Greed is a not just a strong word but a strong feeling. It can overcome anything, even love. For some people, greed come easily, like a part of who you are. It's what causes wars and sadness, what tears families and bonds apart, and rips you in two. Men are so weak to it, willing to stoop to so many levels because of it. Yet, they could be strong as well, taking chances and dangerous risks.

Asano was no different. He knew a good thing when he saw it and was willing to do anything for it. The more wealth he accumulated, the more greedy he got. Now he had his eyes set on a town being led by the weakest, most ignorant woman he's ever laid eyes upon. Eboshi was hated in more ways than one. The stupidity of letting a town so rich in Iron go to waste–and to what? Farming!

He already had plans for the land. They would tear down the forest first. He had heard it had been destroyed the Forest's spirit had died. It wouldn't be much of a problem, then. After that, he would have all those filthy commoners do the work for him. Soon, he'd be rich and prosperous. The land had so much untapped richness, it was perfect to fill his needs.

He was not a stupid man. He already had sent troops to scout the area. Whatever he needed to know., they would tell him. He'd had just begun. Eboshi wouldn't know what hit her, the pleasure of having her defeated was too great. He would plan his attack next, one the initial report would come in. He smiled sinisterly. He would get what he wanted.

He always did.


Ashitaka woke up to another sunny day but without the suffocating heat. He already had all the stuff, ready to go on the trip. He usually visited for two or three days but they were sheer pleasure. He felt so relaxed when he was with her. The problems of Iron Town and his weariness would melt away when he inhaled the clean air or when he went to sleep with the moon looking down on him, like a mother guarding her son.

In high spirits, he set off, letting his mind wander since Yakuul knew the way. From the moment they entered, the forest took his breath away. It was not as big as it had once been before, nor was it as grand but the beginning stages of it were beautiful. He could feel life forming beside him, he could see new life and life itself reform. It was amazing, to say the least.

Beside them were a couple of deers and stags. They were playing and grazing or just plain sleeping. They spotted Ashitaka and Yakuul and stayed still for a second, observing them closely before going back to whatever they had ben doing. Ashitaka got off the saddle and began taking it off Yakuul.
"Go on," he said to his friend, patting him softly, "go play."

Yakuul didn't answer back of course, but rather bowed his head and set off to the group of deers. Saddle in hand, Ashitaka set off into the woods alone but without worries. He soon reached his destination, San's home which was nothing more than a hole in the cave yet it felt very warm and even cozy. She wasn't there at the moment and neither were her brothers. Knowing better than to walk right in, he let the saddle drop to the floor and he sat beside it, patiently waiting for San to come back home.

She did, a couple of minutes later, panting and sweaty. She looked at him, said nothing and began to tie her hair into a messy bun. Her hair was long, a little below her shoulders and she secured her messy locks with her dagger. She sat next to him, still not speaking while Ashitaka looked at her. The nape of her neck seemed very inviting to himat the moment but he did not dwell on it.

"It's hot," she said at last.

Ashitaka nodded. She turned to look at him, her blue eyes suddenly sparkling with humor.

"You're red."

"So are you."

"Am not!"

Ashitaka nodded at her.

"Let me check, then."

San said nothing as Ashitaka held her face between his hands, inspecting her face. Her nose was slightly burned but nothing awful. The rest of her face was fine. He looked to her neck, also red but not as bad as his. She had gotten more tan than anything else. Making sure his eyes didn't linger more than a few seconds on her chest, he quickly concluded that he won.

"Well?"

"Well, I seemed to have won in the sunburned contest."

San scoffed.

"No fair, of course you're goingt o win. You're judging!"

"Ah, rules are rules."

San pouted and it took all of Ashitaka's might not to devour her at the moment. She truly didn't know how cute she could be, because for a wolf princess, she was rather endearing at times.

San crawled to face him, nestled in between his leg and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Well?" she asked irritably.

Ashitaka shook his head, his face mockingly displeased. San growled at him but kissed him again nonetheless. This time, she took her time moving her lips against his, as he had done so many times to her, slowly and deliberately.

She broke away, a defiant look on her face.

"Rh," said Ashitaka, trying not to smile.

San threw her hands in the air before throwing herself at him, making him fall backwards. He didn't mind a little pain, not when they were so close and in such a state of heaven. They had kissed before, always passionately but lately, it had been more so, with a renewed energy they didn't know they had.

Coming up for air, they broke apart, smiling at each other. San laid her head down on Ashitaka's chest, content with listening to the steady beating of his heart. He wrapped his arms around her and quietly pondered about nothing and everything.

"How was that?" she asked quietly.

"Better."

Her response was a pinch.

"Arrogant human," she muttered.

"Insolent Wolf," he responded back, earning a chuckle from her.

They lay there for who knows how long, the air blowing around them with joy--- but somewhere in the joy, there was also sadness. She burrowed deeper into him and he held her tighter. Maybe it was just their imaginations, they sure hoped it was. It always seemed to linger around them and announced itself at the most inappropiate times. Sometimes, Sanm thought it was just them, they were attracting it with heavy thoughts but she soon discovered, it was just there, existing with the happiness.

She did nothing else but lay on top of him.

The necklace burned.


The three days passed by rather quickly to Ashitaka. He did not want to leave so quickly but he soon found himself walking side by side with San, holding hands, through the forest . The sun had started going down and they should have started their trip back to his house a while ago. They had been having a little too much fun with the new Apes. To Ashitaka's surprise, the new Ape tribe had a better sense of humor than the last one. They were annoyed to no end but at least they did not try to throw any killer branches at them. At the moment, they were making their way back from the other side of the forest, farthest away from Iron Town, Little kodamas surrounded them, all of them holding hands, making a big chain behind them, clicking happily as they followed. San's brothers were still eating so it was just the two of them and of course, Yakuul.

