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"i can't believe you made me go! i hate you!"
"[name]! stop it," trailing behind the boy who was sat on one of the wolves was san and [name]. the girl furrowed her brows, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her cheek on the top of her knees. they made their way towards irontown, sprinting as fast as they could as the forest spirit's body chased after them.
ashitaka jumped down, looking up at the women poking their heads through the stakes in irontown.
"get everyone out! the great spirit's head has been cut off and he wants it back! if that black ooze touches you, you're dead! run for the lake, the water will slow it down! lady eboshi and the men are on their way from the other side, i'm going to try to return his head before he kills us! hurry!"
he leaped back on, everyone racing off as the substance seeped down the hill towards them. the wolves ran across the edge of the lake before racing up to the top of the mountains. [name] watched as the people of irontown piled into the lake, staring at their destroyed home in devastation.
"there they are!" san pointed out to jigo and the box which held the head. she raced in front, [name] avoiding eye contact with ashitaka. when they got close enough, the older ones leaped off, the younger girl shuffling forward. "go!" her and the wolves ran off.
"stop right there!"
"oh! you're both alive oh how nice,"
"i'm giving the creature its head back, put the box down and back away!" he strode towards the shorter man.
"give the head back now? come on boy, don't be silly! now?! when the sun's about to come up? look! he's a brainless, swollen, life-sucking god of death. at sunrise he'll vanish, like a bad dream,"
"sir it's coming! we gotta get out of here!"
"look, everybody wants everything, that's the way the world is but i might actually get it!" jigo reasoned, raising his eyebrows.
"don't force me to kill you," ashitaka stared hard, his voice monotonous.
"oh deary, you make it sound very easy. you really ought to...relax!" jigo jumped at ashitaka, swiping his limbs at him. the boy dodged, looking over as one of the other men threatened san with his blade. "get going!"
san darted after the box, the nightwalker placing his hand in front of the men making them drop the box. it rolled down the hill, ooze rushing towards it.
"ashitaka!"
"i got it!" jigo opened his arms wide, the box slamming into his chest and sending him tumbling down the hill. they chased after him, climbing the rock jigo was stood on as he wished for the sun to rise.
"open the box!"
"don't you see? it's too late for that now," black goo surrounded the rock, flowing like water.
"why are you wasting your time talking to him?" san raised a corner of her lip.
"human hands must return it!" jigo rolled his eyes, grunting as he bent down and slid out the metal bar that held the lid on.
"don't say i didn't warn you," green poured out of the box, the lid lifting slightly. ashitaka removed it, the forest spirit's head revealing. both san and ashitaka pulled it out carefully, lifting it into the air. san gasped as demon markings appeared on the flesh of both of them.
"forest spirit! we give you back your head! take it and be at peace!" ashitaka chanted up to the sky, the deity bending down .
"uhh, well that got his attention all right," blue slime leaked from its neck and covered the rock, gold bursts exploding around them. the nightwalker shone yellow before returning to a deep blue.
after a while, the deity rose with its head. it was silent as everyone watched. the spirit slowly fell, toppling onto iron town. the goo constricted the town before it fell apart, large gusts of wind shooting out.
wooden stakes and pieces of cloth flew into the air, the wind taking it away. the forest began to grow back, fresh, green grass sprouting from the ground. leaves stuck out of branches again and flowers adorned the earth.
[name] watched with amazement, eyes widening as she stood in the grass. a happy giggle left her and yakul made his way over to the wolves. he bent down and nibbled gently on ashitaka, san embracing him on the ground.
the boy lifted his head, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the greenery.
"san, san look," he shook the girl awake and she lifted her head. the two stood, admiring everything. a grin spread onto her face as she glanced towards the wolves but then it dropped.
"where's [name]?" she spun around, her eyes searching for the small girl.
"boo!" she grabbed san's leg who yelped and looked down. [name] smiled up at her, the grass too tall for her to be seen above it. san returned her smile as the three ran to the edge of a cliff.
"even if all the trees return it won't be his forest anymore. the great forest spirit is dead now,"
"never. he's life itself. he's not dead, san. he's here right now, trying to tell us something, that it's time for us to live," he glanced down at his right hand, purple demon markings now gone.
✴
sat upon one of the wolves, san gazed at ashitaka who stood beside.
"ashitaka, you mean so much to me, but i can't forgive the humans for what they've done,"
"i understand. you'll live in the forest and i'll help rebuild irontown. i'll always be near, yakul and i will come and visit whenever we can, all right?" san nodded with a smile, her and her wolf running down the hill. he smiled as he watched them leave before turning to the child still stood in front of him.
for a while, she stood with her arms across her chest. "[name]-". she ran up to him, arms open wide and he wrapped his arms around her in response.
"i forgive you...it wasn't your fault," she rested her head in his shoulder before pulling back as he wiped a tear from her eye with a smile. she scratched hear head, scrunching up her face at his contact. she grinned at him and he grinned back before his face dropped as her demeanour quickly changed. her face fell as she furrowed her brows with a pout. "and i guess it's okay if you love my sister,"
ashitaka's face lit up once more, a chuckle leaving his lips as he sat [name] onto the other wolf. she smiled one more time before they ran off. "bye!" she waved, shouting at him to make sure he visits.
"i will! take care of san!" yakul walked up to ashitaka's side, huffing out air from his nostrils. the boy grabbed onto his horns, sitting on his back with a snicker. "yeah, [name] scares me too,"
