of the riders. The rider dodged as another kicked Ashitaka from behind. The men circled around the warrior, kicking him and pushing him around. Ashitaka's arm began to change color - this time it turned a reddish tint. The pain was so intense in his arm that the warrior screamed. A demonic sound emerged from his mouth, scaring himself.
"Hago, we seem to have a demon among us." One of the men on horseback said.
"Yes...his soul will empower us greatly." Another one said.
Ashitaka held his ground, but remembered what the keeper of the spirit world told him. He didn't know how, but the warrior managed to force himself to drop his weapon, offering himself to be spirited away.
Ashitaka opened his eyes. He found himself back in the village from before. Looking at his arm, it was still a red tint. There were many people walking around, and it was as lively as Ashitaka had seen it the last time.
A small ball landed near Ashitaka's feet. A little girl walked up to the ball and picked it up. She took a few steps before she stopped and turned to look at Ashitaka.
"Who are you, mister? I've never seen you here before..."
Ashitaka was shocked that the girl could see him, and realized what had happened. He had been added to the Forsaken's collection of souls. He was trapped in the village where time repeats itself as fodder. That was all he knew.
Before he could say anything, the little girl's mother called for her, and she left. Remembering what was going to happen soon, Ashitaka ran towards the town square. He stood on top of a box and addressed the crowd.
"Attention! I have some bad news! Your village is going to be attacked by a group known as the Forsaken!"
The villagers looked at Ashitaka as if he were crazy, and moved on their way. No one listened to Ashitaka's words. Right at that moment, Ashitaka saw the Forsaken moving towards the village. They were all riding horses and carried large weapons. When they reached the village, it was too late. Ashitaka had seen this scene before - the Forsaken tore through the villagers as they evaporated on impact. As they approached him, he turned and tried to run away. He ran through the streets of the village as the Forsaken plowed through stalls and other villagers. Soon enough Ashitaka could see the walls that outlined the village. He took one step outside and immediately gripped the stone wall, halting in his tracks. In front of him he saw a vast ocean of darkness. There was nothing outside of the village; it floated alone in a vast void. Ashitaka turned to see the Forsaken riding right towards him. As they drew near, the part of the wall that Ashitaka was holding onto began to crumble in his hand, causing him to fall backwards into the abyss as a bright light soon enveloped the village.
As he fell, Ashitaka thought of everything leading up to that moment. He was in the real world, being attacked by the Forsaken. Before that, he was wandering the lands. And before that...wait, what was before that?
A woman in white.
A spirit wolf.
A town of iron.
A woman in white.
Her face...her face.
Ashitaka couldn't remember her face. He knew there was a woman, but he didn't know who it was. It was as if the memory was forcibly removed. Everything faded to darkness around him as the woman in white disappeared.
Ashitaka woke up in the village. Everything was as he had seen it when he first arrived. He felt much weaker than before, as if something had drained his life energy. Ashitaka returned to the town square once again. He spotted a group of burly men and tried to get their attention.
"This village is going to be attacked! You must help me!" Ashitaka pleaded to the men, but they scoffed. "This village as been at peace for many years!" One of the men said. They all then continued on their way. The Forsworn came back again, tearing through the village. Ashitaka didn't get a chance to escape this time as they went straight for the warrior. He felt the spear pierce right through his body as everything faded to black once more, followed by the bright light.
A white blur.
A ball of fluff.
A wall.
A white blur.
What was that blur?
He woke up once more. The village remained as lively as it was, but even Ashitaka noticed that the people seemed to be much more devoid of life than before. His own body felt frail as he struggled to even lift his arms. Frustrated at what was happening, Ashitaka made his way back to the town square. Instead of trying to get the people to reason with him, he stood his guard and took out his bow. His arms felt weak, but he pushed as hard as he could to reach for an arrow and place it onto the bow. The villagers were curious as to what he was doing, but Ashitaka did not budge. The Forsaken emerged once again. Before they could reach the village entrance, Ashitaka let out an arrow. It hit one of the Forsaken right off of their horse. The Forsaken halted to a stop right outside of the village. Their horses stood on the abyss as if there were solid ground underneath them.
"You think you can change fate?" The leader of the Forsaken boasted. Ashitaka put his bow away and took out his blade. The riders all laughed as they began to charge once more.