"I don't want to leave just yet," confessed Ashitaka quietly.

San laughed, her lovely voice ringing throughout the forest.

"Then don't."

"You know I have to,"

She nodded and proceeded to poke his rib cage.

"Then don't complain!"

She sighed suddenly, giving him a smile.

"I'll miss you, I've gotten too used to you around here."

"Then don't miss me," he said suddenly, gripping her hand tightly, "come live with me."

San laughed again, coming from deep within her stomach but her face turned sour when she realized he was not joking.

"You're serious?"

He nodded.

"I built my de—my home specifically away from the town, San," he explained, "If you want, we could make it closer to the forest still—"

"Ashitaka this is my home, this is where I belong."

"You could belong with me as well," he said quietly, hopefully.

"Yes—" she stuttered, her mind going blank and she felt uncomfortable. The dagger necklace he had given her burned against her skin.

"We could live in between our worlds, we're strong—we could make it."

"Are you listening to yourself?" San exclaimed, regaining her voice though her mouth had gone dry all of a sudden, "It's insane!"

"Why?" he asked angrily, frankly getting tired of her resistance. If she didn't want them to be together then he would understood and backed off. But she did want it, it was evident everytime he had to leave. She would hold his hand, kiss him, hug him, and do everything she called "annoying" when he did it.

She sighed. She had to answer him but why couldn't she? The question caught her off-guard, she couldn't think of a good excuse--- no, a good reason.

She couldn't think of a good reason.

"I've got to go," she said suddenly. Her eyes fell to th e floor, not being able to look Ashitaka in the eyes. She let go of his hand, said good bye to Yakuul and disappeared through the trees. Ashitaka did nothing to stop her.


San ran, anywhere but there, and the necklace continued to burn against her skin. It always did, a comfortable sensation that helped her fall asleep at night. However, it was hurting her at the momet but she did nothing to stop it. She deserved it. He was asking for her and she wanted to be asked for. Yet, the fear was there.

He had told her once, "If our worlds start a war and we have to fight against one another, would we love each other any less?"

But what kind of world did she want to live in where she had to fight the person she loved the most?

And she did love him. They had never said it out loud. But it was there, certain as the sun itself. She did not feel the need to say it, it just was. But now, she wished nothing more to go back and burrow in his neck again.

The necklace began hurting her but not as much as she was hurting herself inside.

She couldn't take it, she was about to take the necklace off when—

"San!"

Whipping around, she saw her brothers running towards her. Her eyes changed from her sadness to worry.

"Humans! In the forest!"

"What?"

Climbing on Kanha's back, they sped away, none of them talking. Finally, they came upon the humans and stopped a small distance away from them. They crouched low enough to not be seen but San could see them clearly. It was not too dark and they seemed to have been traveling for some days now. It was a small troop of humans, maybe eight or nine, but they were traveling through her forest without permission. They looked dangerous, carrying rifles and knives.

San signaled for her brothers to stay hidden while she climbed the tree. Hopping from branch to branch, she stopped at the one in fron of the troops. Crouching, she glared at the humans.

"I demand to know what you are doing in my dominion," she shouted at them, crouching on the bare branch. They looked aorund for the voice and the Captain of the troop, a young man who would have been handsome if not for the fact that his eyes were filled with hatred, spotted her right away.

"You are demanding?" he asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "May I ask who demands such a thing?"

Standing up to her full height, San narrowed her eyes, giving the best glare she had.

"Get out of my forest, humans."

The Captain laughed, his very being dripping with some sort of malice and hatred.

"You will make us?" he asked defiantly, raising his chin towards her.

"No, we will."

With that, the two wolves attacked the humans violently, ripping away anything soft and that smelled like human. The troops attacked back but the wolves were too quick to be hit with the bullets flying wildy around them. They fought with hatred for that was how things got done and humans got destroyed. San attacked the Captain with pent up frustration and anger. The small knife she wielded was nothing compared to his rifle and sword but she jumped and swung at him furiously. The cries of the guards became music in the forest, a companion to the growls of the three wolves.

San soon realized that her brothers had killed or badly injured all of the man's troops and there was one left. The captain put up quite a fight. He was not easily deterred and had managed to hurt her quite a bit. Her left side of her face had just been slammed against the nearest tree and she felt her lower lip split. She couldn't get out just struggling so she did something harsh. She slammed her head against his face and heard the crack that was his nose breaking. With a howl, he didn't let her go but let the blood of his nose run. With a growl that would have made her brothers proud, he sunk her own knife into her side. Biting back a howl, she scrunched her face in pain. Her older brother, Kendo, pounced on top of the human and was about to crunch him into pieces when San shouted.

"Leave him be!"

Confused, he looked back but did not dare disobey her. She looked murderous. Walking towards the fallen human, she kicked him straight on his ribs. With unthinkable strength, she crouched and began choking him. The wolves stepped on his legs, hard enough to make him cry out but not hard enough to break them.

"Listen carefully, scum," started San, her voice low and dangerous, her eyes flashed with simple, undiluted hatred, "we will let you go. Go tell whoever it is that send you that we will not spare the next humans who step foot in my forest."

"Who are you?" he managed to choke out, not quite scared but fascinated (though in much pain still).

"Princess Mononoke, the guardian of this forest," she replied, "Next time, I won't be so lenient."

She nodded at the wolf who seemed to know what she meant and began dragging him by the leg. With a warning growl, the wolf gave him a good shake and let him go. Incredibly injured, the Captain retreated, trying his hardest not to hurt himself in the process of running away.