Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction ❯ Princess Mononoke Rebirth ❯ Glimpse of Care ( Chapter 6 )

A Glimpse of Care

 

Motoko held Ashitaka's bodyweight upon her shoulders as she leaped out through a god-given passage way out of Irontown. She managed to get out, seeing the horrific view of the destruction of it, again. Motoko looked stern at the sight.

“I don't know what's going to happen to you. Please forgive if you do not make it.” Motoko whispered silently. “Where's Princess Mononoke?” She then wondered. Then another sudden boom came out from the ruins of Irontown. The shockwaves sent her and the unconscious Ashitaka to the ground. “Shit! I can't stay here any longer.” So she then release out from her pockets, a bottle of green liquid, and broke the lid, letting the fluid to flow out of the bottle. She also stabbed one of her daggers into the ground, with the calligraphy Sosaku suru written on it. She then ran out from the area.

Ironically after a few minutes, San came running out from the site. Yet she was seemed heavy handed at the minute, with something clutching on her behind her back and covered in her white fur coat. San stumbled out in the open and searched.

“Where is she? Where did that human girl take Ashitaka?!” she panicked. But then she looked up at Motoko, where she had a firm look on her face.

“Oh! I thought I would have to go back in there and save you (!)” She spoke sarcastically.

“Just shut up and run.” San snarled at her, and then there was movement behind her back.

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Let's just go!” Motoko looked at her with suspicion, and then ran on with San following her. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe.”

***

It was dusk already; there was a beautiful view of the forest out ahead. Yet within it, in an open patch, there was a small bungalow house, with wooden flats, and patched windows. The rooms were alit. But San stood outside of it firmly, with her feet stuck onto the ground. Her face was irate and stubborn, with her arms crossed and her eyes squint. Then a faint whisper came behind her.

“Aren't we gonna go in?”

“Shh! No we are not!” San replied stubbornly. The slide opened in front of her. Motoko stood in front of San.

“You're not seriously that obstinate enough that you will not step inside a manmade house.”

“I don't care! Just give me Ashitaka and let us leave!”

“And where will you go? Your home? It'll be too dangerous to get back there, and with your lover's condition, he won't make it on the journey.”

“He's NOT my lover!”

“If you say so, but I want you to stay here.”

“What's in it for me?”

“If you tell me what the hell's behind your back.”

“I told you; nothing!”

“Yeah right!” Motoko grabbed hold of her shoulder and pulled into her.

“You bitch! Let go of me!” San growled as she punched Motoko in the chest that made them both fall back. Then a small young girl flew out from her coat; it was the little girl Toki tried to save in the invasion.

“Nothing you said, San?” Motoko scoffed at her.

“I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble.” The little girl trembled.

“It's not your fault; it's hers!” San scolded.

“Don't give me that look! You inhuman outcast!” San shot back up and clenched her fists.

“Well it's better to be inhuman than be a monster who destroys my forest!” They both started to argue in front of each other and growled like a pack of angry wolves.

“Please stop it!” the little cried out. The quarreling two then set their attention on her. “Please…I don't want anymore hurt.” She wept. Then a faint grunt came from inside the house.

“Ashitaka?” San pushed Motoko aside and ran into the house.

“Oh, now she goes in!” Motoko scoffed behind her, as she ran in too, along with the little girl as well. San found Ashitaka wrapped in thick blankets with a warm, wet towel over his forehead. He was sweating badly and breathing heavily.

“Ashitaka? It's me; San!” she cried to him as she knelt down and looked over him.

“S-S-S-Sa…” he hyperventilated quietly.

“Yes, it's me!” Motoko ran in to check on him.

“At least he's got his consciousness back, but he still needs help.” Motoko quickened. Then the little girl knelt down beside San.

“Who is that man?” she asked.

“He's….” San couldn't finish her sentence in stubbornness as she didn't want to call him her `friend'. Ashitaka then opened his eyes slowly. He looked at the ceiling with San and the others looking over him.

“How are you feeling?” Motoko questioned him.

“Are you ok?” the girl raised.