However, something was different this time. The villagers who took notice of Ashitaka had also noticed the Forsaken. Ashitaka heard a woman scream as the men yelled out, calling for the warriors to help defend the village. The Forsaken had always been taking the village by surprise, which prevented the villagers from defending themselves. This time, the village was finally prepared. A bell rang in the distance as the women and children ran to safety. Most of the men appeared with swords and other weapons, ready to protect their village.
"Who are they?"
"Wait...I'm remembering something..."
The villagers talked out loud as they grouped together to face the enemy. The Forsaken laughed at the sight. "Well, I we did need a change in formula. This will be much more interesting." The leader said. The riders then charged towards the makeshift militia. Each villager hit would evaporate as usual, but they were able to defend themselves for the most part. Ashitaka himself charged right for the leader. He wore heavy samurai armor and a large helmet with an inverted crescent moon on top. Ashitaka slashed at the horse, who fell to the ground and caused the leader to roll off. He pulled out his own blade and then the two crossed. Ashitaka had never faced such a strong opponent before as he did his best to dodge the blows. Other villagers began falling one by one as he soon found himself without allies. The leader locked swords with Ashitaka as another rider came from behind and cut his legs out from underneath. Ashitaka fell to the ground as the leader pressed his sword up to the warrior's neck. The bright light came once again.
White.
White.
Iron.
White.
What is that white color?
This was the fourth time Ashitaka returned to the bright village. He approached a man who he noticed fighting the Forsaken the last time.
"Do you remember me?" Ashitaka asked. The man turned and shook his head in confusion.
"Sorry," He said. "I was probabaly drunk when we talked!"
Ashitaka sighed before wondering why he was the only one who remembered. He looked to his arm; it remained a reddish hue. Something about that red color must be connected to his memory. The warrior sighed and returned to the town square. This time, he had a different plan in mind.
The Forsaken eventually returned to the village, expecting Ashitaka to be there waiting. They entered the village as usual but this time they stopped at the entrance. Upon not seeing Ashitaka, the leader grew confused.
"I thought he would keep trying to face us directly...he gave up much sooner than I thought..."
Suddenly, an arrow flew and hit one of the Forsaken members, piercing right through his right eye. The villagers at this point had noticed the Forsaken again, and a bell rang. The riders stood their ground and tried to see where the arrow came from. The leader looked up at one of the tall buildings near the square, and saw Ashitaka standing right on top.
Ashitaka jumped off of the building towards the Forsaken leader. The leader did not expect this, and fell backwards off of his horse. Ashitaka came diving down with his blade out and struck the leader right in the heart. The leader's body crumbled to dust, leaving nothing behind. The shockwave from the blow caused the other horses to stumble as each other rider fell off. The militia at this point had reached the group and managed to attack them in their confusion. As each Forsaken rider evaporated upon their death, Ashitaka felt the air in the village get lighter - as if the curse placed upon them all was being lifted.
As the last rider fell, the villagers all cheered. Another bright light appeared and enveloped the village, but it felt different than the previous lights. It was a blue tint and felt very warm. Many thoughts began to race through Ashitaka's mind again.
White.
Gray.
Iron.
White.
White.
White Blur.
White Clothing.
San.
That's San!
San!
Soon, the light receeded and Ashitaka found himself in the village once again. His arm reverted to the purple tint.
The village itself looked much different now than it was before. It looked more ornate and decorative. The village was flowing with life once again, just as he had seen it in the spirit realm, but he knew he was back in the real world. Ashitaka walked around town in awe as he took in the new sights. As he walked by people, he could hear people talking under hushed breaths to each other.
"Is that?"
"I think so,"
Ashitaka was too surprised by what was happening to really pay attention to the voices. As he approached the central plaza, he noticed a statue placed right in the center. Upon closer examination, Ashitaka saw that it looked just like himself! Other villagers began approaching the warrior, but Ashitaka knew it was different than the previous group - they all looked as if they had seen someone famous.
"He has returned! Our savior has returned! The one who fended off those warriors!"
"It really was him!"
"Thank you for saving us!"
Ashitaka was confused at what he was hearing. Were they referring to him defeating the Forsaken? If so, how did they build the statue so quickly? A man emerged from the crowd, dressed in noble garments. He had a kind face and a balding head. Ashitaka recognized this man as the chief of the village.
"We have not seen you since the day you saved us. I think it was about two years now. The men who fought alongside you told us of your honor and bravery..."
