Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction ❯ Princess Mononoke Rebirth ❯ The Game is on ( Chapter 31 )

The Game is On

 

Smoke came from the hills of Irontown, along with minions of slave samurais marching in and out of the town with a piece of weaponry attached to their arms. Keirtoro looked stern and irritated over head with his men rebuilding walls cut down from the trees of the forest; this would anger the remaining gods intensely. Then a soldier came up from behind.

“Sir, we have successfully created-

“Is she awake?” Keirtoro interrupted rudely.

“Well no but-

“Then why are you here?”

“I just thought-

He then turned around sharply and grabbed his armor.

“You don't think; you know! And I will not rest, until I know, that she has returned from her little nap!”

 

San was found lying still on the ground; her knees were brought quite close to her stomach, and her hands lapsed onto each other. Her eyes were closed softly but the blood on her clothes remained stained. Then, a hushed but hollow wind trickled her ear as she lay on her side. The wind flew by with small indistinctive whispers that couldn't b heard enough for another to hear. But then, miraculously, San opened her eyes gradually and looked into the darkened room she had slept in. She brought her head up a little as felt her nerves return to her, and she then resumed her silent breathing.

“…I'm still alive?”

 

Back over at the secret houses, Ashitaka, Sasuke and Motoko were both preparing themselves to redeem themselves from their last defeat against Keirtoro and his murderous army. Ashitaka's bow was stabbed into the ground a little, and filled with tied up strings to pull lethal arrows from; he was reframing it, trying to see which string throws the fastest and deadliest arrows he could unleash yet. He then let out some of his original stone arrows and tested them out against the bark of a tree. He raised his bow from the ground and placed an arrow with the sting, he pulled it back, and remained still for the moment, until he released the shot and fired it at the bark. He rose up another arrow, aimed it and fired. And then another, and fired. And fired, and fired, and fired once more. He made himself a little pattern upon the bark as some sort of bull's-eye shot. Ashitaka loosened the grip on his bow and then sighed a little to the ground; revealing a sad depressed look on him.

“Why do you still look discouraged Ashitaka?” He then turned around and saw Sasuke standing behind him.

“I don't know what they've done to San.”

“True, but there are other things you need to take into account as well.” Sasuke then walked up to Sasuke with a pair of sais in his hands. “Ashitaka, Keirtoro is more than human; you won't be able to defeat him with just your arrows. And if you do fight, you will be endangering your life.” Ashitaka then looked down again and blinked slowly. He then looked down at the Sais Sasuke were holding.

“May I have a look at your sais?” Sasuke then flipped one of them with the blade carefully in his grip and the handle in front of Ashitaka. He then took hold of the sai; he saw a blue sapphire stone in the middle, with silver engravings of Japanese calligraphy. The weight of the rapier was as light as a feather, but the steel felt as strong as indestructible. Ashitaka lifted the sai into the air and flipped it backwards; he paused for a moment and flipped it back forwards, and tilted it from side to side. He then stopped and handed it back to Sasuke.

“My father use to teach me with this type of weaponry.” Sasuke then smirked a little and smiled.

“Thanks.” He then touched the handle but accidentally touched Ashitaka's hand. Then the smile upon Sasuke's face disappeared slowly; merging gradually into a horror scarce grimace. His eyes broadened and his iris' turned pale blue. He looked at Ashitaka's face, as he then saw him turn, and slashed a samurai down with his sword in anger. His face was quite bloody, and his eyes were blind with rage. He then howled out a warrior cry and ran behind him; running up to another two samurais and gritted his teeth.

“This the last one!!” he hollered out, and then held the samurai in front of him with his hand gripping his armor-plated shoulder, and forced his sword through the two of the soldiers; thrusting through the two of them at the same time. Ashitaka growled at them as the blood sprayed out from their organs, their bodies began to wither and die as Ashitaka kept pushing in further, and further. He then heard something behind his ear; he sharply turned around, and saw a strange light started to spear towards him. Ashitaka pulled the sword out harshly from the two dead samurais and aimed at the light. But then it stopped and levitated for the moment, it then transformed into a long narrow dagger, with a sapphire stone in the middle.

“Sasuke's sai?” Ashitaka questioned, and then the sai levitated closer, and closer to Ashitaka with a few inches. But then it dashed quickly to him; Ashitaka's eyes broadened and his blood turned pale. He tried to stop it, but the sai was then stabbed into his left eye.

“AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!” A scream soared out so painful it pierced Ashitaka's ears, as screeched out a shattering tone in his voice and collapsed to the floor. He managed to ripped the said out and threw it to one side, but the blood refused to pour out from his eye socket and drip onto his clothes. He still cried out excruciatingly with ache. His body wouldn't stop shuffling, and kept moving up and down on the ground, with his hand trying to cover his wounded eye. He then started whispering eerily as he clenched his muscles together to withhold the pain. “I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you…”

There was then a blurred figure above him, the shadow overtook his identity. Ashitaka then shakily raised his right hand towards it with his right eye broadened with throbbing of his wound. “I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you…” But then the blurred then raised a heavy metallic weapon, and then slashed it down upon Ashitaka.

