Princess Mononoke

~Becoming A Demon~

Deep in the forest a slew of men being lead by Jigo marched forward in the summer heat. Two men carried a large tin case on their shoulders.
"Come along, let's go. It's time to finish this" Jigo ordered. Suddenly a man disguised in a bear skin approached Jigo from behind.
"Sir" he said softly
"Have you spotted them?" Jigo asked.
"Okkoto is badly wounded. He and the wolf girl are making their way to the Forest Spirit"
"So they're going to beg for help are they? Keep an eye on them. But stay out of sight or you will frighten the Forest Spirit away"
"Yes sir" the man responded slinking away.
Lady Eboshi, who had been walking by Jigo's side spoke "That was boars blood painted on his face wasn't it?"
Jigo nodded and smiled "A little trade secret. Don't want them to smell like human"

Elsewhere in the forest Okkoto stomped weakly forward, San holding onto one of his tusks to guide him. Large wounds littered his body, each pouring blood on to the ground with every step he took.
"We're almost there. Just a little farther okay? Keep going" San assured him.
Suddenly San heard a noise and stopped to listen. But as she did Okkoto lost his footing and slipped down a rock. This caused San to tumble and land on her backside. She sat up slowly.
"What was the noise?" She whispered. She ran to the boar. His eyes were half shut and his breath was labored. "Lord Okotto something is wrong. We must keep moving" she said gently placing a hand on his bruised snout.
San's brother, who had been with them, spoke in a low and fearful tone. "Something's out there"
"But what? With all the blood in the air I can't smell it" San said lifting her nose to the sky.
Branches began to fall from the treetops. "I should have known it was you!" San growled.
"You did this!"a member of the ape tribe spat back. "Because of you the forest will die!" "You're wrong! We've been fighting to save it and this is the thanks we're being given?" "You bring bad things! Bad things neither human nor animal"
"What do you mean neither human nor animal?" Small animals began to scatter across the ground. The ape cried out in fear,
"They're coming, it's the end for us!"

Everything became quiet. And standing behind a rock San could see...boars? "Warriors.." She whispered. Okkoto smelled the air. His eyes grew wide and his breathing became rapid.
"They've come back!" He cried out. "My warriors have come back to me from the land of the dead" he stood slowly and let out a deafening shriek and blood shot out of his mouth. "Forward my warriors!"
"Okkoto listen to me-"
"Forward to the pool of the Forest Spirit!" He began to run.
"No Lord Okotto those aren't your warriors! Their humans! Wearing the skins of your warriors to cover their scent!" San pleaded.
But the great boar refused to listen. Instead he began to break into a sprint.
"It's a trick to lead the humans to the Forest Spirit!" San cried, grabbing his tusk again trying desperately to stop him. Okkoto was too mentally corrupted by war to hear her. "Forest Spirit. Hear me! If you are truly master here then give my warriors strength so we may destroy the humans!" He called out.
"Stop! Please, you must listen!" San yelled at him.
San's brother pleaded to his sister "They've surrounded us. Okkoto is done for just leave him!"
No!" She cried, tears in her eyes. "I won't let him become like Nago!" She caught a quick breath and added, "Tell mother the humans are setting a trap, she'll know what to do. But hurry or this could mean the end of all of us!"
The wolf pup nodded and leapt through the trees. Okkoto could run no longer and dropped to his knees. San stood in front of him scowling and weilding her spear. The disguised warriors surrounded them on all sides.
"Stay back or you die!" San spat. "And the whole forest will see what you are!"

A wolves howl could be heard in the air. "Ashitaka..." San whispered.
The disguised men approached Okkoto and began nuzzling his wounds with their rotted snouts. The boar shrieked and vomited blood into the air.
"Get back!" San screamed.
She swung her spear so the frauds cowered away. Suddenly Okkoto spoke in a deep and demented voice that wasn't his.
"I... I burn. I f... feel the flames... growing inside of me".
Serpents began to burst right through his broken flesh. San screamed and tried to scrape them off with her hands.
"You have to fight it! Don't let your self turn into a demon!"
One of the false boars reached his hand out of the skin and launched a rock. It hit San in the back of her head, rendering her unconscious on top of Okkotos snout.

From another part of the forest the pup guiding Ashitaka stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it. San?"
"She's in danger" the pup responded.
"Lets go!" Ashitaka said and began to sprint down the hill to the forest, the pup following behind.

A new demonic form of Okkoto marched forward. The fraud warriors trailed behind. Suddenly San jolted awake from the feeling like acid was burning her skin Tears began to pour down her cheeks and she cried out in pain,
"I'm on fire!"
The serpents began to hold her down against the boar as he marched toward the pool of the Forest Spirit and they tried to break through her own skin
"No! I don't want to become a demon, please stop Okkoto!

Ashitaka rode on the pups back through the trees and into the path of Jigo's men. "Eboshi!" He called out. He hopped off the pups back. "Eboshi! I have something to say!"
"Hold your fire!" Jigo commanded.
"What do you want?" Eboshi snarled.
"Lord Asano's samurai attacked Irontown! The women are outnumbered and can't hold them off any longer. Forget about the Forest Spirit. Your men are heading back now but need you to lead them."
"What proof is there that this isn't a lie?"
"What reason do I have to lie?!" Ashitaka yelled.
"So it's 'dont kill the forest God's.' Now you want us to kill samurai instead?"
"No! What I want is for humans and the forest to live in peace!"Ashitaka turned and ran again.
"Who's side is he on anyway?" Jigo muttered.
"Should we go back M'lady?"
"The women are on their own now, I've done all I can for them" Eboshi said coolly and began forward. "There's the pool, the creature must be near by"
"This is the moment of truth so keep your eyes peeled boys" Jigo commanded. A soldier leaned into Jigo's backside and whispered into his ear
"Why do we need that woman sir?"

"If you're going to kill a God, let someone else do the dirty work"