Chapter One
Ashitaka sat in the once lavish room (now destroyed) and awaited the Queen Mother's arrival nervously. His hair was disheveled wildly in several directions. The true victims of his endeavors were his hands, which were scratched and bruised from the numerous failed attempts at summoning incantations. He rubbed his irritated eyes, fighting off sleep for what seemed the thousandth time that morning. Waking before the first rays of dawn peeked through had started to take its toll on the young prince.
To his dismay, Ashitaka was forever bound to the strong magic in his royal blood. Blood bounds he would gladly hand over to any commoner if he so had the chance. The world of luxury had offered him nothing of value, and expected so much of him in return. His duty was to intensify his magic skills and become the perfect ruler, an exact replica of the Queen Mother.
This was the reason he was bound to the room, until he perfectly his magic.
Hour after hour he practiced, and produced the same catastrophic results. Each incantation he performed had backfired with force, and progressively worsened. The young prince growled in frustration and slammed his fist against the table, the regretted the act instantly as a bolt of pain jolted up his arm.
It was at that precise moment that the Queen Mother entered the room, her two most trusted servants trailing two steps behind her gracefully, like faithful cats. She was dressed in her usual royal blue and purple robes, with a dress that gave her the appearance of a statue. The Queen Mother eyed the room, and shook her head at Ashitaka, who was among the mess and strange odors that rose from every direction.
"Ashitaka you must be gentler with the way you call upon your magic," The Queen Mother replied in her smooth voice, quickly sending her two servants away with a graceful movement of her hand. They curtsied and left the room, closing the two large doors behind them. "Too much of it can cause serious damage and too little can change the whole incantation entirely. You should know this by now."
Ashitaka chose to bite his tongue and simply nodded. He clenched his fist in anger. With a few flicks of her hands, the odors and random concoctions that filled the room instantly disappeared. She waited for Ashitaka to pull the chair out for her, before she sat down. "Let me see you try this again." She motioned for him to recite from the book which plagued his dreams and life. Ashitaka tried his hardest not to make a face showing his displeasure. He sat down and stared at the familiar incantation. The words were meaningless to him and appeared as simple scribbles on a page. He took a deep breath. Ashitaka had reached his limit.
"But I…" Ashitaka began but was abruptly cut off by her stern voice.
"There will be no more interruptions. Recite the Incantation." Ashitaka had expected such a cold response. The Queen Mother only gave out orders; her demeanor and glare were emotionless. There wasn't a single individual who was able to penetrate her cold exterior. Ashitaka had gathered some courage and chose not to hold his tongue any longer.
"Your majesty, my inability to correctly perform incantations is sufficient proof to you that the art of magic is not for me. While you may acknowledge my royal status as your son, I wish to pursue an alternative. I do not wish to continue these lessons," Ashitaka had witness a new found boldness he had never experienced before.
The Queen Mother merely glared at him. It was a look that seemed to pierce into Ashitaka's very soul, examining every inch of his thoughts. At precisely that moment Ashitaka regretted his bold statement. //A moment of utter stupidity on my behalf// He thought, preparing himself for the worst possible scenario.
"Ashitaka, you are not some individual commoner. You have obligations and duties to the royal crown as a Prince. You have no time to dream about foolish ideals and alternatives." The Queen Mother had recited this speech to Ashitaka countless times. It was emotionless, and perfect. She smiled coldly and stared into the princes' dark coloured eyes. "Amuse me Ashitaka, What "alternative" could be more alluring than a crowned prince?"
Ashitaka was stunned. He had never expected such a question and was particularly unnerved by the cold smile aimed at him. "Well…" He began, choosing his words carefully. "I wish to become a Vagabond."
"Why? Such thoughts are treasonous and could result in exile. You know this." The prince was about to interject but the Queen Mother raised her hand, commanding silence. "Vagabonds are worse than commoners; you are leaving behind all your duties as prince and denying your royal blood. This is something I simply cannot allow."
Ashitaka was embraced the silence that followed her response. He chose this moment to take her words in, determined to find some way to free himself from the blood that tied him to his royal duties. The young prince looked at the floor, suddenly having trouble in answering. When he had finally found his missing voice, he met the Queen Mother's cold gaze.
"I would like to see the true beauty of the world. To travel without caution nor care. My wish is to help those who truly need it. I do not wish to continue in high society, to meet ideals other than my own. To experience freedom among the true beauty of the enchanted forests which surround this world." He averted his gaze to the now fascinating translucent drapes, and the amount of sunlight that entered the room. Another long silence ensued, the Queen Mother narrowed her gaze and bit her crimson lips. The Queen had exposed her anger. Ashitaka took a deep breath and waited for her to speak.
The Queen Mother sighed. Ashitaka was unaccustomed to her sudden displays of emotion and tried to keep his calm demeanor. "Perhaps you do not understand why I am so cold to you, even after all this time. You crave freedom, to help others, but what you don't understand is your duty." Her mask began to crack. "By becoming an upstanding individual, true to your noble blood, you'll have the power to help the people you love so much. Your youth is clouding your vision and you are chasing a selfish ideal."
