Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction ❯ Princess Mononoke Rebirth ❯ A Familiar Face ( Chapter 3 )

Familiar Face

 

The forest shows of her beauty mostly in the night, where green merges in with blue to created a teal atmosphere. Ashitaka was sleeping peacefully next to San, not realizing that his hand is on her hip. But San was clutching onto her wolf coat as what she seems to be having was a bad dream. Sweat dripped from her neck down her chest as she endures her reverie.

…usotsuki...

usotsuki means “liar”-

Contained inside her was a dark lair, sort of a bluish gray, and in the centre standing was a little girl, aged 10. She was wearing a dirty white shirt, a violet skirt, with a wolf coat over her shirt, along with chokers of teeth. Her hair was greenish brown, short, with a fringe that covers one of her eyes.

…usotsuki... that was what the girl was whispering…usotsuki...

The dream woke her up; her eyes shot straight open to the ceiling of the cave, she felt the sweat flopping from her back and wiped it away. She then looked down at Ashitaka, while he peacefully slumbers.

She couldn't stop staring at him, he just looks so beautiful lying by her side, and sometimes she wishes that something more can happen between each other. But she still doesn't feel ready yet. San knows that however beautiful he was he's still a human, a pest, an enemy to her. So she turned away from him, blocking out all the negative thoughts that occurred to her, and then stared out to the sky. It was already morning; the sun merges his colors with the azure sky to lavender setting. Oh how poise, she must have thought. Then the vision drifted her legs towards it; to the edge of the cliff where you can see anything, and everything.

“It's a beautiful forest.” A voice spoke behind her ear.

“It really is.” San replied.

“I need to get back to Irontown to retrieve Yakul.” She sighed for a moment.

“I understand.” She replied. He then clutched his arms around her and gave her a little squeeze. San didn't saw that coming, so in a wrong reaction, she winced and pressed her thighs together.

“Sorry!” he let go of her in an instance as he thought he'd done something wrong. “I shouldn't have done something like that. I'm sorry.” He quickly walked away from her and made his way to Irontown.

“Baka San! Why did I have to react like that?” she whispered to herself.

“…Because you hate humans…” a child voice said. San quickly turned her head. But there was no-one there. Could she be hallucinating? No. It's just a stupid thought.

…Baka San…

Baka means… well there a lot of things you can use for Baka, like “fool”, “thick”, but mostly “idiot”, it's mostly used for insulting someone, you can even use it for “dumbass”!-

“Baka Ashitaka! Why did I have to hold her like that? She hates humans, why can't I get that into my head?” He insulted himself as he made his way to Irontown, walking through the rustling grass as the breeze brushed his cheeks.

He already reached the river, and noticed the pathway leaving to Irontown.

“Something's…not right.” He thought to himself. Ashitaka then reached the gates. “Is anyone there? It's me, Ashitaka.” A woman wearing a turban round her head, she spotted Ashitaka, and took a small gasp.

“Toki, come and look, who is that?”

“It's ok; he's a well-known friend, Ashitaka!”

“Toki! I need to speak to Lady Eboshi.”

“I'm afraid she's busy at the moment.”

“It's important, please?” Toki sighed with frustration as she came to a decision.

“Ok, but it will have to be quick.” The gates started to rise as Ashitaka entered. Toki was standing in front of him with despair. But there was a little girl, about 8 years old, clutching onto her kimono. She had pitch black hair up to her shoulders, wearing a light pink kimono, with wooden sandals on her feet. She hid behind as she was afraid of the stranger in front of her. Ashitaka blinked down at her.

“Milady is in her office.”

“Right.” He replied, and walked up to Eboshi office -not the type of office with a computer, chairs or a desk, well, maybe a desk.-

He lifted the curtains covering the doorway and can see, she is in frustration, her hair was misplaced, and her face was patched with dirt. She looked at him sternly, well actually with anger.

“Baka omae!”

-“You idiot!”-

“Why did you leave your post last night?”

“Excuse me?” Ashitaka was in distraught.

“When you left Irontown, five women went missing in the middle of the night, and then found raped and murdered on the outskirts.” He then thought back to the night San came, when she pleaded her to come back to the forest with her.

“I'm sorry, she-

“…she…you mean Princess Mononoke?” Ashitaka stuttered for a second as he dips himself in guilt.

“…Yes.”

“I don't believe this. You left Irontown for that crazy little wolf girl?!” His emotions turned sincere and sharp.

“I am happy to live here and with the wolf girl. I am neutral to both sides of this rivalry. Or have you forgotten that?”

“I don't need to hear anymore of this. You no longer welcome here, take the rest of your belongings and leave! At once!”

Then out of the blue, came a roar of explosion from the forge. The sudden shockwave sent them to the ground, the roof above their heads rumbled, as it rained down with splinters falling into their hair.

“What was that?!” Ashitaka stuttered, and then a guard with a light orange kimono and a white mask came running in.

“We're under attack! Samurai's are coming this way!”

“Could it be Lord Asano again?” questioned Eboshi.

