I DO NOT OWN ANY PLOT OF PRINCESS MONONOKE OR BAKUGAN BATTLE BRAWLERS. ALL RIGHT GO TO THE OWNERS OF EACH ANIME ITEMS!

Chapter 9

Dan's POV

When I saw the Forest Spirit landed a neck like thing on Alice and the wolf boy, I immediately got worried and found the rest of my friends. The city people had found their way to the water and there were no citizen casualties as far as anyone could tell.

"Did you see what happened to Alice?" Runo asked.

"I did," I answered. "What about you guys?"

"We all did. We need to get up there," Mira answered.

We ran up hurrying to find them while the citizens returned to their homes. Some of the slime had reached some of the buildings they had started to burn. A wind had blown hard after the Forest Spirit feel and when the sun rose. It put the fires out and plants began to grow around the city.

We ran towards the tall hill. The two wolves sat at the top watching something on the ground.

"Are that boy and Alice there?" Ace wondered aloud.

"Makes sense," Julie said.

We hurried up the hill.

Shun's POV

My eyes squinted as light reached them. I found my arms wrapped loosely around Alice. When my eyes finally adjusted, I looked around and saw we were in a field of grass on the hill. The forest spirit was nowhere to be seen. He was gone.

I nudged Alice awake. "Alice, wake up," I called. She rolled over and looked around. We stood up. I sighed in sadness. "Even if the forest grows back, it won't be his forest anymore," I said.

"That's not true," Alice responded gently. I looked at her. "Look around. He's still here. Guiding us and giving us life."

I gave her a small sad smile. "Thank you, Alice," I said.

"For what?" she asked.

"For helping us. Hopefully now peace will rein through the forest. The Boars and Apes are gone. All of the gods now are the Wolf Clan. And with you helping us once in a while, I'm sure peace will continue," I explain.

"Maybe," Alice said.

"Shun…" Mana called as she and Klyn walked up.

"Yes, Mana, Klyn?" I responded.

"You should know, with the Forest Spirit gone, you are no long gifted with his spell. You will begin to age like a normal human now," Klyn explained.

Shun looked down in sadness. "But Mother wanted us to take care of the forest and the clan together. How can I do that now?" I asked.

"You cannot. You can always visit or stay with us, but that is something that the clan wouldn't allow anymore," Mana said. I separated myself from Alice. "We will miss you, Shun."

"Mana, Klyn," I said slowly. I wrapped my arms around Mana's neck and she and Klyn set their heads sadly on my shoulders.

"Goodbye, Shun," Klyn said. "Visit whenever you like. Your life now belongs with the humans."

"But I've never know a human life," I said sadly. "I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to adjust."

"You will have Alice. She will show you the way. We can tell you both love each other. You need each other now," Mana responded.

"But Mana," I said sadly.

She nudged me away. "Go, now. Remember, you will always be our brother. You can visit whenever but the clan will not allow you to stay forever. Goodbye," she said.

Alice set a hand on my shoulder and I turned to her. "Will the arrowhead still work?" she asked.

"It should. Even though Shun is not allowed to live another hundred years, he is still a wolf clan member to an extent. We will be able to sense when you are troubled and help you along the way. We will always be there for you," Mana replied.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the arrowhead continued to give you abilities Alice. You two will be fine in the human world," Klyn added.

"Alice!" Runo called. Alice and I turned around.

"Runo?" Alice responded.

"Alice, what happened?" Runo asked. "We were so worried."

"I'm fine, Runo. Thanks to Shun," Alice answered.

"So your name is Shun?" Dan asked. "Why did you get Alice into this?"

"It was her destiny," I answered. "When we first met her, the arrowhead we gave her told us we found the person all the gods wanted to find. The one who would save us. The arrowhead allowed her to send us messages on her feelings and we could send it back. When she was distressed, we felt it and sent her comforting thoughts."

"So how long have you lived again?" Marucho asked.

"Over three hundred years," I answered. "I would've lived another hundred as a sixteen year old, but the Forest Spirit is gone and so was his gift to me. I am now completely human and thus age as one. The clan will no longer accept a normal human or me. I now belong to human kind. I wish I didn't have to leave Mana or Klyn though. This is all I've known all my life."