“AAH!” Sasuke gasped in as the vision shook him.

“Sasuke what's wrong?” Ashitaka panicked a little.

“Nothing.” Sasuke panted.

“You're not telling me something.”

“I said nothing.” Sasuke snapped back.

“Well fine then!” Ashitaka snarled at him and turned away. Sasuke still saw that Ashitaka had the suppressed anger inside him.

“Ashitaka…why do you cage your anger?” Ashitaka then looked up a little.

“Because bad things happen from them.”

“Not if you stifle them.” Ashitaka then turned back to Sasuke. “Repression is a dangerous thing Ashitaka; I held it once and killed someone close to me. I don't want that to happen to anyone else.”

“What are you saying Sasuke?”

“I'm saying, release you hate; don't bear it.” Sasuke then walked off with both his sais leaving Ashitaka to think a little.

“Release my hate.”

 

It was nearly dusk, and the three warriors prepare themselves for their return to Irontown; Motoko had her daggers and pistols wrapped to her body, Ashitaka had his arrows, bow and sword at the ready, and Sasuke kept his sais hidden within his clothing. Sasuke then walked up to Motoko as she inclined her weapons to the ready, along with a sheathed samurai sword in his hand.

“Motoko.” He called out to her softly.

“What is it Sasuke?” She then turned around to him, and then Sasuke rose up the sword to her.

“I want you to use this.” Motoko then looked down at hr forbidden instrument and turned her face away from it.

“I can't.”

“Do this for me, please.” She then looked down upon the sword once more, and unconfidently looked back up at Sasuke. “And do this for your mother too; Eboshi will be proud of you to use it.” Motoko gasped a little at him.

“You know?”

“Yes.” She then slowly took hold of it with one hand, but then Sasuke placed his other hand on top of hers. “And please be care out there.” Motoko stared at Sasuke with softness in her eyes and infatuation in Sasuke's. He clenched his hand a little as he refuse to let her go a little, but then he let her go to give her the sword that killed her father. However Motoko promised to use it for Sasuke and her mother; Lady Eboshi.

“Ashitaka.” Sasuke then called out to him, as Ashitaka then rose his head up. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” He replied back, he then walked up to the other two and looked at them both. Then Kaya came in and saw the three warriors organized to rescue San.

“Kaya…” Motoko then knelt down to her level and place her hands on her shoulders. “You can't come with us this time; we have to save San on our own.”

“I understand sister.” Motoko then breathed in a little puff and watered her eyes a little. She then brought Kaya into her embrace and squeezed her tightly.

“Whatever happens, the wolf will always take care of you, and will raise you to be a good person. Do you understand?”

“I do.” Kaya then squeezed her back as Sasuke and Ashitaka looked down at the two sisters saying their goodbyes.

“What were the last words you said to your sister?” Sasuke then asked Ashitaka when he then looked at him and sighed back. Ashitaka paused for a moment in despair.

“You know I will never forget you.”

“Do you wish you can see her once more?”

“Always.” They then looked at Motoko and Kaya once more as then brought their embrace to an end. Then Motoko saw the wolf outside of the house staring at Kaya.

“I want to the stay with the wolf; it's not safe here, you will live with him.”

“Will I see you again Motoko?” Motoko wiped away the tears she shed a little and sighed.

“I hope so Kaya. I hope so.” She gave her another quick hug and then brought her sister to San's brother. Kaya was then raised up and put upon his back with Motoko staring at the wolf's eyes. “Please take care of her. I know you are not fond of humans, but we will try our hardest to rescue San.” The wolf did not reply back, but bowed his head to her, and then ran back into the forest. Motoko cried a little more but the dampened her snuffles away and slowly turned back to Ashitaka and Sasuke. “I'm ready.” She looked down to hide her tears away from them both, but they walked up to her and embraced them in their remedies.

“It's okay Motoko, you will see her again.” Ashitaka softly whispered to her.

“He's right, but we have to save San to save Kaya and everyone else.

“Yes.” Motoko sniffled and looked back up with a serious face. She straightened herself out and stood upright.

“So…are we gonna go or not?” The three warriors then looked at one another and nodded.

“Let's go.” Ashitaka stated.

“Wait!” Sasuke shouted out, and then Ashitaka came back and looked at him. “You will need this.” He then handed him his red mask with the white markings on at the top.

“How did you find this?”

“In Irontown.” He then handed him his mask as Ashitaka smiled a little.

“I'm sure your people will be round of you if you wear that with us.” Motoko intervened, and then Ashitaka looked at her and gave her a cheerful smile and made him a bit rosy in his cheeks, he then put it on his head and straightened it out a little, and then they all ran out from the area of their homes and through the forest; on their way to rescue the vulnerable San turning into the unmerciful Sakura.