Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction ❯ Bringer of Unity ❯ The Sending ( Chapter 5 )

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Kira awoke, finding herself in her own bed. She cringed at the painful aching that shook her body. She sat up clutching her arm as it shook.

 

What . . . Why am I here? The last thing I remember is . . . .

 

Kira jumped up. The memory of finding the Forest Spirit's chamber, its memory, her mission, Iron Town, Jeisu. Kira fell back to her bed, tears in her eyes.

 

I can't believe it! It's all gone! Everything we worked for was erased in just one night.

 

A knock at the door started her. Ashitaka walked in, a sober look on his face. Kira looked down, “How . . . . .”

 

Ashitaka smiled grimly, “Your mother is injured very seriously. But it looks as if she will recover. I doubt she will be in any shape for a too strenuous life though. Not for a while.”

 

Kira nodded, “And Iron Town? Is it . . . .”

 

“Iron Town was completely destroyed. Everything was burned to the ground. Toki, Koroku, San, and us are the only survivors.”

 

Kira nodded again, tears dropping into her lap. Ashitaka sighed and sat next to his daughter, “I really should thank you. That night you saved us. You brought vengeance to Iron Town's killers.”

 

Kira shook her head, “No. It is the Emperor. He is the fault of all this. If I were to gain vengeance, it is him I have to kill.”

 

Ashitaka sighed, “you must not think like that. It will only lead . . . .”

 

“But it's true!” Kira shouted. She was now standing, shaking with anger and rage; “It is all the Empire. They are the ones that are manipulating everyone, they are the killers, they are evil! They killed Jeisu, they . . . AAAAAHHHH!”

 

Kira knelt to the ground as her arm convulsed. Worms sprouted out of it, squirming around her arm roused by her feelings. She looked up tearfully at her father, “Why are you not angry as well? Why do you not blame them?”

 

“I am angry.” Ashitaka stated, “I have so much anger and hatred in me you would not believe it. But that is not the answer. I cannot let anger control me, just as it controls you.”

 

Ashitaka grabbed Kira's hand (which was worm free) and jerked it in her face. “You speak of evil, yet you allow this to control you!”

 

Kira shivered at her arm. The worms started to re-enter her, leaving her arm free again.

 

Ashitaka threw her arm back at her, “You say you were chosen by the Spirit of the Forest to bring unity to man and beast when you aren't even balanced. As long as you allow hatred and rage control you, you might as well stay here and wait for the Empire to reign control.”

 

Ashitaka turned to leave. Kira cried at him, “Why aren't you being supportive? Why so you have no faith in me?”

 

Ashitaka spoke to her form the doorway, “Because if you go out like you are right now, the Empire has already won.

 

Ashitaka left Kira speechless on the ground. Kira climbed back onto her bed, and cried.

 

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Nothing of Iron Town was left. Some burnt wood and tumbled stone indicated there might have been buildings there. The sun shone brightly onto the hundreds of newly dug mounds of those Townsfolk who had perished.

 

Kira knelt at one particular grave. Flowers were already in it, but Kira had some of her own. Tears fell from her as she gazed down at the particular grave of her best friend.

 

Jeisu! I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you! I'm so sorry!

 

She placed her flowers onto the mound. She heard footsteps behind her. Turning she found Toki and Koroku. They meekly smiled as Toki knelt at her daughter's grave.

 

Wordless, Kira turned to leave, but Koroku grabbed her shoulder and held her tight. “It wasn't your fault Kira. Don't burden yourself with it.”

 

Kira felt the tears fill her eyes, but she held them back. She pulled away from Koroku, “Don't delude yourself. She's dead.”

 

“She died protecting her home and friends!” Toki spoke. She slowly rose and faced Kira, “And it is our fault if anyone's. We had Iron Town stay to fight the army. We could have run . . . . .”

 

Toki started to cry softly. Koroku held his wife to him, comforting her. Kira turned to leave, but Toki called out to her, “Kira, wait.”

 

Kira froze, not even turning around. Koroku spoke next, “Ashitaka told us about our mission, about how you are going out to bring unity?”

 

Kira felt her voice freeze up. She choked out, “Yeah? What about it?”

