Kaya Sees the World
"Ashitaka!"
Kaya's eyes gleamed as she stood barefoot on the damp ground, watching her brother Ashitaka ride up. He was older now, his shoulders broader, but his eyes were still watching her with the warm expression. Only when he came close did she feel something strange-while he was still her brother, something seemed to have turned him into a stranger. The five years in which she had not seen him had turned him into even more of a man than she had remembered. Still, much like a little girl, she ran to his side.
"Ashitaka." She threw herself against his side, or as far up as she could reach. Yakkul the elk nuzzled her shoulder, but she paid no attention. It felt so good to have her big brother at home again. When he had left, five years ago, she had believed that she would never see him again.
Kaya was different now, thought Ashitaka, awkwardly rubbing the head of dark brown hair that rested on his thigh. She has become a woman in the time I have gone. He felt a pang of regret that he had not been here to see her grow up, and that pang grew sharper when Kaya drew back and he saw that she had grown taller and more beautiful. She reminds me of San.
San. The word sent another pang through him, and he steeled himself. He had not planned to tell Kaya about the wolf girl; in fact he wasn't sure if he could tell Kaya anything. In those five years Kaya had been carefully sheltered, her ways curbed, and brought up to someday make the perfect wife. The girl looking up at him was no longer the little girl he remembered; she was a woman.
"Oh, Kaya. You've grown so much." Much to Kaya's delight, Ashitaka dismounted and led Yakkul by the reins as they walked to the stables. "So tell me everything. How is everyone here?"
"Good." Her eyes averted for a moment, and Ashitaka wondered if something was wrong. But she was still filled with girlish honesty, and in a moment she turned to him and blurted out, "Ashitaka, I am to be married within a few weeks."
He could do nothing but stare for a moment. Kaya, his little sister, to be married? But then, he reminded himself, she was nearly fifteen years old.
"That's.great," he mustered. She turned away.
"Don't you understand? I don't want to marry him. He's twice as old as me and has not said more than ten words to me since we met. I would do anything to stay away from him."
Ashitaka was silent, pondering this situation. "Kaya," he said finally, "come away with me."
"But you're staying here, aren't you? You're finally home."
"I don't have to." Ashitaka didn't add that part of his desire to return was to see San again. "Come with me, Kaya. No one will ever find you."
"Oh Ashitaka." Kaya looked up at him, and was surprised to see that the light in his eyes was a different one. Five years ago, had he suggested such a plan, his eyes would have been dancing with a mischievous fire, but now they suggested something else. Perhaps there were secrets of his past that he didn't want to tell her about. She would wait to ask him. For now, he was her guardian angel, who would save her from the dreaded marriage.
"Yes." She slipped her arms around him again. "I'll come with you."
Okay, that was probably really screwed up, but I'll get back to this story soon. Please review ~ I'd love to see your comments! Oh yeah, and I don't own Princess Mononoke or have anything to really do with it-just love the movie. Arigatoo gozaimasu!
"Ashitaka!"
Kaya's eyes gleamed as she stood barefoot on the damp ground, watching her brother Ashitaka ride up. He was older now, his shoulders broader, but his eyes were still watching her with the warm expression. Only when he came close did she feel something strange-while he was still her brother, something seemed to have turned him into a stranger. The five years in which she had not seen him had turned him into even more of a man than she had remembered. Still, much like a little girl, she ran to his side.
"Ashitaka." She threw herself against his side, or as far up as she could reach. Yakkul the elk nuzzled her shoulder, but she paid no attention. It felt so good to have her big brother at home again. When he had left, five years ago, she had believed that she would never see him again.
Kaya was different now, thought Ashitaka, awkwardly rubbing the head of dark brown hair that rested on his thigh. She has become a woman in the time I have gone. He felt a pang of regret that he had not been here to see her grow up, and that pang grew sharper when Kaya drew back and he saw that she had grown taller and more beautiful. She reminds me of San.
San. The word sent another pang through him, and he steeled himself. He had not planned to tell Kaya about the wolf girl; in fact he wasn't sure if he could tell Kaya anything. In those five years Kaya had been carefully sheltered, her ways curbed, and brought up to someday make the perfect wife. The girl looking up at him was no longer the little girl he remembered; she was a woman.
"Oh, Kaya. You've grown so much." Much to Kaya's delight, Ashitaka dismounted and led Yakkul by the reins as they walked to the stables. "So tell me everything. How is everyone here?"
"Good." Her eyes averted for a moment, and Ashitaka wondered if something was wrong. But she was still filled with girlish honesty, and in a moment she turned to him and blurted out, "Ashitaka, I am to be married within a few weeks."
He could do nothing but stare for a moment. Kaya, his little sister, to be married? But then, he reminded himself, she was nearly fifteen years old.
"That's.great," he mustered. She turned away.
"Don't you understand? I don't want to marry him. He's twice as old as me and has not said more than ten words to me since we met. I would do anything to stay away from him."
Ashitaka was silent, pondering this situation. "Kaya," he said finally, "come away with me."
"But you're staying here, aren't you? You're finally home."
"I don't have to." Ashitaka didn't add that part of his desire to return was to see San again. "Come with me, Kaya. No one will ever find you."
"Oh Ashitaka." Kaya looked up at him, and was surprised to see that the light in his eyes was a different one. Five years ago, had he suggested such a plan, his eyes would have been dancing with a mischievous fire, but now they suggested something else. Perhaps there were secrets of his past that he didn't want to tell her about. She would wait to ask him. For now, he was her guardian angel, who would save her from the dreaded marriage.
"Yes." She slipped her arms around him again. "I'll come with you."
Okay, that was probably really screwed up, but I'll get back to this story soon. Please review ~ I'd love to see your comments! Oh yeah, and I don't own Princess Mononoke or have anything to really do with it-just love the movie. Arigatoo gozaimasu!