A/N I'm sorry it takes so long to put up each chapter but I have a lot going on. Hopefully I'll be able to write more this week, as I have no school :)

Chapter Four
Remember your mother's words
San was riding on her brother through the forest, toward the 'Sacred Pool,' for exactly two years ago that night, her mother and the guardian of the forest, Moro, had died.

No remains of her were found; legends of the Forest Spirit and even Moro had begun to circulate among the people of Iron Town and neighboring villages, about where their bodies were. Some said that they were brought up to heaven, body and soul, but others, who believed that humans were superior to everyone and everything, said that for not letting them take down the forest, beleived that they were taken into hell, where, because of what they did, were tortured in body and soul.

And others seemed to believe they haunted the night, planning with the living; wolves, beasts and Princesse Mononoke, about how to destroy the humans once and for all.

But there were only a select few that could have the heart to grasp the truth.

As San came to the Pool, as San reached the spot that her mother's body had laid, where the Forest Spirit had controled one last life's dying breath, her mind was suddenly filled of memories of Moro and she had an urge to cry.

She fought the tears back though, even though her heart was tearing itself apart, thinking, Wolves don't cry, over and over.

San jumped down from the large white wolf's back, and stared at the silent waters.

"It really isn't sacred any more," San said softly, "I've noticed it before, but after Shishi Gami's head was cut off, it wasn't magical. Just a normal silent pond."

The younger of her two brothers nuzzled her, and she felt like a small pup again.

"Wherever she is," the elder wolf said, "she wouldn't want you to worry about either of them."

San knew now that they were trying very hard to be gentle, which was definitly against their nature, for her sake, which made her temper silently flare up.

She turned away from the scene, making her heart hurt more.

"Let's go," she said abruptly.

San had never known what love was, it was just something that was there. As soon as she had awakened after being carried by a daemon Okkotonushi, she had seen Moro dead. And that hurt her more than she had ever been hurt before, and it was from the inside out.

The pain had gradually lessoned, but she never told anyone about it, not even her brothers, although they saw that she suffered, and even Ashitaka, who had been with her through it all, no. She couldn't tell anyone.

I am a wolf, she thought as she always did, and wolves aren't weak.



Hii-Sama opened her eyes after watching the scene. She was alone in her small hut, her small, old body crouched in the middle of the room, her legs folded as they always were.

The old woman looked at the wooden frame that served as a doorway to the hut, remembering the night that their prince left.

"Princesse Mononoke. I know you are hurt, but remember your mother's words. She will need you someday soon..."
There was a nagging in the back of San's mind.

"Remember your mother's words...."

She didn't know what she was trying to think, and she didn't understand at all what it meant.

"She will need you someday soon...."

As she neared the cave, instead of going inside she climbed up to the top of it where Moro had usually lay and looked up at the moon.

"Remember your mother's words. She will need you someday soon."

"What do you want?" she asked herself, not loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. Her brothers had gone for now, but she didn't want anyone to hear.

"Princesse Mononoke. I know you are hurt, but remember you mother's words. She will need you someday soon."

San still didn't understand what was happening, but was too tired to wear her brain out any longer, so she curled up on top of the cave and fell asleep.
A/N I know it was kind of boring, but I am not exactly the best writer in the world. Well anyway, tell me what you think. (just please don't flame me- thank you)