Ashitaka did not understand what the man was talking about. He knew that he just returned from saving the village, so he wondered why two years have passed. The village managed to throw together a feast in Ashitaka's honor. That night was spent with lots of drink, dancing, and music. No one talked about Ashitaka's discoloring. He had never felt so...welcome. Ashitaka had no choice but to accept the kindness and took part in the festivities.
During the night, Ashitaka was approached by many of the villagers. Some were people he recognized from the spirit realm. They all told stories of praise and wished that Ashitaka would continue to watch over the village in the future. The last person who approached Ashitaka was a very familiar sight - the old man who let Ashitaka into the spirit realm in the first place. "You have done a fine job, Ashitaka," the man said.
"Perhaps you could explain what happened here? I'm not entirely sure..." Ashitaka said quietly. The man gestured at Ashitaka to go with him. They walked through the celebration and made their way to the open fields outside of the village.
"The spirit realm is a very confusing place," The man started. "The more you question how it works, the more you will lose yourself. But, I will tell you all I can."
"Basically, there are three types of beings: mortals, souls, and spirits. Mortals are beings in the real world. They die and become souls in the spirit world. Spirits are immortal beings that can travel between both the real and spirit worlds. When you were given your curse, you inherited the demon's ability to travel between both worlds."
"And what are you?" Ashitaka asked the man. He wrinkled his brow as he thought about what to say.
"I am a spirit. Let us go to the spirit realm, and I can tell you more."
The man gestured to Ashitaka's arm, but Ashitaka did not know what he meant. "You can freely travel to the spirit world whenever you want. The only thing is, you will return from the spirit world at the exact moment you left. When you freed the village, they all returned to the moment they left: two years ago. You returned to this present time."
After Ashitaka understood what happened, he raised his arm. It began to turn red as portal opened up in front of the two men. The man walked towards it with a slow gait. Ashitaka followed closely behind, unsure of what he would find on the other side. The portal felt cold as he walked through. It reminded him of a tunnel that grew in length as he walked through it. He felt his body splitting in half as he transcended into the next realm.
Ashitaka and the old man appeared in front of a large building. A river separated where they were standing from the building. Nothing but a wooden bridge connected the two. The building was very tall and looked occupied. There were beings walking around all around Ashitaka. Many looked like ghosts while others looked like creatures he had never seen before.
"This is the spirit world," The man began speaking. "The spirit world is made up of infinitely many planes. Most of the planes are known as epochs, or the places where souls go after they die in the real world. Think of it as an afterlife, if you will. Other areas are common areas where spirits gather. This is one of those areas, known as the bath house."
"A bath house?" Ashitaka asked. "Why would spirits need a bath house?"
"Spirits need to relax after traveling through infinite planes...and because many spirits tend to smell badly."
Ashitaka looked around to see a giant sludge monster edging its way towards the bridge. He gave off a putrid odor - a smell that could only come from something not of the mortal world.
"Did you say people who die will end up here? Can I see them?"
The man hesitated for a moment, then said, "It is not that easy. Epochs are divided into eras, spanning infinitely across mortal time. Souls can visit any epoch, but cannot visit the common areas, while Spirits cannot enter any epoch. When you come here using that power," the man pointed to Ashitaka's arm, "you will become a spirit. So, you won't be able to enter the epoch."
"Also, time in the spirit world does not flow the same. It can either take on its own time, like the village you saved, take on no time, or flow concurrently with mortal time, starting with a fixed point. Take this bath house, for example. The year here is...2001, and it flows concurrently with the real world at the year 2001. That being said, you, Ashitaka, cannot time travel using the spirit world. If you return to the real world, you will always return to the moment you left, with few exceptions..." The old man hesitated as he spoke the last part.
Ashitaka was dazzled with everything he was hearing. He didn't want to stay here any longer, and asked if he could leave.
"I do appreciate what you are doing, but I would like to return to my own time now."
"It's understandable. You can have some time to think about everything. But, I know I will see you here again. Time is already written for you."
Before he left, Ashitaka saw a girl in the distance near the bath house. She was the only humanlike being he had seen during his time with the old man. She had a ponytail and wore a pink outfit. Ashitaka saw her carrying towels towards the bath house, but before he could catch a better glimpse, he felt his body begin to fade away. It felt as if he were being pushed back through the tunnel and into his body in the real world.
With the blink of an eye, Ashitaka found himself alone outside the village. Ashitaka sat down on the ground and rested for a moment. Feeling overwhelmed by the information he had received, he fell into a deep sleep.
