Why, hello fellow fanfiction-ers! I have returned from the dead! AND with a new twist in the story—but not in this chapter, I'm sorry to say. BUT I AM SO EXCITED TO POST IT.

I was inspired to continue this story with all your SUPER AWESOME reviews and how nice you people are. (Haha, I sound like a happy-freak… XD) SO NOW IM GONNA REWARD YOU PEOPLE.

"speech"

((thoughts))

Disclaimer: Miyazaki pretty much owns my life. :D

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Parting of the Sky

Chapter Five: Always the Opposites

The next morning, San and Ashitaka lay asleep, soundless; quiet. Everything was at peace, enough to hear a pin drop, the soft breathing of the tiny girl that lay atop his strong chest, and even the faint whispers of the wind that blew through the open window. The sun just barely poked out of the horizon, sending watercolors of orange, pink and purple into the brightening sky, strips of wispy clouds scattered here and there everywhere across the sky. There was nothing—

Several loud explosions shook the expanding village and every occupant that resided inside its walls.

San sat up, alarmed, pulling the blanket around her chest. Ashitaka opened his eyes lazily as if he never heard anything at all. When everything registered in his mind, he sat up as well and stepped out of bed, changing into his clothes. San reached for her kimono and stuck her slender arms in the holes of the sleeves, tied the belt around her hips and stood up.

"What was that?" she walked to the front deck, curious.

Ashitaka followed her a minute later, completely dressed and his hair bound in his short ponytail. He stood behind her in the doorway, peering over her head, watching the people flood into the streets like fleeing mice, wondering what on earth woke them up from their peaceful slumber.

All the roads were now flooded with the chatter of the villagers, searching around at the supposed explosions. They were like deer at headlights, unknowing to what their fate was planned out to be.

Just what Lord Asano wanted.

Samurai swept into the city like waves on the beach, one set after another until they looked like they were one big bunch, thinking on their own free will without direction. They fanned out, and those unfortunate closest to the holes in the barrier of the city were slaughtered first, then the ones who got in their way and slowly the people who just saw, witnessing it all. They killed like madmen, mindless, only caring about bloodshed and massacre.

The village men ran to the armory, retrieving every weapon possible, even wood planks would do just fine. Screams were commonplace now, at this time of frenzy and fear, and the smell of fresh, irony blood filled the air, infecting it. The smell of gun powder getting blasted and burnt lingered as well, leaving traces of curling smoke before it vanished.

There was no time to think.

Ashitaka spun San around by her shoulders and held her there, his eyes boring deep into hers with all seriousness. "San, get out of here. Go back to your brothers, I'll be there. I promise," he nearly pleaded, afraid to see her die. He couldn't stand to think of her death, it shook him to his bones.

"No, Ashitaka! I won't! I'm staying here," she shook her head vigorously, trying to rid of her tears. ((There are so many people dying…))

Ashitaka looked down for a minute, contemplating ideas. He knew he couldn't force her to leave, he's tried before and it proved to be of no use. "Alright, but you need a weapon of some sort. I need to talk to Lady Eboshi, so you'll have to find the armory yourself, but the armory is down this road to the south, take two rights and one left. It's not hard to miss. Meet me on the east side of town," Ashitaka ran off the deck with a leap and meshed into the wave of people going down the road.

San jumped off the deck as well but went the opposite direction, running and weaving into villagers. When she got to the armory, she found one sword left. It wasn't very sharp, though it could cut her finger; it was dull and probably had not been sharpened in a while.

She stepped outside, the dirt ground soaking with blood, and unsheathed her sword so fast the unsuspecting samurai never saw it coming. San cringed when she pulled the sword out, feeling her skin crawl just imagining how much pain that would have been to get a dull sword stabbed into your stomach and to have to wrench it out, twisting your insides to where it left you in agony before you died in vain. She gritted her teeth.

San thought this was the perfect chance to kill the humans! Oh, the time finally came, but something inside her told her to stop this madness. She pushed that though aside as much as she could, and continued to just kill every samurai or warrior that got near her. Anger rose in her stomach, just wondering how they could live with themselves, killing women and children alike so carelessly. She actually had an eligible reason for doing so.

