Nia Fan Fiction

Princess Mononoke in the view of Kaya. (Ashitaka's little sister)

PRELUDE

“We are the last of the Emishi. It’s been 500 years since the Emperor destroyed our tribe and drove the remnants of our people to the east. Some managed to survive here but the blood of our tribe has grown thinner and weaker with each generation. Now our last prince must cut his hair and leave us, never to return? Sometimes I think the Gods are laughing at us.” Said one of the elders.

I glanced up towards the wooden shack that stuck next to the big old oak tree. It was a sight I was dreading for a few days but here I was climbing the oak tree’s highest branch to peer inside; I had to know what my elder brother’s fate was before he could even try to lie to me timelessly again.

My elder brother always took good care of me even when it meant lying to me. I could hear his kind voice in my mind, “It was to keep me away from negativity.” He would preach over and over. My brother was the only prince left in our tribe. Without him our tribe would be left for other Lords from the East to claim; not that we had anything to offer them. But the Gods have kept us alive this long, they will guide and shelter us from them- but for how long? I thought silently.

I could barely see the full heads of the elders sitting close to the door. I could tell it was elders by their grey almost white hair that glowed in the night’s dark moonlight. I could slightly capture what they spoke of. But suddenly I heard our only eldest lady spoke the words I feared to hear. “Our laws forbid us from watching you go, Ashitaka. Whatever comes to pass now, you are dead to us forever.”

Sudden pain filled my thoughts. I felt a huge urge to scream from the top of my lungs out to the Gods above me. How can these things keep happening to me? My only family I have left is leaving us. First both my parents abandon my brother and I. Now my brother is forced to abandon me. The pain found its way to my heart where it started to feel cold and hard.

I watched my brother leave the shack towards the shed where he always kept Yakul. He had cut his hair. My heart grew colder. I rushed down and sprinted as fast as I could after him. The wind rushing past me wiped my tears from my eyes as I reached for my neck to grab my crystal stone mother gave me as a child. I could see him on Yakul already and sprinted my way closer to him. My brother opened his mouth first.

“Kaya, what are you doing here? You know it’s forbidden.”

I refused to listen to him or the laws. “Do you think I care about that?”

“I came to give you this so you won’t forget your little sister.”

He looked down and picked up my crystal from my palms. “Your crystal dagger. Kaya, I can’t take this.”

I “Please, keep it with you, brother, to protect you. You must take it with you. Please, I want you to have it, so you won’t…forget.” I begged.

“Kaya, you know I could never forget you.” And he rode off into the forest.

With my feet planted on the ground I stood there at our entrance for a long while. Long after he disappeared into the dark forest. The tears from my eyes fell and vanished in the soil below me. I dropped my head and could not help but think how could they expect me to never remember my brother. He will always be my brother and neither law nor god can tell me to abandon my only family l had left. The elders did mention in the beginning that our tribe was getting thinner and weaker in each generation that passes. This generation clearly does not respect the gods like how my brother did with me included. It was like my brother had a wise soul that was birthed with him. He never turned his back once to see me cry. He kept on riding.

Over the next couple of weeks the elders of Emishi told me that I must replace my older brothers responsibilities since he is no longer alive. “They moved on so quickly,” I thought to myself. I was assigned to Ji-San, he was the best advisor in town and also my late brothers mentor. I was honoured yet still my heart was fighting itself to trust the people in my tribe again. My heart only grew colder for them.

I never really understood how cold my heart became until the day I was being taught by Ji-San the way of the gods, spirits and its demons. I sat there on a dry stool made up of dried clay in front of him starring. Only not at him- I was starring behind him into the forest where my only brother vanished. I can still see him riding on Yakul galloping away and never turning his back once. “I hate the gods and its demon spirits,” I yelled. Ji-San looked hopeless he did not expect the princess to be so hard hearted did he? No one cares to see how much my brother meant to me. How much forgetting him will only turn myself into my own demon. It is their fault and I will punish this tribe even if it’s my own. My heart has not felt warmth since my brother left and it will never until my brother returns. If he returns.

