A/N okay, well I just wanted to say, a friend asked me why I wrote almost no Princess
Mononoke fanfics and the answer is this: Princess Mononoke and comedy don't
mix very well, like Lord of the Rings does with it, and unless I'm writing the book myself
from my own ideas, I can't usually do much more than comedy.

Chapter 2

"What!!?" San exclaimed, while the wolves beside her glared at the cat-like god, "what
are you talking about?"

Ashitaka tightened his grip around his sword at his side. He had never heard or seen
any kind of god other than the wolves and boars, and had never even thought that
there might be any others. And something about this didn't seem right.

Cadje explained, "Where I come from was free from humans for ages among ages. They
gave us no warning at all. In the beginning they began to destroy, and the end was that
very same day, and as I have said before, what is left of the animals that resided in that
valley are dying, and that is why we look to you for help."

San's wolf-brothers growled loudly, and even without saying anything, all that were
present knew that momentarily, if ever, neither of them would help this foreign
creature.

Ashitaka remained silent, knowing that if he spoke, he would not be heard, for he was
barely even wanted here right now.

"If you need time to think, I would understand, for neither would I help a foreigner at
first look."

The "god" ran off and went out of sight, the wolves' growls heard behind him.

San jumped up on one of the leaving wolves without a word, but Ashitaka understood
that he was to go back to Iron Town and leave the wolves to take care of the visit from
the foreign "god", so once they were out of sight, he jumped on Yakul, who had retreated
a ways from the sight of the god and the ruin and was grazing peacefully, and rode into
Iron Town, whose gates were about to be closed.

-------

San looked out over the forest, at the same spot where Ashitaka had gazed earlier, but
a slightly different sight caught her eyes.

When he had looked, there had been a vast forest full of healthy trees and animals, but the
sight that filled San's eyes made her heart stop and weep inside.

There was a large, dark whole were there should have been forest; little kodamas and large
animal carcasses alike were strewn about the ruin, and now with the approaching moonrise,
she could see some other kodama making their way up the trees maybe in hope that their
great Forest Spirit would appear as the Nightwalker one last time.

One of San's wolf brothers came up to her and sat down beside her.

"Everything's going wrong," San said quietly, "Everything seems to be dying."

The wolf beside her growled quietly. "That is how life is, San. The world dies and no one seems
to ever care. All you can do is try to do your best with what you have been given. You understand?"

San looked at her brother, surprised at what he had just said. For a moment when he was speaking,
she had half expected Moro to be sitting beside her. He had sounded like her in both voice and the
wisdom sounded exactly like her Mother. She didn't mention it, but they sat at the edge of the over-
hang for quite some time; listening to the clicking of the Kodama.

--------

Ashitaka sat meditating in the corner of his hut, his mind on the happenings of today. After he had
left the scene of the explosion, he had gone to Lady Eboshi and asked her if she had heard such
news. He thought back to the meeting with her, remembering it word for word and action for action
as if he were back with her while she sat in her garden.
"Ashitaka. I heard you wanted to see me." Lady Eboshi said as he came near her, "I have no doubt
that this is about the explosions that happened this afternoon."

"Yes," as usual, Ashitaka didn't have to speak for her to know what he wanted to say.

"Well as you already know, I decided to turn away from trying to destroy the forest long ago. What was
it- two years?"

"Yes. But do you have any idea about who or what caused it?" Ashitaka pressed her for any information
he could get.

"Why don't you ask Princess Mononoke? She seems like the type to know everything."

Ashitaka looked at Ebosi with an expressionless face, and as if something drew him away, he walked
out of her garden without one look back at the nearly clueless Lady Eboshi.
What had happened? The conversation seemed normal enough.to Ashitaka, but there was something
he kept missing. He knew it was there, but somehow, for some reason, he couldn't figure out what it was.

While pondering all of this he fell asleep against the wall of his small hut.

-------

A/N do you just happen to hate this short chapter? Don't worry, I will finish the story and not just leave it hanging like I seem to do with all of the stories that I start on my computer from some little bit of idea that pops into my mind.
Well now I'm babbling, hope you like the chapter and tell me if you do.