The Little Wolf [A Princess Mononoke Fanfic]

Chapter 5

Y/N sat on the bank of the water, carving new markings into the wooden statue that she had retrieved from the den. She had sat there for most of the night, watching the boy silently as she made a few adjustments to his carving. There was only so much she could remember from her dream. And as she sat there, her toes relaxing just beneath the surface of the water, she started to hum. 

One by one, the Kodama emerged from their places in the branches and in the knots of the trees, skipping and hopping over to Y/N's peaceful form. One brave little spirit clambered up onto one of her knees and sat there, watching as she moved her knife carefully along the wood. It clicked its head back and forth, as if commenting on her carving. Y/N smiled at the little spirit.

"Do you like it?"

Another series of clicks. 

Y/N smiled. "Maybe I'll make one of you then." 

After another few clicks, the Kodama disappeared. And Y/N was left to the peace of the forest, and the few Kodama in the trees who stayed to watch as she gently shaped the wood into the boy that she had brought into the heart of the forest.

It was well into the afternoon when Y/N looked up from her completed sculpture. She held it up to the light of the forest sun, turning it to the right and then to the left. The sun illuminated each little carve and each little accidental nick. Y/N smiled and tucked both her knife and her carving into her small pouch. She would give it to the boy if the forest spirit wished for him to live.

As she thought of the boy, she lifted her gaze. To her surprise, she was met with the strange face of the forest spirit. She slowly got to her feet, keeping her eyes on the deer-like creature all the while. Once she was on her feet, it nodded to her before turning and walking off to the other side of the isolated island, leaving behind a trail of decay. 

Y/N slowly slipped into the water, swimming across the small lake to the island. Ashitaka had sunk beneath the water. And as she dove down beneath the surface, she was overjoyed to see that the gunshot wound had been healed by the forest spirit. No longer did blood spill from his side, staining the water around him. She took the boy into her arms and pulled him to the shore on the opposite side of the lake. There, she lay him out in the sun before leaving to get him some food from her stash in her den.

* * *

Ashitaka woke to the sunlight gently warming his cheeks. As always, Yakul stood by his side, peacefully grazing on the grass that grew around the lake. Birds chirped as they fluttered overhead, enjoying the afternoon sun, and little dragonflies fluttered about, buzzing happily as they greeted their little dragonfly friends. 

He moved his hand to the spot in his chest where the bullet wound had been, and to his surprise, he found that the spot had healed completely. He quickly sat up and peered at the hole in his tunic. There wasn't even a scar. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and he fell back against the moss and grass, his eyes fluttering shut once more.

Even in his exhaustion, Ashitaka could feel Yakul gently nipping at his shoulder. It was the serow's way of showing Ashitaka that he was happy that he was alive. He smiled and gently raised his hand to pet the beast on the side of his muzzle, thanking Yakul for remaining with him even as he faced death. 

But to his horror, while the god of the forests had healed his wounds, the mark of the demon still sat on his arm, bigger than it had been when he had fallen unconscious. "The mark's still there," he whispered, glaring at his hand. He sighed and allowed his eyes to flutter shut once more. What would he do now? The god had not healed him from the mark. He hadn't then and he wouldn't now. So was he supposed to just accept fate? Was he supposed to accept his death?