Hey! First story on this board, but not the first story I published. Don't worry, it won't be terrible. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Hayao Miyazaki's wonderful artwork and storyline for Princess Mononoke. Even though everyone wishes they do.

"talk"

((thoughts))

Suigin Mitsukai

Parting of the Sky

Chapter One:

Iron Town

San sat in disgust of the polluting city black funnels of thick black smoke erupting into the clear blue sky. She watched the bustling city of Iron Town, the villagers repairing the major damage the Forest Spirit had done two years ago.

Somewhere, in the wooden city…was Ashitaka, the Emishi Prince whom she had grown to love so dearly. He has lived in the city, helping to rebuild it, and he said, occasionally, he would visit her whenever possible.

She has not seen him since.

Two years ago, when they had said their farewells to another, San covered her true emotions with her guile mask, wanting to explode into tears at that very moment Tamotsu started to walk away. Truly, her heart tugged sharply against her chest and splintered, she did not want him to stay in that stupid town, she wanted him to come with her; stay with her. Forever.

True, she had not known him for long, and she hated him inside out for half of it, but when she saw his side of compassion for all living things, beast or human, San saw who he really was. So henceforth, she started to slowly have a deepening love for the human boy.

San was not able to pick the best out of people, but Ashitaka was different to all the other careless humans that occupied Iron Town.

He had this certain calming feeling whenever he was around her, like he was not afraid of anything. Just his simple presence made her knees buckle, but she fought to stand. Whenever he looked at her, she felt she was going to float away or faint, but the only thing keeping her conscience was his dark blue eyes, locked onto hers. He anchored her down from killing that stupid gun-woman senselessly.

An anchor. He kept her sane and collected.

All she desired was his touch one more time, his caring… loving touch.

She was miserable without it. Alone… upset and desperate. Tamotsu and Keiji were not the most understanding brothers. They did not understand human emotions. They were wolves, and she recently realized, she was not.

Wolves do not desire another being, they do not shed tears from sadness and pain, and they do not go insane from loss of something that triggered an intense emotion. The two wolves certainly differed from her.

San sat on the boulder on the mountain that overlooked Iron Town with a low and dying flame in her heart. "San, its going to get dark soon. Lets go," Keiji, the youngest, said to the girl in his deep voice, the voice of a God.

"Go on. I'll find my way back. You know I can." San muttered, turning around to give them an assuring scratch behind the ears. The two giant white wolves walked away into the forest behind her back towards their den farther in the mountains.

San turned back around to the city below, searching for the slightest sign of blue. But there was quiet a bit of blue in the village, and even though she has very good eyesight, she still could not make out the hue of blue Ashitaka wore. Besides, the colors blended together and smoke shadowed the fortress anyhow.

But San still found a point in searching, being as stubborn as she is.

She sighed, lifting her head to the sky. "Silly wolves… the sun isn't even close to setting yet," the wind tossed her long, brown hair and shook her white porcelain earrings, creating a soothing tinkling noise. She stood up. Her blue dress was a lot shorter then it used to be, now it was a few inches above her knees, and it was tighter around her chest and stomach.

San reached into her shirt and pulled out the blue crystal dagger Ashitaka had given her. San rotated it in the suns rays, white dots of light sparkling on the boulder. She smiled and brought it to her lips, kissing it, then replacing it back into her shirt above her heart.

She bounded bravely down the mountain toward Iron Town.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You useless lump-!"

"Toki, I think he's heard enough," Ashitaka said with a trace of amusement in his voice, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards.

"Yes, honeybunch, see, I have it nailed down perfectly!" Kohroku announced proudly at his rare achievement, building the roof to his and his wives new home.

Ashitaka straightened his back and looked over the city spread out below him. Toki and Kohroku's hut was in the newest part of Iron Town on a slowly rising hill, the streets and huts looking crammed together near the main gate at the front of Iron Town.

The farmers were taking in the rice from the nearby fields not to far in the mountains that the town's folk had started at the beginning of the reconstruction of the city.