 

Koroku came up from behind her and placed something in her hand. Kira slowly opened it and instantly recognized it. It was a bracelet that had belonged to Jeisu. It was made from interwoven vines and ivies she had found in the forest. Though the plants were long dead, the vines were strong and durable.

 

Kira looked up at the two grownups and pushed it back towards them, “I can't take this, Jeisu treasured it too much!”

 

Toki sadly shook her head and closed Kira's hand, “No, Jeisu would have wanted you to have her most precious item. This bracelet is so special because she took the plants from the Domain of the Spirit of the Forest, after it was destroyed. She believed that it held mystical powers, ones bestowed by the Forest Spirit himself.”

 

Toki chuckled slightly, “Obviously it was not true. But now I want you to take it on the off chance that it does bring luck.”

 

Kira started to protest, but Toki rose her voice a little, “Please Kira! Take it! We want the closest thing we have to a daughter to have all the luck and strength in the world!”

 

Kira suddenly understood. Koroku and Toki looked at her as a daughter, and were doing the best they could to protect her. She smiled slightly and slid the circlet onto her left wrist. Toki smiled tearfully, “Thank you!”

 

Kira nodded and turned to leave. “I will get revenge.”

 

Koroku nodded back, “Just come back alive.”

 

They watched as Kira ran off.

 

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One last place to visit.

 

Kira knelt at her mother's bed. San was still sleeping, breathing ever so slowly. Many of her wounds were healed, but she still has awoken. She still was in a bad condition.

 

Kira grasped San's hand and whispered, “I'm going now mother. I . . . .”

 

She faltered, not knowing what to say. “I am . . . .I am bringing unity to our world. I don't know if I will come back, so I am saying goodbye.”

 

Suddenly Kira felt another tear at her eyes and throat. She croaked out, “I'm sorry! I shouldn't have run off like that! I should have stayed with you! And then perhaps you wouldn't be like this. Perhaps Iron Town would have been alive still. Maybe .. . . . .”

 

Kira let out a little gasp as her mother's hand tightened around her own. San opened her eyes slowly, “Kira . . . . .”

 

“Mother! How do you feel? Are you alright?”

 

San shook her head slightly; “You mustn't wallow in self-pity! Nothing you could have done to alter what has happened. It is not your fault.”

 

San looked down, “But . . . . .”

 

“No buts! Listen to me Kira, it's not your fault!”

 

The two stayed silent for a bit. San's breathing soon started to become short and rapid.

 

“Mother, you should rest! You have been seriously hurt!”

 

San ignored her daughter. She fought to stay awake, “I never thought that there was a chance for unity in this world. All my life I never thought that humans and animals could coexist. That was until I met your father.”

 

Kira looked at San. San's eyes were now closed. Her breathing was even slower, but she spoke strong to Kira. She truly was exhausted.

 

“He gave me hope. And now my daughter, my beautiful strong daughter, is the Bringer of Unity.”

 

San pulled a necklace from around her neck, “Kira, please take this. Your father gave it to me as a gift right before I went to war. I want you to have it for luck in your quest.”

 

Kira took hold of the necklace, “Your crystal dagger! I couldn't . . .”

 

“Please Kira. Keep it to protect you.”

 

Kira looked at the tears in her mother's eyes, “Okay.”

 

Kira hugged San one more time. San was asleep by the time Kira left the room.

 

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

 

Kira closed the door behind her and turned right into Ashitaka. Ashitaka peeked into San's room and whispered, “It's good you went to see her before you left.”

 

Kira turned away from him, “Of course I did. She is my mother!”

 

The two were silent for a moment before Ashitaka said sincerely, “I am sorry about how I reacted earlier. I shouldn't have lost it with you. It is natural to feel anger and hatred after what had happened.”

 

Kira nodded, “Perhaps it is part my fault. You are right, anger and hatred is not the way to fight.”

 

Ashitaka nodded, “It is good we came to an agreement. Now please, before you go, come with me.”

 

“Why?”

 

“One final lesson.”

 

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Kira hesitated before walking into Ashitaka's study. She never been in it before, she never even knew they had one until Ashitaka opened the trap door in his room.