She eventually found her way to the eastern side of the city… finding Ashitaka nowhere. San looked over herself and found blood splattered on her kimono, and even though the color of the fabric was dark, glimmering red stuck to her skin. The liquid streaked down her legs like rainwater, covering her bare feet.

She looked up and saw the roads were practically covered in blood…

Limbs and organs were splayed to and fro with limp corpses dumbly thrown aside, crumpled over their own people. The metallic, sticky liquid was dripping from the walls, pooling into the street like it had just rained. Her senses were overcame with the blood wafting in the air, clouding her vision to where it seemed like she was just seeing red. How… disgusting.

San came into a state of hot rage just seeing how there were so many lives and souls flying in the air around her, screaming--crying for a second chance. She let her eyes wander the small square and found a target, ending off its prey. She took a step, her foot squelching in the mud, and slyly approached him from behind.

His ears perked up and he turned around. "Ah!" the samurai gave her a disgustingly sick smile, running over to her with a stupid roar. San ran to him with unmatched speed and sliced his head off in one fluid motion.

She swallowed hard as she heard the disturbing plop behind her. It chilled her bones, she wouldn't look to find a headless body; it would be something from a nightmare. "It's a demon!" a group of samurai saw her kill the brainless idiot and the five charged at her.

San barely missed the blade thrust at her, intending for her neck in a slice motion. She forced her dull blade upward at an angle, piercing his armor—and it was iron. The four remaining all threw their swords down at her from above, but San jumped up between two of them with her practiced skill she learned over the years. She kicked both their heads at once with absolute precision, snapping their necks. She landed on her feet as they crumpled to the ground, feeling the air break behind her, so she side stepped and let the samurai murder his own comrade.

She turned around to kill the last murderer, but was met with a grunt and a tip of another sword. He fell to the ground as well and behind him was Ashitaka, his blade sliding out of the 'man's' back. "Ashitaka!" San exclaimed, wiping some blood off her cheek with her sleeve.

He grinned, but it faded as loud bombings from Iron Town's cannons ceased the remaining samurai outside the walls, and the few hundred retreated, even though there was plenty to wipe out the rest of the civilians, but Lord Asano knew better…

The villagers-turned-warriors roared in the street with their supposed victory.

Later that night, after all the corpses were removed and the massive amounts of blood cleaned up, the people of Iron Town were packed in the town hall, shoulder to shoulder. Ashitaka sat on the stage with Gonza and Lady Eboshi at the front.

"Lord Asano took a bold step and attacked Iron Town with drastic effects," she started. "He still demands our iron, after two years. I don't think we should give it to him. Do you, my beloved people who forge it day and night, think we should give him half?" She said with a smile on her bright red lips, pacing the stage to bring up morale, her empty sleeve billowing.

"NO!!" the crowd that filled the hall shouted. There were still others nearly piling outside, trying their hardest to listen to the speech.

"So henceforth, we will need armor for our soldiers I am mobilizing. I will need strong men to defend Iron Town, as well to go on the offensive. Who is willing?"

Hands shot up in the sea of people anxiously. Eboshi stopped moving around and pivoted her body just enough to glance at Ashitaka. She gave him a small smirk that was a bit strange. It was almost devilish, yet it sent Ashitaka an unintended warning.

"Also, we need a commander on the fields since I can no longer do any help. I have decided that Lord Ashitaka shall be your general. He will do us great good,"

Everything seemed to stop…

…her heart, her breathing, her thoughts. Oh, how San wanted to scream her lungs dry at stupid Eboshi for making such an irrational choice. It was like she was trying to break San's heart…

Ashitaka's dark eyes widened. There was no way she said his name—no way. She couldn't have, it's not possible, it can't be—"What do you say?" Lady Eboshi turned her head to him, smirking with a slim brow raised as if to challenge him.

It was confirmed.

He was to be General.

To leave San, with no certainty of coming back, with every possible way of dying, this couldn't be true. He couldn't—wouldn't do this again.

Ashitaka stood up to protest, but Gonza reached out for his wrist and pulled him back into his sitting position. He didn't try any further. It was like his muscles were not responding to what his brain was telling them to do. Ashitaka found San in the crowd and gave her a look of turmoil and defeat, pursing his lips together.

"No…," San whispered, unable to do a thing.

She was helpless.