Iron Town has stayed loyal to their truce with the Gods and the humans, but the city needed wood to rebuild and fire to get the now smaller Iron-making warehouse to run and melt the iron ore. Lady Eboshi resorted to ship out rice to surrounding villages and cities by the lake to gain profits. Iron Town has a port for trade near the island the town originated from with a whole fleet of ships. The dirt from the mountains is getting cultivated to make the island larger and bigger to fit the immigrants coming into the city, so far, it has been the longest running job for Iron Town.

The rifles were decided to be reduced to a minimum, strictly for self defense along the outer walls, by Ashitaka's strong request. He hated seeing the God's and beasts die from a foreign material, and twice it turned two God's into demons, Nago and Okoto. If Lady Eboshi insisted on killing, he hoped she would find an easier way besides guns.

"Ashitaka! Ashitaka, the farmers need help getting the rice into the city, one of the oxen has fallen into a hole and broke its leg, some rice fell out of the cart, but some crates are too heavy for any of us to carry," the villager pointed towards the fallen oxen a ways outside the gate, down the path near the pass.

Ashitaka gave him a nod of understanding and turned to Kohroku. "I have to help carry rice into the city. Don't try too hard with that bad arm of yours," he said, climbing down the ladder, running and weaving down the streets to the front gate and down the dirt path.

"Ah, thank you so much, Ashitaka!" the farmer said, sighing with relief, showing him the two crates that needed carrying. Ashitaka lifted one crate up and over his head with ease, securing the straps around his stomach and chest. He held the other crate in his strong arms, walking back to the city.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

San approached the gates of Iron Town cautiously, keeping all of her senses on guard. She blended in with the crowd inside the walls, no one noticed her red marks or her attire-without the white pelt hung over her back. She prayed they did not shoot her with those damned rifles that killed so many animals…

((Where's his scent?)) San thought, trying to sniff out Ashitaka's human scent, but there were a lot of human's inside and they were all similar to his. She walked up a road and whenever she heard someone coming, San would cover herself in a dark place, retreating to go into another alley after they had passed.

Thinking it was safe, San stepped into the open daylight, into a seemingly quiet street.

All heads turned to her.

"It's the wolf-girl!" someone called out, pointing an accusing finger at her.

San got low in stance, clenching her fists at her sides when people ran up and encircled her. She regretted not brining a weapon…

San looked at their hateful expressions on there dark faces franticly, her eyes darting side to side as they pressured her into backing up into a high wall, cornering the fearless girl. To the side of her, San could see a man running to her, his arm pulled back, his hand curled tight. Just as she turned her head, the villager forced it back with a powerful blow to the face, knocking her to the ground.

San lay half on her side, her elbow holding her up as she brought a finger to her lip. She was stunned as she felt a trace of blood, her head dizzy. Suddenly San was kicked in the stomach, causing her to crash into the wall, breathless. She struggled to stand, gasping for air, using the clay wall as a support.

Another hit in the face, a jab at her leg, a tug on her hair.

San laid there, wondering why they felt so much hate and hostility toward her. She has not touched Iron Town for the past two years, and they still want her dead. She thanked the God's they did not have a weapon of any kind; otherwise she would be dead by now. But fists were just as hurtful.

"You witch!"

"You pathetic excuse!"

"Useless wolf-girl!"

These were few of the many insults she received, but could barely understand them from the roar of the protesting crowd that gathered. San tried using the last bit of her strength to fight back, but her throws and screams were over powered by another hit, forcing her to break and shatter to the ground.

((Wh-… Why? Ashitaka… where are you…?)).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ashitaka walked into Iron Town with the load of rice on his back and in his arms. He looked up from the ground he has kept his eyes on, to find a crowd of people just up the road. ((What's happening?)).

Ashitaka took the crate off his back and set the other one down and placed the other one beside it where the farmers were collecting the rice. He walked up the road to figure out what the fuss was about.

Upon walking up to it, he heard, "Stupid wolf-girl!" and instantly ran through the people desperately.

"No! Stop, please!" he cried, taking two villagers and throwing them aside. "San! San, are you alright? San!" Ashitaka shook her limp shoulder, rolling her over and onto his lap.