"I have never been more certain of this in my life!" Ashitaka exclaimed.
"I have never raised you to be reckless, Ashitaka. You will continue your lessons and you will become a just and fair ruler. I will not hear any more of Vagabonds and selfish ideals." The Queen Mother placed her hand to her temple.
Ashitaka could not accept his fate. The Queen Mother was not offering him freedom; it was servitude to the crown and royal blood! He clenched his teeth in anger.
"Mother, I want to help! I want to be free!" This was the first time that Ashitaka had lost his cool in the Queen Mother's presence.
"You honestly believe you will help by living in your so-called beautiful forests? Through travel? Among stupid creatures and Gods that hunt humans? That is not freedom. Your desire to become a vagabond is cowardice. You must achieve justice and fairness before you can even consider freedom. Become a ruler worthy of creating a difference, then perhaps at that time we shall discuss your "dream"." The Queen Mother stood up and made her way to the door.
Ashitaka was beyond words at this point. Some part of him agreed with the sensibility of the Queen Mother, but the other part wished to leave everything behind. The young prince wanted to witness the world with his eyes; he didn't want to submit to his royal status. He no longer wanted to be a pawn of royal servitude!
"Mother!" Ashitaka exclaimed. The Queen Mother stopped and turned to face him, her face contorted in a mix of anger and pain. He faced her with what he felt was strong determination. "I will leave this place."
"You will do no such thing. Even if I must chain you to your chambers until you see reason, then I shall. Your threats do nothing for me, Ashitaka." The Queen Mother responded coolly, her back turned to him.
Subconsciously, an incantation began to rise and escape Ashitaka's mouth against his will. It was an attack incantation, one of many that Ashitaka had never perfected. A bright red glow began to envelop him completely. He tried to fight the words escaping his mouth, but that only caused him pain. He moaned in pain. When the Queen Mother turned around, her eyes widened, and quickly she began to whisper the ancient language to stop the incantation from being fully executed. Her hands moved gracefully, and in a few moments Ashitaka fell to the ground. He writhed in pain as the backlashes of the failed incantation hit him several times. Ashitaka shut his eyes tightly and bit his lips, in an attempt to stop the pain. The young prince felt as though one thousand needles pierced his body simultaneously. His heart felt as though it was about to explode, and his body began to shake uncontrollably.
The Queen Mother approached the prince and placed her hand on his forehead. She recited another incantation which instantly shrouded her hand in a light blue glow. Ashitaka's pain suddenly stopped, but his eyes were heavy. He struggled to stay awake but it was a one sided battle. The last thing he saw was the Queen Mother's face before he let the darkness take him.
The Queen Mother stood up and made her way through the door. She called her trusted servant, Toki, to tend to the unconscious prince. She knew that he would be fine, but his body needed to recover. //You still must learn to control your magic impulses, Ashitaka. I do not want you to destroy yourself…// She didn't want to attend to her daily duties but as she knew she had no other choice, so she made her way to the throne room.
Ashitaka opened his eyes and flinched at the brightness of his surroundings. He decided that he preferred his eyes closed than opened. His attempts to move had caused him intense pain and a headache that made his brain feel as if it was about to explode. Ashitaka desperately tried to remember what had brought such pain to him. He vaguely remembered getting angry at the Queen Mother and then….
Oh Yes…He remembered. He used an incantation against his will.
//That explains it// He mused to himself //The reason I'm in so much pain// He forced himself up and took sluggish steps towards the balcony. Using the rails as support to keep him standing, he squinted and opened his eyes slowly. Beyond the palace walls, there lay an inexplicable beauty about the forests surrounding the Kingdom. He wanted to see the world with his own eyes, away from his duties as a prince.
"I see you're feeling better Prince," Toki appeared behind Ashitaka, who was suddenly startled. She helped him stand up correctly. "Her majesty Queen Eboshi would like to speak to you in two moons. You still require rest, so please allow me to walk you back to your bed" She said happily grabbing the Prince's arm and guiding him back.
Ashitaka nodded and gratefully accepted her help. He never thought his energy would be so drained. "Thank-you very much." He said weakly with a smile.
"You know Prince; you must learn to be more careful with your magic. Such recklessness is what causes you to get hurt so often. You might want to consider practicing your incantations a lot more." Ashitaka knew that Toki meant well in offering the prince advice, but he felt it wasn't a good time to offer such advice at a time like this. He had been practicing; the spell arose against his will! Ashitaka never even knew that was possible. He didn't want to hurt the Queen Mother. He chose not to answer her and got into bed.
When Toki received silence as an answer, she began to worry.
"How long was I asleep Toki?" Ashitaka asked, changing the subject abruptly. He knew her reason for worry was sincere but he felt unprepared to face her.
"You slept like a child for five moons." Toki's raspy voice always amused Ashitaka but at that particular point, it made his head ache even more. She roamed around his room preparing his clothes for when he was able to tend to his duties.