(A/N: just ignore that breaker, please)

San left the city hall, pushing people aside to go to her second home. The horrid stench of blood still lingered in the air, staining Iron Town for years to come. She reached Ashitaka's house and plopped down on the front porch, her elbows on her knees and her face buried in her palms. She wanted to cry, but she could not, her tears were gone long ago.

Ashitaka had also up and left during Lady Eboshi's speech—and he didn't even pay attention—when he saw San leave. He found her sitting on the porch, staring off into nowhere, almost void of emotion. He approached her, holding out his arms and she walked right into them. He embraced her tightly, holding her close to him. He didn't want to ever let go, he didn't know what would happen if he lost her again.

"I'm going to stay here with you, Ashitaka, but tomorrow I have to go to Tamotsu and Keiji. I'll be back the next day," San drew away from him, looking down at her muddied feet while fiddling with her hands.

Ashitaka swallowed hard. "Go now… while no one is watching. Take Yakul. He should let you on," Ashitaka said with disdain. He didn't want her to leave, but it was the best choice. San ran to the stables while he went to the gate to open it for her since it was closed for the night.

San passed through when it was open enough for Yakul to pass by, and he watched her leave until she disappeared behind the pass. He shut the gate as quietly as he could manage, even though there were a handful of guards on the top of the entrance, he just simply ignored him and they returned the favor.

He needed to speak to Lady Eboshi.

Ashitaka found her in her hut, conversing with Gonza and—

Jigo.

His mouth fell limp. "Jigo?" Ashitaka said more to himself than to the fat and stubby man, allowing the straw door to fall.

"What are you doing here?!" Ashitaka demanded, his fists clenching and his nails stabbing into his tan palm. He gritted his jaw in disgrace and shame of the half-pint, stupid-nosed man that wiped out an entire herd of boars—singlehandedly. He hurt San in the process, as of which he would never be able to forgive the 'monk' for, even though Ashitaka had a forgiving nature. Hell would freeze over before he even thought to forgive Jigo.

"Ah, Ashitaka! Long time, no see!" Jigo strangely bowed to him, as if he didn't know what his horrible mistake was. "Now—"

"Answer me, Jigo!" Ashitaka ordered a second time, his normally high patience running thin very quickly.

Jigo sighed, rubbing his temples and shutting eyes as he lowered his head. Ashitaka wished to believe he was ashamed, but this was Jigo. His 'dignity' was too great for shame. "I've come to aid you in attacking Lord Asano—"

"I won't allow it," Ashitaka shook his head, uncaring to what Jigo had left to say. It was all going to be full of lies anyhow, so why should he listen?

Eboshi piped in. "Ashitaka, we need Jigo to help. His men were useful before," Eboshi calmly said, turning around to face the fuming man.

"He certainly was helpful—to kill thousands of boars. Lady Eboshi, we don't need his help," Ashitaka said with a hard and cold voice, his harsh glare stabbing daggers—no, swords—at Jigo, unmoving, death-like. All he wanted to do was terrify Jigo out of his skin, but he knew he couldn't manage that much hate.

"Ashitaka, Jigo knows a lot of things about Lord Asano's army and how he works it. Jigos tactics and strategies could very well win this war,"

"War?" There is no war! Why can't you just give up the damned iron, Eboshi?!" His anger rose dangerously.

Her gaze fell to anger, but she remained calm. "I've made a living with this iron of mine, and I'm not about to give it up to a man like himself. I'm a stubborn woman, if you will," She smirked the same way she gave him in the city hall… he hated it. "So be it, Ashitaka. You will cooperate with Jigo. You serve under me, so you will obey my orders," she said simply with a bit of pride stinging her words. She turned and with a final glance, exited the hut.

Ashitaka exhaled sharply, clanking his teeth quietly, feeling his arm beg him to grab his hilt. It took him a minute or two to completely get control of his usual calm before he lifted his gaze and opened his eyes. "Alright, Jigo. What have you tell me?" He said in an unsatisfied tone, walking over to the set up on the maps, sitting himself down.

Jigo unrolled a scroll that had a part of Japan colored and landscaped to perfection. It was a map of the area they occupied. Jigo pointed to a spot on the map in the upper left corner. "This is Lord Asano's estate… and we're here," He dragged his stubby finger across the parchment until it reached the middle of the left.