San had her lip cut open, scratches and bruises everywhere on her body, the red paint on her face smearing in some places. The bottom of her dress was torn up to her hip, which could reveal a lot. She fluttered open her eyes, quickly gasping for air. "Ashi-… Ashitaka?" She said in a raspy and short voice, then her head rolled over, her eyes lidded and unconscious.

Ashitaka knitted his brows and picked up San in his arms, one arm underneath her bent legs, the other arm around her shoulders. He left without a word to his hut Lady Eboshi granted him in the new part of town. San's head was tilted back, her arms and legs limp, almost seeming lifeless. But Ashitaka perceived that she was alive, the only thing that told him this was the slight rising and lowering of her chest. He looked away every time because due to the smallness of her dress, it caused her breasts to be more ample, and to him it did not feel right…

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ashitaka opened and closed the front sliding door with one foot, and repeated the action to the door to his room. He laid San down on his bed, leaving to retrieve some more suitable clothing for her to wear, her dress old and ripping, even without the massive tear in her side.

He returned a while later with a women's kimono in his hand, a deep red color with two thick white lines at the hem. He opened the door to his room and saw San still unconscious. Ashitaka's cheeks flamed at what he had to do in order to dress her and tend her wounds.

He knelt beside her, thinking how to remove her clothing without waking her. Ashitaka brought a callused hand to her cheek and ran his thumb over a scrape on her cheek. He bit his lip, running his hand through her dirty hair. Ashitaka looked over her body, finding dirt in her cuts. ((She needs a bath…)), he sighed. He looked out the window and saw the sky deepening to an orange and pink color.

He needed to wait until the new bath house was closed and San was awake.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dark clouds moved over Iron Town and the mountains, blocking out sunlight. It started pouring rain a while ago, making the dirt roads slippery with puddles and muddy, easy to slip and fall. The Emishi Prince led San to the bath house, his blue kimono draped over her head. He found the back door to the building and opened it silently. It was dark inside, meaning no one was there.

Inside it smelt like of hot water, fresh wood and stones. San quietly followed him inside, gripping his hand tight as if she let go, she would get attacked again. Ashitaka found his way to the women's side of the bath house from the natural light seeping through the windows. Walking inside the large room, Ashitaka stepped into the pool of steaming water, turning around so his back faced San, who was getting undressed.

He heard her step into the water and once she was in completely, Ashitaka turned around.San was completely covered the waterline just above her chest, her hair draping over her shoulders and behind her back, swirling in the water.

All Ashitaka wanted to do was to just pull her to his chest and hold her tight. She was so beautiful, but the sorrow and hurt in her eyes mad him want to embrace her once more, hugging her slender form to him. "San…," Ashitaka breathed out as she walked towards him, her eyes locked onto his.

"Ashitaka," San whispered, tears spilling out of her eyes, washing away the red on her cheeks.

Seeing her tears, Ashitaka took San by the shoulder and brought her to him quickly, holding her tightly. "Its all right, San. They won't hurt you ever again, not when you by my side. Please... don't cry… please San," he pleaded. He knew he would hate it if San dared to shed a single tear. She was in pain, and it tore him up knowing that he could have protected her. He could have helped Kohroku finish his roof and he would have seen San come through the gate! He could have spared her from the pain…

But he could not have said 'no' to the help he needed to attend to. He could not have denied it even if he tried. It was in his kind heart to help the people into finishing the village, so he could finally see San, and never have to leave her alone. But so saying 'yes' to everything, he never had anytime to see her, at all. He regretted saying so; he regretted misleading her for the past two years.

San shut her eyes tightly to try and rid of the tears, but more only came. "Ashitaka… I'm scared...," she said faintly, her voice muffled against his chest.

It struck him in the heart.

She had never been afraid of anything before, and now, she's afraid of mere villagers—who killed her mother and an entire race of boars.

She had not reason not to be afraid.

"San… you're all right; everything is alright," Ashitaka held her close, wishing to whisk her fears away. San sniffed and pulled away from Ashitaka, turning around and dipping her head in the water to wet her hair down. She stood up and squeezed water out of the ends of her hair. San reached behind Ashitaka's head and pulled loose the string that held his long hair in a low ponytail at the middle of his neck.