“Ashitaka; do you remember me?” San asked over. Ashitaka answered neither of those questions; he just raised his top half up and looked in front of him; or else known as the slide door. The three looked curious at his face. He looked dark, with part of his fringe covering one of his eyes. He stared at that moment. Still at that moment, he got up, wobbled at first, he walked over to the slide.

“Where are you going?” San questioned him. He opened the slide with his face looking down.

“Kimatchua ryui.”

“I feel sick”-

Ashitaka panted as he walked out of the room, Motoko walked up and looked behind him.

“Maybe he needs to pee.” She wondered. But San didn't think so. So she followed his every move behind him.

“You don't need to pee, do you?” she asked him.

“I'm going to find that stupid man and kill him.” Ashitaka said coldly, but collapsed to the floor with San picking him up, clutching her arms around his waist.

“You're the stupid one here! There's no need for killing right now; all you to do is sleep.” Ashitaka lifted his head up to San and started to blush.

“San!” he gasped at her.

“Ok, you're not yourself; I can see that.” She then lifted her hand and saw blood on it. “Blood?” she thought to herself, and then she felt wetness on her legs. And when she looked down, she saw the blood spewing out from Ashitaka.

“Oh shit! Help!” San cried out, Motoko then came running in to find Ashitaka bleeding again.

“We need to sort out this problem right now!” They both took Ashitaka back into the first room where the little girl was sitting in a corner. They both lay him down on the mattress and Motoko ripped open his red-stained kimono, staring at the massive hole through his body. The little girl squirmed a little and immediately looked away.

“We need to stitch the wound right away.” Motoko startled, as took out a small box with needles and small threads inside. Ashitaka stared at the needles, and began to tremble.

“San, what is she going to do to me?!” He panicked.

“She's just gonna clean up your wounds; you're going to be ok.” San cooed at him.

“Damn! There must be some pieces of wood stuck in there. I'm gonna have to take that out, otherwise it will infest in him.” She looked at San.

“Right.” San assured her.

“This will hurt, so try to make Ashitaka distract from the pain.” San thought to herself; what will distract Ashitaka from the pain? Then she decided to take his unhurt hand, and grasp it tightly.

“Ashitaka; I want to clench onto me a tightly as possible.”

“But I'll hurt you.”

“Look, just do it!” Motoko pulled up her sleeves and cleansed her hands.
“I'm going in now.” Motoko said.

“Ok.” San reassured. Motoko then pressed her hand into the wound. Ashitaka winced in pain squinted his eyes. He then started to clench San's hand, then San crippled in ache; Ashitaka's grasp was tight. San took out little pain noises from her throat.
“I'm sorry.” Ashitaka whispered.

“Don't be sorry.” She supported him. But suddenly, she accidentally slipped and then placed his hand onto her left breast. Ashitaka then gave out a pink haze within his cheeks.

“I-I-I…”

“Don't…say it!” San growled. “All I want is for you to be ok.” Motoko gave a quick glance at her.

“Strange, she hates humans yet she's fond of this one. Why him?” She thought to herself. She then snapped out the piece of wood stuck inside him. Ashitaka gave a quick grunt as she disposed the wood.

“Now all we can do is stitch the wound together.” Ashitaka loosened the grip on San's breast as she exhaled softly.

Hours have passed. It was then midnight, and the little girl was already fast asleep. Motoko had finished the stitching on the side of his abdomen. “That's the big bit done; now all that's left is his right hand.” She picked up the hand and looked at the palm. But she then flinched at the sight of his scar from the demon curse. “My God” she thought to herself, but refused to take that into priority and thought about his health instead. She stitched that up too, and wrapping both injuries in clean cloths. “There; it will be quite sore in the morning, but he will be okay.”

“His temperature still seems high.” San said in little worry.

“That's normal. It will take a couple of days to go down” Motoko replied as she walked into another room to wash her hands.

“You hear that Ashitaka? You're gonna be fine.” San whispered in his ear. Ashitaka was quite dozed off as well. “I'll sleep with you tonight.” But first she took a spare blanket and spread it over the little girl. She then went back to Ashitaka and fell asleep by his side, protecting him in his dreams.