Ashitaka nodded. "What else?"

"I'm getting to that," Jigo rolled his eyes. "See, Asano almost always gets here by the pass, so he keeps little groups of messengers consisting of three to five men along the paths he takes, hidden in bushes, trees, animal skins—you get the idea. Anyway, so in order to get him by surprise," he traced a line across the pap through a small mountain range. "We would have to get through here and attack him from behind," His finger ended up tapping Lord Asano's castle estate.

Ashitaka kept his eyes on the map, searching and thinking of ideas. The feeling he had in his stomach didn't make him very pleased. He didn't even want a war to begin with, it was all but a stupid battle over a small portion of iron, there was no use in killing so many over iron.

He shook his head unwillingly. "Jigo, there's no use in starting a battle with Asano. His army is clearly going to be larger than ours, and we don't need anybody else dead,"

Jigo slowly started shaking his head, a loud chuckle erupting from his throat. Ashitaka didn't understand what was so funny about death. Did Jigo think killing people was enjoyable? A lovely pastime? He kept his mouth shut, although. "Here is where you don't understand, Ashitaka. We are more powerful than he is. We have iron. He has none."

San approached the cave in a matter of minutes, her tears flying off her cheeks and into the wind aimlessly. She finally could cry, but it was all useless, wasted tears. Yakul slowed to a trot and San swung her leg over the side and jumped off. The elk rubbed its furry head on hers, grunting with as much sympathy as he could manage.

San gave him a small smile and rubbed his ear affectionately. She let him go and walked to the cave, wiping her tears away as much as she could. She found Tamotsu and Keiji atop it, and they jumped down when San appeared. She took Keiji and cried into his silver and soft fur, taking it in bunches clumped in her fists. Keiji rubbed his snout on her back, trying to console her without words.

"San, why must you cry?" Tamotsu asked, sitting next to her with his paws crossed in front of him.

San lifted up her head, sniffing. "A-Ashitaka… h-he…,"

"I knew he couldn't be trusted," Tamotsu bellowed, snarling darkly, evilly, while his bright teeth glimmered in the moonlight.

"No! No, Tamotsu. Ashitaka was forced to lead Iron Towns army, and he won't be back, and he could possibly die, and…," San doubled over on her knees, holding her sides. "I don't know what I'll do!" she said, her voice choked with tears.

Keiji took a few sniffs over his body where San just was, leading over to her. He used his snout to urge her to sit straight. "Keiji…?" San asked in a small voice as his nose roamed her stomach.

"I smelt it as well," Tamotsu said.

"Smelt what?"What did you smell? Is it Ashitaka?" San prodded, looking frantically between her wolf-brothers, clearly confused.

"Yes, definitely Ashitaka. His scent is everywhere on you, and inside as well…," Keiji said with a deep and almost grim voice as he sat up. San didn't get it. ((Inside…?))

"Like what?" She folded her hands in her lap, looking between the two of them for an answer.

"San, we'll tell you when it's more obvious, but you'll know soon enough," Tamotsu piped in, preparing to jump back up to his spot on top of the cave.

San stopped him short. "Tamotsu and Keiji, I came to ask you for something in Ashitaka's place," She asked, bowing down so her forehead touched the stone. "Ashitaka would need your blessing, so if you could tell me yes or no," she sheepishly asked.

They both looked disappointed or as disappointed as wolves could look. "He put his mark on you, didn't he?" Tamotsu asked, something not very good bubbling in his words.

San nodded slowly, squeezing her eyes shut, praying for them to accept Ashitaka as a part of their odd family. She clasped her hands above her head, pleading to herself. A few seconds later she heard thumping on the ground and it started to fade. She sat up and saw them climbing the rock formation to the top where they usually laid. She furrowed her brows and her mouth fell loosely. "Do you have an answer?!" she shouted at them, running after her brothers.

"We must think about it for awhile," Keiji said, keeping his gaze away from San, as if in pity.

"You can't be mad at me for this-!" San retorted back, only to be interrupted by a deep and powerful voice.

"You went against our ways, San! You're becoming one of them. Ashitaka has changed you, he's convincing you to become one of those humans," Tamotsu snapped harshly.