His hair reached to the bottom of his neck, gracing over his shoulders. Sans smiled. "I haven't seen you in so long… too long,"

"I've tried countless times to come and see you, but there's been no time at all. I wanted to leave at night, but I've been too tired," Ashitaka reached for his kimono. He sank it in the water and ringed it out to wash her face and arms. He used the bottom of it to scrub her marked cheek gently, so he would not irritate the scratches and make them scar on her flawless face… but he wondered why she ever put it on. Her face was just as beautiful without them.

He reached into the water to take her arm to start to clean the cuts and scrapes caringly. The wolf-girl watched him with half-lidded eyes, his expression was soft, his eye brows furrowed slightly with determination, handsomely.

"Why do you care so much about my well-being? You know I can take care of myself, Ashitaka," she said, her voice small, as if she did not have the will to speak.

He looked up to meet her gaze. "I know that, its just… I love you so much, San. I can't stand to see you hurt and let it pass by me," Ashitaka looked into her blue-green eyes, finding a flare of love flicker in her bright eyes.

"Ashitaka… I love you too…," tears welled up in her eyes once more, her brows raised.

She could not hold herself back any longer.

San pulled Ashitaka to her, her lips to his own, sharply, startling him with his eyes wide with shock. Moments passed and she parted from him, sinking back into the warmth of the murky blue water. She felt her cheeks burn red when she looked up at him.

Ashitaka let her arm fall into the water as well as his kimono, taking her face in his hands, he kissed her back. Both made it more passionate by opening and closing their mouths in sync, losing breath quickly.

The Emishi boy pulled back, setting his forehead on hers, smiling broadly. San gave him a genuine smile, pecking him on the lips.

Ashitaka washed San's hair before letting her dry off with one of the towels that were in a basket in one of the corners of the room. She pulled on the red kimono he had bough specifically for her. For a belt, San ripped off the bottom of one of the towels and tied it around her waist like the other women did.

Ashitaka pulled back his hair into the same string once more. San was drying her hair with the same towel, shaking her head upside down and rubbed the towel to her scalp. She threw the towel to the side and granted Ashitaka her hand as he led her back the same way they had came.

Outside, it had stopped raining and now it was only but a simple drizzle with some humidity. The easiest way back was through the alleys, and it was faster so San did not have to walk on her sore legs. But Ashitaka knew she was going to toughen out and be the warrior he knew she was. His warrior.

As they reached Ashitaka's hut, the love-struck boy took San in his arms like he had done earlier that day, making her giggle happily as he opened the door in the same fashion as before, closing it the same way. He took her to his room, laying her down and sliding the rice paper door shut.

The nineteen-year-old put his hands on either side of San and leaned down to lock his lips to hers. She tried not to smile while kissing him, but the immense urge exploded and San broke the kiss by laughing. Ashitaka smiled. "What is it that's so funny?" He questioned, the expression of amusement and confusion written on his young face.

"Oh, just the massive amounts of my love for you, is all," She sprang up quickly and tackled him, her lips crashing to his, paying back her debt.

She let go due to loss of breath a few minutes later, laying her head on his strong chest, listening to the soft beating of his heart. San sighed heavily but dreamily. "That's and interesting to be giggling about so much," Ashitaka chuckled, his hand raising to stroke her silky hair.

"I know because it makes my heart want to giggle!" San laughed, sitting up.

Ashitaka smiled from ear to ear, feeling his own heart jump and tickle. He took her smaller hand in his own, his dark blue eyes set on hers. "San, you're a beautiful person inside and out. Don't let that change," He pulled her down to him, kissing her for the umpteenth time that night.

Finally, letting go, Ashitaka sat up, gently pushing San down into the bed, lifting the covers over her, getting beneath them himself. When he laid down, San wrapped an arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder.

Ashitaka fell asleep, thinking about the day ahead.

Hello again! Just read and review, that's always a good thing to the author, right:D

Ill write the next chapter as soon as I can! I won't leave you guys wondering 'when is the next chapter coming?' and post it months later, like I did with one of my stories awhile back.

Review, please!!

Suigin Mitsukai