Princess Mononoke isn't my anime and I don't own any of the character etc.

Ashitaka and San had been travelling for 4 days now. So far it had been an easy journey. They had just followed the Great River eastwards and when they needed to stock up on provisions they had travelled to towns on their way. They camped out every night wherever they could. It had been different between San and Ashitaka since Iron town had been destroyed. Ashitaka had been helping re-build Iron town and they hadn't seen each other as much.

But it was OK. Other than the odd uncomfortable silence. Anyway they both knew that they would have to put any uncomfortable silences behind them if they were going to have a successful journey.

It was a cold night, but there was no wind. They were only 3 miles away from the Reedvillage (the place the messenger had come from), but it was getting late and Ashitaka, San and Yakul needed sleep. So they set up camp in a nice patch on the riverbank, with lots of bulrushes and vegetation.

A fire was blazing and a shelter had been erected from branches and some rope. San and Ashitaka huddled together trying to get as warm as they could.

"Ashitaka…..What if the forest spirit is back? Wouldn't that be amazing! But it's a little strange if it is, because why would it need to come back? I get the feeling things didn't turn out right when those stupid people took its head. I think something was thrown out of balance. I mean it was a God. The God! How could that idiot gunwoman do something so….. "San gasped searching for the right words.

Ashitaka slowly turned around and stared into her eyes. He'd forgotten how brightly they burned.

"Listen, San I think a war is approaching. I don't mean a war between humans. Or even between the humans and the animal Gods. Something darker is on this Earth as we speak. It is coming. That's why I believe the forest spirit is back." He replied calmly.

San looked back into the fire and thought to her self – I sure as hell hope he's not right.

It was midnight and San had woken up, disturbed by a noise. She slowly crawled out of the shelter and crouched behind some vegetation. She could see Yakul sleeping peacefully outside the shelter.

And then she saw her. A girl was walking through the forest, on the other side of the river. She was barefoot and wearing a long black robe. She was about 14, San estimated and she was… singing? She was singing a beautiful song but it was wordless. Just sounds strung together to create a mystical song. San shifted her weight onto her knees but as she did so a twig snapped like a rifle shot. The girl spun round and San saw her face and she just gasped. The girl's eyes were just swirling light blue voids. She had no pupils or anything just large blue holes that danced and rippled like water. She smiled right at San and began to walk towards the river. She reached the water's edge and placed a foot on the surface of the water. She began to walk across the water towards San. She could not of been human.

"Why do you watch me wolf-girl. You are Moro's child are you not? We have met before. Your Mother loved you very much and still does. She saved you from the demon Okkoto. The humans led him astray. I took their lives away because they were in great pain caused by the humans, but Ashitaka; I spared him did I not? He is human. Do not fear me child-of-the-forest. I am the forest's father." The girl said, but it wasn't a girl's voice that came from her lips but a voice made up of lots of other voices. Familiar voices. San shuddered when she realised she had heard Lord Okkoto's voice coming from the girl. Then she realised she had also heard Moro's voice and tears trickled down her face.

But she no longer felt afraid and she left her place behind the bushes and stood on the bank opposite this girl-like creature. The girl had nearly completely crossed the river to San, when suddenly there was a rattling noise coming from the trees. San looked up to see millions of Kodama perched in the trees. They all rattled their heads ceremoniously. San had never seen so many gathered together since the Forest Spirit was killed. The girl had reached the bank and was now only 4 ft away from San when suddenly her eyes turned back into the eyes of a normal 14 year old girl and she collapsed on the ground. And there in amongst the trees and Kodamas was the Nightwalker looking at San.

She blacked out.