"He loves me, Tamotsu! Isn't that enough for you? I am a human as well, so what makes you change your mind now!?" She felt tears rush to her eyes childishly again, how embarrassing.

"And you cry just like one of them," Both wolves disappeared from her view, leaving San in shock and betrayal.

"We are not using iron, Jigo," Ashitaka stood up with his fists balled up as he started walking out of the hut.

"We use iron or we kill your precious San," Jigo said casually, some sort of smile spreading across his box-shaped face.

Ashitaka stopped. He blindly unsheathed his sword and swung it behind him, aiming for Jigos neck, but he easily dodged it. "I'll have to cut your hands off if you dare touch her!" he lifted up his sword and thrust it down with both hands on the hilt, but the agile man dodged it again. The blade smashed into the wood with a great crash, sending chunks of wood and splinters in the air.

"Why are you attacking me? You don't kill in cold blood!" Jigo swiftly jumped up and kicked Ashitaka in the head. Ashitaka took a step back but kept holding onto his sword so he didn't fall back. He quickly regained his footing and pulled his sword out of the mess of wood and swung it back at Jigo at an angle, falling onto one knee from the force of his movement.

The monk jumped to the left and kicked his sword out of his hand with his tall geta. The sword flew out of his hand and across the room, lodging into the wall, waving a bit. Ashitaka refused to let Jigo get the better of him. He attempted to punch him in the cheek, only to get his arm kicked away.

"You're clearly at a disadvantage!" Jigo pushed Ashitaka to the ground with his foot, but Ashitaka swung his leg and tripped him while on his back. Before Jigo could stand up and react, Ashitaka pressed his foot to his throat.

"You threatened San. You're a murderer, Jigo. I cannot forgive you, so leave before I do kill you," He pressed harder, but let him go reluctantly.

Jigo panted harshly while holding onto his throat. "Wolf-girl is in the forest… we have guns," Jigo struggled to stand up.

"Guns you say. The wolves will sniff your men out a mile away," Ashitaka shook his head. He didn't want to continue this business. "What have you to gain from attacking Lord Asano?"

"I let other people do my dirty work, Ashitaka," He stood up at long last. But he wanted to get back to the previous subject. "San will die when I sound the call, as long as you cooperate with my terms, she will then live. What do you say?"

"I say the wolves will kill your men," He repeated, trying to stab his point directly into his skull, but his patience was wasting away. "And you should leave or you'll be the one dead," He pointed his sword at Jigos pudgy neck in all seriousness.

"We have smoke and animal skins, the wolves won't suspect a thing. I'll say it one more time, Ashitaka: San will die or we use iron," Jigo said confidently, wracking every nerve Ashitaka held within his entire being, as stupid smile spreading across Jigos smug face. The very thought of seeing San die turned his very blood cold—or hot in some sort of intense anger he never felt before. It invaded all his thoughts, his right arm especially, coursed through every vein and—everything.

((Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm…)) He attempted to soothe this strange and intense urge to do the worst possible things…

Ashitaka wheeled around. "Get the iron," He said and walked out of the hut.

San stood at the edge of the rock that jutted out from the smallish cave, some stones in her hand. She threw them over the edge into the vast wilderness that stretched out to what it seemed like miles and miles of trees, muttering nothings about wolf-brothers and the rising sun stabbing her eyes.

"Ugh!!" she grew frustrated and launched all of the stones down below, gritting her teeth together angrily. ((Why can't they just understand!?)) She asked herself.

Ashitaka was just like her, a human, but only a man. They were of the same species, their hair and skin color in the same boundaries, and they were built the same, save for San was much skinnier and weaker. But what was so terribly different about them? San had always acted the same around them, what was so unusual now? Maybe they are the ones that changed, not her!

San growled and sat on the edge of the stone, her feet hanging over the side. Biting her lip and supporting her weight with her palms behind her on the ground, she allowed the wind to toss her longish hair. Slowly her hands started to slip on the stone, and so she fell on her back.

"What the…," She lifted up her palms and examined them in the growing sunlight.

Her hands were paler except for the dirt on the heel of her hand, and certainly fleshier than she remembered. Her hands were no longer rough save for a few places where blistered formed and callus' took place, but for the most part, her hands were generally soft. San stood up and looked at her legs, a bit shocked and taken aback. Her legs were still long, thin but strong. Feeling her stomach, San could still feel her muscle and her arms still felt the same as before.

