I do not own princess mononoke

Chapter 9 – To See You

a/n : yay – writing is fun if u know what you wanna write.

"Now the fork is on your right. More. More. Stop!" Kaya tried directing Taka in trying to eat breakfast on his own. He refused to have her feed him, so she suggested to 'guide' him. "It's right under your hand now and the head is facing away from you with the curve going towards the surface of the table." His steady hand slowly lowered to the fork, and cautiously picked it up. He wrapped his finger around the fork as if holding a pencil. He lifted it up, and tried finding the food. "The eggs are right hand side, bacon is on top, waffles take up the rest of the space, and toast is in the plate north of your main plate." He stopped before taking his first bite, and his mouth twitched. "What's wrong?" She asked, as she worried her food wasn't satisfying.

"I have to put the fork down to eat bacon…" He said. This was harder than he thought. He just realized how vital his eyes were for normal life. He heard footsteps coming in down the hall, and perked up.

It was San, and she was emanating an aura of distress or discomfort. Taka set his fork down where he thought was the table, and stood up, using the table as his guide to which direction he should face.

"What's wrong, San?" He asked as she stopped walking. She was silent for a moment, and let out a sigh.

"That boy…what's his name?" She quietly asked him in a melancholy tone. There was something wrong with her. He just didn't know why.

"What's the importance?" He inquired back.

"Taka…just tell me…" She knew Shinji told her earlier, but she just wanted to make sure, just in case she heard it wrong the first time…just in case. Maybe he was someone else.

"Hiro…Hiro Kaname." He carefully enunciated. A weak 'thump' from her shoulder bumping into the doorway proved there was something really wrong.

"San? Are you alright?" Kaya asked as she got up from her seat.

"No…I don't think I am." She replied in a raspy voice. 'Please, let him be someone else. Anybody else. Please…Please….' She begged a higher being of some sort. She knew someone would be in Tokyo, but why him? Why now?

The door flew open, and it sounded like more than one person.

"Hey! Anyone home?" Shinji's voice called out. The door slammed again, while San and Kaya went to the door to investigate.

"Oh my--- Kai! What happened to you?" Kaya gasped.

"Where have you two been?" San asked as someone fell onto the couch. Taka was walking alone from the table to the doorway- one foot in front of another. It took him longer than expected, but he made it, and followed the walls to the couch. With Kaya's help, he made it to the couch, and used his hands to see who it was. It was Kai – and his eyes were half-closed, and he was sweating, bleeding, and clearly in pain. He smelled like last night's smokes and dirt. He followed his shoulder line down to his arm- but that was rudely interrupted by a large, hard bump protruding out from inside his arm. Like someone placed an iron ball where the elbow was. Taka retracted his hands back quickly.

"How are you?" He figured Shinji could give a vocal report. Kai was conscious, but barely. He could hear everyone, but every word jammed together with another.

"Alive. A few scratches here and there. Nothing serious." He concisely replied. "Him, on the other hand, has seen better days. Popped the bone right out of its socket."

"Who did this to you guys?" San asked in a fearful voice. It was fear. It wasn't anger- but panic and fear.

"That Kaname piece-of- shit. That's who." He sneered hatefully. "Son of a bitch was still holding that goddamned bat when I got to him. Got a couple punches in- knocked the wind outta him for a few seconds, then tried using the bat to swing at me. After it didn't work- he pulled a knife out and started to attack, but that's when Kai, that crazy bastard, came in. He had a fricken pole in his hands. I got slashed a few times, but before I could attack, he grabbed a hold of Kai's pole, pulled him in, threw him over the shoulder and didn't let go until the bone just popped right out. Hit his head against the side of a garbage bin and went out cold." He graphically explained what happened. "Pansie ran away after that." He scoffed. "The cops were around so the hospital was too risky."

"Okay, let's get you guys cleaned up." San announced. Without thinking, Taka reached out and grabbed San's arm while Kaya took Shinji into the bathrooms to clean up.

"San…Who is he to you?" He wanted her to finish her thought.

"Nothing. I'm sure it's a mistake." She then lifted Kai up and helped him to the bathroom. 'I'm sure I can be wrong. I only saw him for a second or two- I could be wrong. It might not even be him!' She staggered from Kai's full weight and his dragging feet. "C'mon Kai...hang in there." She encouraged softly as the blood from his head dripped on the carpet. He mumbled something under his breath, but his lips were too tired to move for him. Kai tried to catch the last words or so, but he slurred and muttered.