"Toki, Please bring me some medicine for my headache and tell the Queen Mother that I will speak to her in two moons" His body ached and Ashitaka suddenly felt tired once again.
//You really should take care of yourself more, little prince// Toki thought to herself as she finished laying the clothes down on his chair and leaving the Princes' Chambers.
//Ashitaka, wake up// A voice ringed in the Princes' sleeping head. He groaned and sat up in bed. He had no sense of time and looked to his window, which revealed the moons' dim glow.
//Mother? How long have I been dormant?// It was rare that she contacted Ashitaka through Thought-speak. It seemed that the surprises never ended with the Queen Mother. His head was no longer in pain, though the sensation of having another entity inside the mind felt strange to Ashitaka.
//Lower your inner voice my son and see that it doesn't happen again. You have been sleeping for two moons. // Queen Eboshi answered coolly. Her voice wasn't as harsh as he expected, which relieved him greatly. He made a silent promise to avoid such situations with Queen Mother again. He rolled out of his grandiose bed with little struggle. His muscled ached, but not to the degree that he had felt during the incident. He chose to change into another pair of night garments because he longed for the comfort. Ashitaka then sat down in front of his mirror and began brushing his chestnut brown hair.
//I must leave on a trip to Iron Town for three moon-cycles// The Queen Mother's voice resonated in the Princes' mind.
//Has something happened?// Ashitaka thought, keeping his inner voice soft.
//It appears that the new weapons I ordered the townspeople to finish are finally completed. They are preparing themselves for war so I must see to their preparations against the enemy they are up against.//
//I understand Mother. I'll pray for your safe arrival// Ashitaka tried to maintain his excitement. It was the perfect opportunity to free himself from his chains!
//When must you leave?// He asked, his voice smooth, perfectly masking his true emotions underneath.
//Tonight// The Queen answered. //You are to avoid any reckless behaviour upon my departure. Continue your lessons daily.//
//As you wish, Mother// Ashitaka answered, dripping false sincerity with every word. The Prince made his way to the door. He no longer felt the Queen's inner presence, which gave him the perfect opportunity to lose himself in thought.
"I realise Mother's point of view, it is not unreasonable, but I want to experience something for myself. I shall return, once I have done what I sought out to do in the beginning" He muttered softly to himself. He walked to the library to read some books and prepare for his escape.
The next day, long after the Queen Mother had gone, Ashitaka tended to his royal tasks perfectly. Once he was relieved in the evening he made his way to the stables. It was a long walk form the Prince's chamber to the stables, but it was always one Ashitaka enjoyed. He admired all the noble knights he passed on the way grooming their animals and riding them, and training in attacks and weaponry. A brisk wind swept passed the perplexed Prince, causing him to sigh in relief. It felt really nice to be outdoors. He thanked the Gods for, the beautiful planet they created before any of his ancestors took their first breath. Ashitaka looked up at the beautiful evening sky, slowly filling up with stars and admired what little nature was planted within the palace grounds. It wasn't long before he finally reached his destination.
It was a remote area of the palace that was known only to a select few. Ashitaka considered this area the only place where he felt free to be who he truly was. The gardens surrounding the area were tended to only by Toki and the Queen Mother's other cat-like servant. It was truly a beautiful place which always brought a calming peace to Ashitaka's heart. He approached the stable where his true friend was kept.
"Yakul," The Prince called out. Almost instantly, a beautiful brown coloured elk turned to face the voice, licking his face with excitement. Ashitaka petted his friend kindly, happy to see him again. He opened the stable door and let him loose to graze. Ashitaka then approached his friend and removed the reins which limited his movement. Yakul cuddled Ashitaka, in thanks. Ashitaka merely smiled and returned the gesture.
"I guess they haven't been granting you freedom either…despite my orders. Well, I believe we're going to have to be more persuasive with the stable guardian." The elk merely continued to cuddle him.
"I've missed you a lot too my friend, I'm sorry I have not visited you in the past moon-cycle, but the Queen Mother has been strict with my lessons." He paused for a moment, his gaze flicking to the bandages on his arms. Yakul nudged against him once more and walked off, leaving Ashitaka to examine his wounds again. The prince had decided to leave; it was just a matter of planning it carefully. He approached Yakul and caressed the elk's chin.
"Do not worry my friend," Ashitaka said to his friend, "In two suns, we will escape from this place and see the world with unclouded eyes" The elk just gazed at him in understanding.
A/N : This story has been redone! waves pom-poms maniacally Granted, it was only one chapter to begin with but…it went from 3 pages to 8…I'm somewhat satisfied with it now… (Considering I had originally written this when I was…ponders fifteen...--) Not to mention the amount of orthographical errors that plagued every inch of the original shudder
Thank-you to everyone who has shown their support! I am truly grateful. Once I re-watch the movie (I have not watched it since I was 15, though it still holds a special place in my heart ) I promise to have the continuation ready for you, to the best of my ability.