San lifted up her hands and patted her cheeks, felt her nose and her jaw, running her thumbs over her brows and eyelids. Everything was exactly the same!

What was so different? How had she changed? Why did they shun her so? Treated her like an outsider?

San breathed in and realized… it wasn't her appearance that had differed, but it was her change in heart.

She had grown accustomed to the human ways, ate their food, talked with them like they were her family! For heaven's sakes, she even cried in front of her brothers who thought she was so strong and tough—wolves like themselves! She even went so low to beg and plead for them to accept Ashitaka—a human who they could never begin to trust!

What had corrupted her mind like this?

But they did know this: Tamotsu and Keiji had only one piece of evidence, only one, and that was all they needed to set their minds on this course that could change everything.

Ashitaka had made her think, act this way.

He was the one who asked her to come with him, the human who loved her and made her feel something other than hatred, who, ultimately, made her a real human with so much more life and emotion than the wolf-girl or Princess Mononoke that her brothers took her in for.

San was now a part of the humans, and there was absolutely no turning back. She could not alter her doings; she could not become who she once was. There was no possible way on earth to change Tamotsu's and Keiji's minds. This person, who she is now, is the only person she will be in their minds. San was a different person, and this new skin she had grown was the exact manifestation that her brothers hated.

San knew that they did not welcome her with wagging tails as they had done before, all she was and is now, is just another parasitic human to be killed just like all the others. She was insignificant to them now.

She turned around to face her brothers who stood atop the stone formation so boldly and brave, looking down at her with loathing, piercing gold eyes. Both gods stood aside one another, glaring down at her like a new found enemy, one who was rejected silently by her own doing.

Without words, they told her through their gazes that she must go. She must leave. "Tam—"she sputtered, utterly at loss for words.

Keiji growled and Tamotsu bared his teeth brashly, lowering, almost ready to pounce. San felt her heart splinter completely, broken like shattered glass. The shards almost seemed to stab her chest, claw at her throat an insides, tearing her about from the inside out.

San never felt more scared in her life, never would she think that her own brothers were threatening to tear her into pieces—but they were already doing their job. She almost could feel the wave of agonizing sadness envelope her, just watching her family turn against her with every thought possible on killing her. She lost everything, all over night.

They were wolves, not to be dealt or prodded with under any circumstances whatsoever, and she knew this a bit too well. She had watched what they had done to the humans, and she was just another target. But… she couldn't lose them like this… not like this…

"Tell me it's all just a lie! Tell me it wasn't all meaningless! Keiji and Tamotsu, I—"

"Go!" Tamotsu roared. "You have now over stayed your presence, San. Go back to your human-friends where you belong,"

San shook her head and opened her mouth to say something more, anything more to change their minds, but Keiji jumped down brashly and growled again, this time more fierce and deadly. San gritted her teeth together and ran to Yakul, who almost knew when San wanted to call him. She swung up on the elk just when he started to a fast run, and in perfect time before the two wolves could lose their patience and attack them both.

San held onto Yakul's reins and pulled him left and right through the fauna back to whence she came.

Ashitaka held his head in his hands, his finger entangled in his hair which now fell freely over his shoulders and tickled his cheeks, free from its bind. He let a growl escape his throat through clenched teeth once again; punching a trunk of a tree that once stood in the forest and now stood here tied to many others. As he walked away from Eboshi's garden he didn't notice that he had punched a deep dent into the dead tree. The wood created many cuts and abrasions on his right forearm, but he could have cared less.

Ashitaka exhaled sharply while his heels clanked against the dirt floors of the village as he angrily walked by, kicking whatever happened to be in the way of his stride.

He was not a man to break his promises, and now he broke the biggest one he could possibly ever make in his life.

He let down San, the wolves, the forest, most of all. The forest will scream in pain and sorrow once more, cry silently for a last plea of refuge. And it will all be because of him over a stupid and rash choice.

He didn't understand why war had to be so commonplace. Did death and suffering make someone truly proud of their actions? If not, then why didn't Eboshi just give up the iron? There is plenty iron in store now to stop all this madness!