San got to the bathroom, set him on the floor, and began to clean his face up. As she ran the water and wrung the towel out, he started mumbling again. Not knowing what he wanted to say, she leaned in, and strained, but no luck. It was like trying to listen to one song while another song was playing over it on a radio. His words just couldn't form to reach her. She dabbed the blood off lightly as he kept trying to tell her what he wanted to say. Finally, after she managed to wrap his head, he found the strength to say it clear. San didn't know what to do after his words formed.

Ashitaka came in from his bedroom, and without even asking, helped San carry Kai. They carried him to his room, set him on the floor, and everyone gathered around as Shinji prepared to work his magic.

"Alight everyone, close your ears, and shut your mouth." Shinji then set Kai's arm flat on the ground, and targeted the protruding bone with the palms of his hand. San took Kai's other hand and squeezed. "1...2!" Shinji didn't even count to three before he forced all his weight down on the displaced bone. There was a 'pop' and then a slight cry of pain. San felt her hand being squeezed with twice the force she had put on. Shinji then took a flat stick and cloth to create a make-shift cast to hold the bone in place.

The food on the table was going cold, but no one seemed to care. Everyone was concentrated on the well-fair of Shinji and Kai. Kai and Shinji told everyone they were fine, but they all believed otherwise, especially San. She kept repeating the words he told her. Over, and over they echoed and nagged.

Hidden within the shadows of the ally way and dumpsters, he sat next to a blood-spattered trash bin. He studied the splatters and stains as he cracked his knuckles slowly, one by one. He didn't know what to do now. He couldn't approach her, that's what he was ordered to do. Now, he couldn't even think straight without any trace or knowledge of her. What was wrong with him? His luck? His life? He pulled his knees into his chest and buried his head within his arms. What to do?

He was walking carelessly through the streets that night. Wandering aimlessly, because that's what he did when he was trying to sort through his thoughts. He didn't want to go up to her like he wanted to in the past, but he had to find a way to get a little closer, even if it was just an inch. He spotted her brother, Kai, walking out of a convenience store with some other guys. Without thinking it all the way through, he approached the boy, and made him stop.

"Okina." He ordered in a superior tone. The boy stopped and turned around. His face stiffened, and his eyes strained to keep a consistent glare.

"What?" He replied, almost a command as opposed to a question. Hiro hesitated and looked around at his surroundings, as if searching for words to ask.

"San…Is she-…"

"She's none of your business. Leave me alone." Kai scoffed and started to walk away. Again, without thinking, his arm reached out and grabbed Kai's shoulder, and unconsciously held too tight. Kai struggled and in result, smacked him in the stomach with a fist to get free, like a dog biting a hand that was trying to put a collar around its neck. Hiro stumbled and let go, but tried to catch Kai, and ended up grabbing another kid, who tried hitting Hiro, but in defense, he hit first and sent the boy to the ground. Eventually, all the guys started to attack Hiro at once, but that's when unwanted reinforcements came out of nowhere and in time, it grew and grew. Hiro hid behind a wall, and hit the wall with his fist, angry at himself for screwing his opportunity up. Angry at Kai for making it such a big deal. Angry at the Okina's in general for keeping her away from him in the first place. Enraged that he couldn't even approach her in the slightest bit now that this would be heard of. By the time he walked out, he spotted Shinji and Taka approaching fast. Taka Okina, the other brother. Before he knew it, he was staggering away with a bat in his hands, blood on his fault, and all hope loss of ever seeing her again. As fate had it, he looked up, and finally saw her. She was running so fast, as if the wind carried her. She was worried about her brother. He looked down after she passed, and continued to walk away. He wanted to turn around and stop her, but he felt his hand around the bat, and kept walking.

A while later, Shinji attacked him with punches and sent him into a brick wall ofan ally. The walls were calling for help, but no one could hear them. Hiro swung at him, but Shinji managed to avoid the swing, and went in again for another round. He then threw the bat off elsewhere and took his knife out from his pocket. But when Kai, coming back for vengeance, swung with a pole, he had no choice but the disarm him, even if it meant dislocating it until he let go. He threw him to the side, and hit a garbage bin. After Shinji stopped for a second, Hiro took the opportunity to run.