“We're not certain, but they are coming heavy handed!” all three of them climbed up onto a balcony, where they can see any incoming dangers, well, what they can see; is a thick, bleak fog clouding over the mountains, and below was an army of robots in armor. Shooting spears of arrows over their heads, and piercing the hearts of men and women dying on the outskirts.

“It is Lord Asano!”

“My God! My people are dying outside! Bring them in at once!” ordered Eboshi.

“Yes Milady!” quivered to guard.

“And you! Make yourself useful. Lets see if you can redeem yourself.” She scolded at Ashitaka as he tried to make himself worth while. He ran down to the gates to help out with raising them. He already saw men struggling to raise it as quickly as possible.

“It's no use! We'll never get it up in time!” one man said in despair.

“Not without my help!”

“Ashitaka!”

“That's right! I've come to help!” He ran to a post and tried to pull it down with all of his might, along with others helping him out as well. The gates finally rose but only ever slowly. The natives of Irontown panic in fear as they crawled under it.

“Come on! Hurry! We haven't got much time left!” People came swarming in with horror; trying to get in as quickly as possible.

“We did it!” Ashitaka cheered.

“Yes! Now all we need to do is close the-

It was too late for the men to finish their sentences, as they all got shot down one by one.

“NO!” he cried. When the gate's mechanism's turned reverse, he tried to pull it back down but he wasn't strong enough. Then the rope snapped that was supporting the gate itself, it crashed to the floor, now the hole Irontown it opens to anyone.

“Oh no! The samurais are coming in!” He then stared at the frightened citizens. “Get everyone inside! Now! Hurry!” Ashitaka drove the women into their homes. The samurais came marching in, as most of the herd came marching to Eboshi's office.

“They're after Eboshi!” He tried to pass them passively, running through huts trying to reach her before they did.

Eboshi unsheathed her sword as she prepared for her fate.

“Toki, take care of the girl.”

“But I can't leave you on your own!”

“The girl's life is most important now, she is your future.” Toki stared at Eboshi for a moment, and then she gave her a tragic look.

“Good luck, Milady.” She replied tearfully, as she ran through an emergency exit with the child clutched to her breasts. Eboshi stood in her warrior position, just waiting for her momentum to grasp her from this hellhole. Then…the samurais came…

Gunshots were fired. Ashitaka gasped in silence, as he feared the worst, he ran from the heaving stair, panting breathlessly, until he finally reached her office. Brushed passed the curtains, the only left to see was Eboshi blood-splattered with samurais looking at him.

His eyes turned point, his heart rate collapsed; he hyperventilated with shock, until he gritted his teeth, clenched hold of his sword, and as they say: “no more Mr. nice guy.” Ashitaka suddenly unleashed his anger, and plunged himself toward them.

“Kusoyara!”

-“Bastards!”-

His sword clashed into them, through their weak armor into their flesh. Others tried to grab hold of him, but he was too wild to control, instead their arms have been detached from their bodies and fell to the ground. Screaming in rage, he let out their streams of blood.

“You wild dog!” one of the remaining managed to punch him in the stomach, making Ashitaka paused his killing spree, gasping air. The samurai then thrust him in the face that made him collapse. He then pinned him down with a small blade piercing his cloth.

“Now let's see if you look better headless.” Then his head busted out a hole through the forehead with a thick dagger sticking out. The blade was then pulled back in, leaving the dead samurai to deteriorate. Looking up; he saw San.

“San! W-What-

“No time for questions! Come on!” She pulled him up from his hand and ran through the emergency exit.

“I'm glad you came here!”

“I saw the smoke around here; I thought you were in trouble.”

Then another roar of sound came crashing down. This time with impact. Shockwaves blew up like a bomb through out Irontown. Then as they were running, the shockwave couldn't be withstood by the floor so it caused it to rupture holes, dropping San and Ashitaka.

“Watch out!” Ashitaka clutching onto her head protecting her, but they both quickly departed from the waves. Crashing them down to sub zero.

CRASH!!!

…Then silence.

 

 

Few hours later, Ashitaka was lying on the floor like he was half dead, dirt smeared across his cheek. He finally woke up, with a mild back ache. He rose from his stomach, looking around to see where he was; some sort of underground base. But in front of him; was the strange boy with blue eyes he saw last night.

“So…you weren't a hallucination I saw that night.”

“You saw me then?”

“Yes. I did.” They both looked at each other, until the other boy released his mask, revealing tiger marks on his face, midnight blue, strong streaks. Ashitaka realized who he was.

“I've heard about you! You're the fugitive everyone's trying to catch.” He scoffed at him.

“Is that what they call me nowadays? Well I have a name.”

“Then what is that name?”

“Like I'm gonna tell you?” Ashitaka stepped back. “That's right, stay away from me and you won't get hurt.” He walked away from him, but Ashitaka then saw a mark on his neck, not like the streaks, more similar to…the scar on his hand.

“Hey! How did you get that scar?” The man stopped in his tracks…

“That's none of your business.” Ashitaka exhale briefly. “Now leave me.” And he just carried on walking.

“But-

…