He just didn't understand every way man could make. Why can't man just succumb and try to foresee what their actions would lead to? He just didn't get it.

But what he understood more than anything was: Men take pride in what they have accomplished, and it get harder to take that pride and satisfaction away when it was all you have ever known.

He knew this because San was the only woman he had ever loved, and he was not about to have her taken away from him so damn easily. He would not ever have her die by the pudgy and filthy hands of Jigo, not even over his dead body, if so be it. He could not lose her again, or it will surely be the death of him.

Up ahead, Ashitaka saw Lady Eboshi walk to him, her dark eyes set on him with every intent of telling him things he did not want to hear, but he had no desire to listen to her speak nonsense. He took a quick turn down a smaller road that led to the gates.

He ran down the road and took a sharp left and then a right. The gate appeared suddenly and he jumped up the stairs by two swiftly and looked toward the pass where San should be coming from. But he couldn't escape Eboshi forever.

"Ashitaka," She startled him like she was a ghost, but he showed no signs of surprise. He said nothing as he leaned on the edge with his elbows on top, squinting to find any sign of the red elk. "What are you waiting for?" she asked in her strange outlandish accent, standing behind him.

He didn't answer. "Ah. The wolf-girl," Eboshi answered her own question quietly, her eyes scanning as well. A few seconds later, Yakul and San came into view, but only a tiny dot. "But, I do believe she is no longer a part of them," she said under her breath like she was trying to make Ashitaka explode. Although he heard her, he did not believe or truly comprehend it as he headed down the stairs.

It was early, so there were not many people on the streets, much to his relief. He waited against one of the open doors, watching her come to Iron Town. Something in his head sparked, and he thought for a second he had been rejected, but he did not know under what circumstances.

Yakul slowed to a halt in front of Ashitaka and San slid off his back, silently, her thoughts placed somewhere else. Ashitaka took Yakul's reins and again started his act on not knowing who San was—or Sayuri in this case. "What happened?" He asked quietly as he led Yakul to the stables down the main road.

"They do not know me anymore, or I myself. They don't like that I am living here, with the humans, with you," She explained what she felt and what they said, all calmly and inaudible so the few people strolling about couldn't hear.

All Ashitaka could do was listen with his head lowered, taking in all she said like a sponge. He was completely shocked to find out that Tamotsu and Keiji did not approve of their courtship. But it did make some sense to him because he was a human and they never really liked him in the first place.

At the stables, Ashitaka took San's hand and led her out, taking the passage way against the barrier around the city and between the huts back to the iron works. Just around the corner from the massive building, he kissed her quickly and let go of her hand and let her go before taking another way opposite of her own.

((It's always the opposites…)) San watched him run a corner and disappear before moving her feet as well. She breathed heavily like there was a thousand pound weight crushing her body, like she was enveloped in water, deep, deep below the surface. Her head felt the pressure of the water, as it was pounding on her brain insanely. She almost felt like she was swaying, her feet sliding on the ground even though she moved.

As she walked to the iron works, she watched but never truly thought about it, thought but never really brought it to mind like she was in a haze that almost seemed to cloud her mind of all respective thoughts to really take notice of anything.

As she passed through the doors, she was met with the gazes of all the women, glaring at daggers at her. San didn't really care much. She just sat down at her usual spot next to Toki, pulling her knees up and looking the other direction. She was too caught up in her own half-way thoughts than to worry about the other women.

"You decided to show now? Why don't you just stay home—or at Ashitaka's house, Sayuri?" one of the women snapped at her, raising her nose and furrowing her brows childishly.

San didn't bother to contradict her. She was somewhere else and she was a bit complacent with it. "Sayuri," Toki leaned over and whispered to her. "I need to talk to you, in private," She stood up and pulled San up with her, leading her over to the other side of the building.

Toki went around one of the tall stacks of wood meant to be placed in the fire. San looked at her slightly confused, but did not object. "Look, Sayuri," Toki leaned against the wall, her eyes set on San. "I'll be blunt—I know who you are,"

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YESSS.

I finally updated! I'm so proud of myself! :D

I look back on all my other chapters and I realize how BAD they are! Like grammar and spelling wise! raggle fraggle, it makes me want to cry DD:

Review please!