"You must not worry, Shun," Mana said. "We will see each other again. You can trust us to take care of the clan alone."

"I know, sister," I responded.

"Goodbye, brother," Klyn said.

"We will see each other again," Mana said again.

"Goodbye," I said.

Alice took his hand. "It'll be okay, Shun," Alice comforted.

"Okay, Alice," I agreed.

"Let's get Shun to a new home," Marucho said. "He can stay with us until then."

I nodded slowly. 'I wonder how much I'll like a new human life. It seems so strange to live a life as a human,' I thought. As I walked, Alice and I turned back once and looked at Mana and Klyn.

Alice nodded and I followed sadly. Mana and Klyn took off to inform the clan of what happened.

"Goodbye," I whispered sadly.

"Don't worry, Shun," Alice assured. "I know this will be a change but I'm sure you'll get used to it quick."

"I know. But to begin to smell human, I could barely stand the smell under the bed," I responded.

Alice giggled. "Don't worry," she repeated.

I gave a small nod. 'Goodbye Mana. Goodbye Klyn. Goodbye Mother,' I thought.

"So dude, what was this place like three hundred years ago?" Dan asked coming up.

"Very different," I answered. "I can tell you about it later."

"Alice, do you still have the arrowhead? Is that how you got those abilities to create shields and other things?" Drago asked.

"Yeah, no kidding! It was awesome!" Preyus cheered.

"Are you kidding? It was amazing. I wish I could do that!" Elfin said.

"I wanted to do that before you," Preyus retorted.

"No, you didn't!" Elfin responded.

"Yes I did! I just didn't say it!" Preyus said.

"Bakugan are certainly an interesting species," I said.

Dragon chuckled a bit. "Some of us are more interesting than others. Are you going to answer my questions, Alice?" he asked.

Alice pulled out the arrowhead that still gave a faint glow. Mira, Runo, Julie, and the rest looked at it.

"Amazing," Runo muttered.

"I've never seen anything like it," Mira said.

"It's so pretty," Julie said.

"Will you please just chill? It's just a crystal arrowhead," Ace said.

"Well, it did give her the abilities. It was originally just made to allow us to help her with emotional states. But it seems it gave her other abilities we never predicted," I chimed in.

As we walked through the streets, people looked at me confused. I didn't wear the clothes they were wearing and I probably looked strange as I held a dagger in my rabbit skin belt and a bow was strapped to my back. So suspected that was the reason. I was probably more dirty too. I tried my best to ignore the stares.

I noticed a green bakugan flying down as we arrived at the giant house Alice was staying in. "So you are the Prince Seishin I have heard much about," she said. I gave her a confused look. "My name is Skyress. I have heard much about you from legends."

"I've lived in the forest most of my life. I haven't heard many of the legends here," I responded.

"Ah. There is much to fill you in on so you can adjust to the human world," Skyress answered.

"How did you know I was staying in the human world?" I asked.

"I have watched your forests for a long while. Watching the humans destroy the poor land and watching you tear them away. Your name is truly Shun, am I correct?" she replied.

"Yes," I answered. "So how long have you been here? Watching the forest?"

"For a while. A few years before the white bakugan, Naga, first began his quest," Skyress explained.

"I wonder how we never sensed your presence," I said thinking why.

Third Person POV

Little did Shun or Skyress know, the rest of the group was listening in on what they were saying.

"He could sense us?" Dan asked shocked.

"I guess," Mira answered. "It would make sense as they knew that we were outside the cave and when they first met us."

They entered the building and Shun nearly choked on the over powering human smell.

Dan looked confused. "What? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"It's just the smell. It is very overpowering," Shun answered.

"What's wrong with the smell?" Marucho asked.

"It's human," Shun answered bluntly.

Alice understood and explained for him, "He's not used to the way humans smell. You must remember, he's lived with wolves and spirits his whole life. I doubt he's ever really gone to the human side of the forest. When Kato came in, he hid under the bed and he didn't like the human smell there either."

"Ah, you'll get used to it," Dan said.

"I hope so," Shun muttered.