Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Mononoke or any of the other characters that might make an appearance in this story.
Well, thanks to rabid typewriter for reviewing Premonitions. But you have to remember that patience is a virtue and that good things come to those who wait. ….In other words, if you stick with the story you'll get the LOTR guys soon! And now I am going to get straight to business and let you read the chapter!
Ch.2- A Moment's Peace
In the darkness Ashitaka heard a harsh whisper.
"Your next Prince of the Emishi!"He sat bolt upright in the dim light that shone through the window. Well, he would have sat bolt up right drenched in a cold sweat, had there not been a warm human body clutching tightly to his waist.
He looked down and to his relief, saw San, whole and well, sleeping soundly hands wrapped possessively around him. He smiled, and slowly but carefully removed San's arms from around him.
He strode out of the small cave that San called home, and that had become a second home to him.
In truth, it hadn't been Ashitaka's plan to practically live with San, nor had it been hers. It was, believe it or not, Lady Eboshi who had finally persuaded Ashitaka to go and spend time with her.
"She's a strong, brave, persistent, free-spirited girl who refuses to give up on what she believes in. She's actually the perfect match for you Ashitaka." She finished with a smile. "So," she continued, "when's the wedding?"
Needless to say this had caused the water he had been drinking to hit the wall opposite him, all the while blushing furiously.
That had been over a year ago, and Ashitaka and San had only just recently started to sleep with each other. That had been it. All they did was cuddle and hug and kiss. Nothing serious.
He sat down at the edge of the small cliff on which their cave was located. As he gazed out over the forest he often took residence in, he sighed. The nightmare that he had had only minutes before was new. It had been very vivid, but new. He just didn't get it. Why would anyone want to harm the forest or its protectors anymore? Hadn't the issues between the forest and Iron Town been worked out? It was probably other humans hell bent on getting the abundance of iron ore under the forest.
'Bad habits die hard I suppose.' He thought. Then another thought struck him. 'What if one of the…no it was impossible, the Forest Spirit's blood had taken care of that.
He remembered that occasion too. Lady Eboshi had shot the Forest Spirit's head clean off and in doing so brought forth a terrible sight. The Forest Spirit's blood was deadly. Touching it meant instant death to all living things. Human, animal, and plant life alike had fallen.
Eboshi had just claimed the head for Jigo the monk and was unaware of the decapitated head of Moro, as it snuck up behind her like a silent devil. On its own accord the head leapt off the ground and snapped off the first part of Eboshi the vengeful jaws could find. Her right arm.
Later, as Ashitaka and Ganza, the captain of the guard for Iron Town, pulled Eboshi's crippled but still living body out of the lake, they heard San's voice say loudly, "Give her to me I'll cut her throat!" Ashitaka looked up at her. He could see the look of pure venom and hatred in her eyes and could almost feel it being exerted from her body. Behind her, he saw her wolf brothers, Mune and Nuke, silent with their heads hung low and ears drooping in mourning for their fallen mother.
It had taken five precious minutes for he and San to see eye to eye. They were riding on the backs of San's brothers the only way you can ride a wolf, bareback. They had just warned the remaining men, women, children, and lepers of the threat of the blood and the inevitable destruction of Iron Town as it spread like an evil blanket over the land.
They finally caught up to the greedy little monk Jigo and forced him to give them the head. As they held out the head to the Forest Spirit's groping body Ashitaka shouted, "Oh mighty Forest Spirit we give you back your head! Take it and be at peace!"
Then, the blood had consumed them. Ashitaka had come to because of the gentle nibble on his hair provided by Yakkul. He looked around everything was green and healthy again. And he and San were alive! He had woken her, and they had rushed to a nearby cliff edge to see everything. By giving the Forest Spirit its head back they had reversed the effects of the blood and everything had been restored.
However, to San it wasn't a feeling of familiarity, but an almost new feeling. It wasn't the same forest she had grown up in. For instance, there were hardly any Kodama in the forest the year that he had been visiting San in the forest after the catastrophic events of the Forest Spirit.
As he came back to reality, he remembered another dream he had had prior to this one.
It had been dark and stormy in this one. He could see nothing for miles. All that was visible was the outline of San standing next to him on his right. To his left however, was a man clad all in white.
Apparently, he was a double threat. He wielded a long, sharp, perfectly crafted sword and a white, smooth staff. He had a long white beard that reached down to the middle of his stomach. The old man gestured with his staff out toward the blackness. And as Ashitaka looked, a flash of lightning had illuminated the entirety of the field before him and what he saw made his mouth hang open.
Hundreds upon thousands of men dressed in strange black outfits and standing next to them thousands, if not millions of what looked like, if legends were true, orcs. But there was a vicious and dangerous air about them, as if suggesting that they were smarter and more deadly than the average man.
He had woken up after that, drenched in a cold sweat, breathing hard and pale. Again he pondered the meaning of his dreams.
'It just doesn't make sense.' He thought, 'Why would anyone want to attack Iron Town? They're not exactly in the iron business anymore.'
Suddenly, a pair of arms snaked their way around his waist. "What are you doing out here at this time of night Ashitaka?" San asked curiously.
"Just thinking San, just thinking." He replied in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice.
"Bad dream?" she asked.
"No." he lied wondering how in the world she could read him so easily. "Just wanted some fresh air. He knew that it was bad of him to lie, but he didn't want San to worry just yet.
She looked at him with an 'I-know-you're-lying-to-me-but-I'm-gonna-let-it-go-this-time' look and shrugged.
"Well, if that's all it was, come back to bed, it chilly out." After she said this, she tenderly planted a kiss on his lips sending him into an unaware bliss.
When she pulled away from him and saw the stupid look on his face, she giggled and walked back into the cave.
'Guess I should consider myself lucky. Normally she'd press on and on.' With that thought, Ashitaka followed San, and was unconscious in five minutes.
Waking up to the morning and the beautiful sunrise drove all thoughts of the previous night and dreams away. To see something like that is just breathtaking, especially in the forest. The sunrise was accompanied with a bright reddish tinged pink glow that made it all the more mystical.
Ashitaka yawned, and stretched raising his arms over his head to open up his lungs to get some fresh air. Next to him, San was still sleeping which was unusual for her as she was always the first one up, being the lighter sleeper of the two. Well, until recently that is.
He quietly got up, placing the blanket over San, and walked out of the cave making his way towards the river to catch breakfast.
A/N: Well, there's chapter two! So what'd ya think? Bad? Good? Only way I can know is if you review! Plus it helps me write better!