 

Kira awed at the inside. The room was completely full of desks, papers and documents, and drawings. Drawings of demons, worms, all sorts of doodles and sketches of thoughts and ideas of Ashitaka's. Kira instantly realized Ashitaka had devoted his life to the demons, studying them, researching them. All types of lore and legends he written down. His whole life was revolved around the demons.

 

Kira looked back at her father, “Why?”

 

Her father gave her a solemn look, “Ever since I got cured of the demon curse, I became obsessed with the demon. I studied different religions and creeds to reveal clues and traces of the demon's origins. I would write down tales and stories of pheasants and travelers. I found everything I could about them. They became my life.”

 

Kira shook her head with confusion, “I never knew, why?”

 

Ashitaka smiled, “I knew that those abominations were to soon be exorcised from this world, so I planned to get as much information as I could for the one. After all, I am the only human to have ever survived the curse.”

 

Ashitaka looked at Kira, “But I never imagined it to be you Kira.”

 

Kira sat down in a stool, “I just can't believe you did all this without me knowing. Did mother know?”

 

Ashitaka shook his head, “No. She never did.”

 

Kira stood up, “Tell me what you

 

Ashitaka smiled, “Upstairs is you pack. I packed in your blades as well as that new halberd you acquired, and all the usual stuff. I think you should go speak with the only other tribe of humans to find peace with animals.”

 

“The Emishi? That means I'm going east.”

 

A few moments passed before Kira left, heading east.

 

Ashitaka sat back, “We put all our faith in you Kira.”

 

 

“The demons are not originally part of this world. All demons reside in their own world, a demon world if you wish. However, something is drawing them to this world, but they cannot form physically. They must integrate with a being, one with intense emotions. For example, the demon of hatred can only integrate with a being that has feelings of great hatred. Only then their powers and self can manifest. I figured that the longer the demon possesses something, the more powerful they become because they familiarize themselves with the being and are able to give more power from their world.”

 

Ashitaka looked at Kira, “So far, only boars have been influenced by the demon of hatred. Who knows if anything else will.”

 

Kira sighed, “Do you have any idea what is drawing the demons to this world?”

 

“No. All I know is it is some kind of great power that is beckoning them. I'm sorry. That is all I could find.”

 

Kira shook her head; “no it's alright.”

 

There was another awkward silence between the two before Ashitaka broke it by embracing Kira.

 

“Please be careful. You are going up against something very powerful, I don't want you to die.”

 

Kira hugged her father back. She always believed that she hated her father, but what she felt now was different.

 

Ashitaka gave her a stern look, “Be wary of your right arm. Do not trust it.”

 

Kira nodded, “I will.”

 

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

 

 

A few days later, Ashitaka was caring for San when Gendo and Kaji returned from their trip.

 

“We heard what happened to Iron Town!” Kaji exclaimed, “How is San?”

 

Ashitaka sighed, “She is healing, but not yet awake.”

 

Gendo growled, “We shall go and take our revenge on the Empire!”

 

“NO!” Ashitaka said, “You must stay here and let the Bringer of Unity do her job.”

 

“So it's true?” Kaji asked, “The whispers in the other lands saying the Bringer has arrived?”

 

Ashitaka smiled, “Yes. WE put our hope into Kira now.”

 

Gendo sat up abruptly, “HER! Impossible!”

 

Ashitaka nodded, “It is true.”

 

Kaji just shook his head, “Well, she does not have much time.”

 

“Why?”

 

Gendo lay back down; “We just got back from the Wolf Clan. The Council is deciding whether or not they should do a full scale assault on the Empire.”

 

“WHAT?” Ashitaka roared, “Those fools! They have no chance! They must wait for Kira! Have they voted yet?”

 

Kaji nodded, “Yes. They decided that the decision must be unanimous. All except one voted yes to the assault.”

 

Ashitaka sighed, “Then she had as much time as that one councilor can hold before he changes his mind.”

 

Gendo looked at Ashitaka, “Where did Kira go? I will assist her.”

 

“No.” Ashitaka stated, “You are still the guardians of this forest. You will stay here. She must do it alone.”

 

Gendo sighed, “I am not sure.”

 

Ashitaka smiled slightly, “Have some faith in my daughter. Now come, you should see San, she is still very ill.”

 

 

End of chapter 5

 

 

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