'Is this what it takes? Are you satisfied yet?' He asked himself as he tried resting against a wall. 'How stupid are you? Are you really doing this? You're so selfish. How childish.' He fell asleep, and kept thinking what he could've done to prevent it.

Kids filed out of the building and into the courtyard as Hiro leaned under a tree. He watched the girl named San as she walked home with her brothers. The boy named Shinji was taunting other kids nearby. He sat, and thought of what to do. He stood up, and walked over to the girl he had been studying.

"San?" He asked as he wanted to make sure it was her. She turned to face him with big brown eyes and medium-long brown hair. "A-are you…" He wanted to ask her, just in case. Her brother's stepped in front of her in a protective shield.

"Hey, you! Don't get so close!" Kai sneered protectively. Hiro stepped back, a little startled.

"Look, I just wanted to…"

"What? What did you want to do?" Kai pressed. With all the pressuring and all the hostility, Hiro snapped, as he always did, and started to pummel Kai into the dirt. San tried to break it up, but Taka pushed her out of the way, and started to attack Hiro. Shinji started to run over to the scene, as he loved a fight, and even more so, a fight with a rival gang member. Hiro took a hold of Kai's arm, and punched so hard there was a crack. He then took his attention towards Taka, and kicked him in the leg. Shinji came from behind, and jammed his fist into the side of his chest. He replied by tried to kick Shinji, but aimed to low, and just managed to get Shinji off guard. He came back, and jammed another fist into the other side of Hiro's chest.

As the teachers rushed out, and held back all four boys, Hiro managed to yell what he wanted to say from the very beginning.

"You're not her family! Give her back!"

San pressed her face into her bed and held onto the photo of her grandfather. She clenched her fists, and held the picture close to her chest. She then whispered to the photo, for her own secret.

"I'm so sorry." Before she left for Tokyo, Moro summoned her into her room.

"San, before you leave, I want you to know that there will be a relative of yours in the same area. I'm not sure if he knows you'll be there, but word will get out." Moro proceeded to fix her hair. San stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say.

"A relative? From the Okina family?" Moro hesitated before replying, but continued to pick at her hair, as if occupying herself to avoid something.

"No San, a blood relative to you." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and stood up tall.

"Why didn't I know about him?" Moro shifted under her clothes and fixed her top. She adjusted the notch on her watch, and tugged at her earring.

"Because he's dangerous. No one knows what he might do. He has a restraining order, so you're safe as long as the police knows he's out there near you." She then popped the lipstick cap open and twisted the end.

"Dangerous? Around me? What are you talking about?" Moro couldn't reply, so instead, she set the tube of lipstick down before applying any, walked over to San, and kissed her forehead.

"Be careful." She patted her head and walked back to the mirror. San walked out, and left without saying good-bye.

Now she knew. She knew, and it was slowly killing her insides that she didn't do anything before. All she could do was apologize.

"I'm sorry….I'm sorry!" She whispered fiercely.

Taka sat next to Shinji and Kai as he thought back to the middle school days with the two. Kaya went out to get more bandages, and Ashitaka stood behind the slightly opened door. He waited, and walked away.

"Should we tell her?" Taka suggested. Shinji looked away, almost disgusted with the idea.

"I think…she already knows." Kai replied as he finally unburied the words that were meant to be heard by San in the first place.

"She needs to know the whole story." Taka decided. "She deserves to know, doesn't she?" He stood up and tried navigating around objects. "I mean, if I was her, I'd want to know too."

"But Mom…" Kai reminded.

"Mom won't care after what happened. We'll tell her later. We need to set things straight with San first."

Ashitaka turned around, and walked back to his room.

On the streets, Hiro got up on his feet, and started to walk towards her. Inch by inch, slowly, and closer.

A/n: Smiles :)It might seem like not enough AshitakaXSan fluff, but I like drama's and now that I have a decent plot, I kinda wanna see what happens next! Right now, I'm just letting my fingers flow. So, don't ask what might happen, cause I don't even know. Boo hoo. But Their relationship is slowly blooming, have no fear for all of you starving for fluff. It's coming. Patience.