Fanfiction: Princess Mononoke by Sunghee Kim

Shishigami changed to the god of death because of his anger. All creatures that touch with Shishigami’s power began being dead and the green forest changed into the black and white colour. Although people could be free to pass the forest, they were reluctant to go there. For some reasons or other, it chilled their blood to think of it and it was gooseflesh. Time had slipped along and people ceased to visit there. Also, the battle between humans and nature had covered up far in the distance of people’s memory.

Jiko Bou became the leader of Emishi tribe after he gave the head of the Shishigami to the emperor. One day, Tatarigami appeared his village again. Tatarigami destroyed the village and killed people randomly.
“Hiisama, Hiisama! That’s Tatarigami!” A man came to the female shaman of the village.
“Um…” She did not say anything and just watched that Tatarigami destroyed their village for a while. Then, She handed over a gourd bottle to the man. “ Sprinkle water in it on Tatarigami. It is the water of the lake where Shishigami lived in.” Hiisama said.
When he threw the bottle to Tatarigami and the huge body fell down with a thundering noise. That night, there was a meeting. Jiko Bou and some elders of Emishi tribe conferred with Hiisama about the matter.
“What can we do for it?” An ender asked Jiko Bou but Jiko Bou kept silence and looked up Hiisama. After a while, Hiisama opened her lips.
“It is sure that Shishigami is still finding his neck. Go to Tataraba to meet Ashitaka. And tell him the key is in the pendant.”

Ashitaka had lived in Tataraba after Shishigami lost his head and dissuaded Eboshi making matchlocks. He decided to go to see San when he heard the message from Hiisama. Ashitaka had tried to meet San several times before but he never met her.
“ Hiisama was sure that Princess Mononke is with the Shishigami’s body. And she also said the pendant will help you.” The messenger from Emishi told Ashitaka.
So Ashitaka went to the forest and shouted.
“Ashitaka came to see the forest. I’m going to go to find Shishigami’s head. I want to go with you, San.” But nobody answered.
“ I’m telling you again. I want to revive the forest before Shishigami’s anger is getting bigger.”



Clattering, clattering. There was a small sound somewhere.
“Kodamasama! You are alive! Can you show me the way to San?” Ashitaka asked.
Kodama brought him to the deep forest. He was frightened to see a wretched plight of the forest. Ashitaka arrived around the lake where the Shishigami cured him before under the guidance of Kodama but the lake already dried up.
“ Why are you here? What do you want?” San shouted.
“San, I’m going to find the head. I wanna go with you.” Ashitaka held out his hand.
“I heard that his head is inside of the emperor’s palace. We have to bring back his head. It’s the only way to stop Shishigami’s anger. If nobody does it, he will make another Tatarigami.” He said to San.

Boom-boom. It was the sound of the drum from a distance. Ahitaka and San lied down flat on top of the mountain to review the situation.
“ I attack with my brothers first.” San told Ashitaka.
“That’s Princess Mononoke. With wolves!”.
“ Shoot the arrow to the enemy!” The soldiers shouted.
Several hundreds of arrows poured down. San and wolves attacked the soldiers in full fling.
“ Prepare matchlocks! Shoot the matchlocks!” The soldiers prepared the matchlocks.
Bang! Bang! There sounded the matchlocks in places.
“No!” San cried. A wolf fell down. Poured bullets disturbed Ashitaka and San to go inside.

Bang! It was an earsplitting roar.
“ That’s Eboshi. The gang of Eboshi!” The place was an utter bear garden. Eboshi and her gangs came to help Ashitaka and Princess Mononoke.
“ Lady Eboshi, how…?” Ashitaka asked.
“ I saw you when you left the village. Don’t ignore me. I have a new weapon instead of my arm.” She winked at him. She lost one of her arm during the battle with Moro and Animal spirits.
Gunpowder exploded here and there and the soldiers had fallen down.
“Oh!” Eboshi yelled. A soldier attacked her from the side of her injured arm.
“Make off!” San ran at a tear to save Eboshi.
“Hahahaha...Princess Mononoke saved me. It’s unbelievable. Hahaha…” Eboshi laughed on the ground.
“ I still hate you but just you are one of our numbers now…” San made an effort to avert her eyes from Eboshi.
“San, Come here! His head is in it!” Ashitaka called her.
There was a box. It looked very heavy and firm as a rock. San held back an urge to open it but it wan not opened. There was a small hole in front of the box.
“Ah, pendant! San, give me your necklace!” Ashitaka told San.
“This one? “ San gave him the pendant that she was given from Ashitaka before.
Ashitaka put the pendant in the hole and the lid was opened. They found Shishigami’s head at last.
“We found it!”

Just then, they saw that something which is exceedingly huge covered the sky came up to them with breakneck speed over the mountain. It was the body of the Shishigami that was in the forest. The place that Shishigami’s body passed along was full of sticky fluid and that place was burned away.
“Don’t touch with that! Run for your lives! Go into the water!” San shouted urgently.
Shishigami, finding his head, took life of all creatures that were on the way to get to his head and burned them away as if he never let them revive.
“San. Hurry up. We have to give the head to Shishigami right now!” Ashitaka said.
San and Ashitaka lifted up Shishigami’s head.
“Here is your head. Take it!” They shouted.
The black body stopped moving and the sticky fluid poured on Ashitaka and San at the moment.
“Shishigami covered Princess Mononoke and Ashitaka!” The people shouted.
There was a silence for a while.

“ Oh! Falling down!” The body of Shishigami rose high and then fell down into the water. Excessively huge storm swept off the environs. The storm put out the fire which was burning the palace. After that, it was very quiet and the surface of the water was calm. The forest was restored to its colour. More and more. Getting greener.
“Oh, it’s great. Shishigami was the spirit that makes flowers bloom.” Someone was full of admiration.
“San, San. Look.” Ashitaka told her. They looked up at the green forest.
“ The forest is alive again but it is not Shishigami’s forest anymore. Shishigamisam passed away.” San said.
“No, I don’t think so. He isn’t dead. This, he gets to be himself. He is the god of life and death.” Ashitaka said. “He told me ‘live on’. San, Come with me”
“I like Ashitaka but I haven’t forgiven people yet.” San answered.
“Shishigamisama told us. Humans have to live with nature. Let’s try together.” Ashitaka told San again.
“ You saved my life. I thank to you.” Eboshi appeared.
“ Let’s do it all over again. Let’s build a better place. Of course with nature. San, Can you help us?” Eboshi asked San. San hesitated for a while but answered soon.
“ I don’t want to help you but…if it is Shishigami’s idea…” San made an effort to avoid Eboshi’s eyes but she smiled quietly.
Ashitaka and San looked at and smiled at each other.

Finally,the peace came to the forest and the people.

They found great illumination through the death of Shishigami.