COMMENTERY

This short piece of fan fiction on the Princess of Mononoke was depicted in view of Ashitaka’s little sister Kaya and her process of becoming cold hearted because of her brothers banishment from their own Emishi tribe. With this is in mind it shows one of 7 character Archetypes suggested by Vogler (1998) as Kaya being ‘The Shadow,’ that includes psychological function to represent power of repressed feelings such as fear and guilt to trauma. Eventually with her brothers banishment became hatred towards her own tribe and rebel against them. Although if I were to extend the fanfic I would include Ashitaka- who hears of word of his sisters doings and returns as the ‘Hero’ that is willing to serve and sacrifice himself against his own sister to show forgiveness towards the Emishi tribe and her.

In the light of Vogler’s Mythic structures if I were to expand more on the short fan fiction then it would comprise of the following moves in detail.

Act One: Starts off with Kaya’s news of brother’s banishment from the tribe.

• Supposed ‘hero’ next in line when older brother leaves.
• Call to adventure by seeking leadership within her.
• Encouraged by mentor Ji-San to take after her late brother.
• Accepts authority and learns of a new world of responsibilities.

Act Two: Leads to Kaya rebelling against her own self and tribe because she cannot forgive them for brother’s banishment from the tribe.

• Kaya encounters evil within herself whilst training with Ji-San.
• Rebels against respect towards gods and demons alike.
• Corruption within the Emishi tribe.
• Ashitaka hears word of sister’s doings.

Act Three: Ends with Ashitaka leaving the aftermath of Iron town to help his Emishi tribe.

• Ashitaka pursues journey back to Emishi.
• Sees his sisters’ cold heart.
• Returns and asks for forgiveness from his sister.
• Sister Kaya accepts with contempt but returns to a warm heart.

My fan fiction I must say does fit into Vogler’s general idea of character archetypes and mythic structures. With consideration to mythic structures I used Kaya as the supposed ‘hero’ in the beginning because the tribe depended heavily towards her to be the next in line. This however did not work out, and instead Kaya found evil within herself, which eventually turned her into ‘The Shadow’ that was ultimately carried out by her cold heart. The Mentor was played by Ji-San whom tries to incorporate Kaya into her late brothers regime of physical and mental training but most importantly the understanding of the Gods and its demons. The ultimate hero of course belonged to prince Ashitaka, that hears of word of his sister and returns to the ordinary world- away from spirits of any kind. In the end he tries sacrificing himself for the tribe that once banished him in exchange of his sisters change of heart.

Eyes Wide Open Eboshi-san

Prelude

The Forest spirit turns its neck, leaves and tiny branches suddenly sprouting from all crevices of the rifle. I quickly brushed them away.

“ooh..”

There is something in its eyes. It looks at me intently with such sympathy. It knows something.

“You WILL die!”

BOOOMMM

Dropping the weapon, I look down at my hands. My fingers are still clutched tightly around the rifle, and my knuckles turn white as my hands begin to tremble.

Oh….w…..what have I done?

Earlier

As I stood there waiting for the right moment, it occurred to me how long I had waited for this very moment.

I was 15 when Okasan sold me to a man who ran the village brothel for a debt she could not repay. It was in this house that I quickly learnt to never speak my mind. The old man did not like that I was not demure or as compliant as the others and would not be easily manipulated. That I would not be easily persuaded to service the beady eyed men whose pungent odour of fish and sweat pierced my nostrils as they groped aimlessly at my body in search of satisfaction and release.  

When business was slow, I would climb the walls surrounding the village and steal away to the lake, and spend many hours under the sakura tree. I would close my eyes and think about my dear chichi. As a child he taught me how to tend to the animals on the farm and look after my younger 4 younger siblings as they set off to work in the village garden. Okasan did bother with such things; she was more concerned with the protocols of being a woman, and what one must do keep her image clean. But, that required a lot of money, and my loving father could not afford such luxuries that did not benefit the family.

“Baka!” okasan yelled as she stormed out of the house, in search of a patron willing to pay for her finery.

“Daijouka?” I asked.

“Hai, daijouba” he whispered, his face crest fallen as he stares at the closed door.

I did not worry about the womanly things. My life was on the farm and helping my father prepare the fields for the crops. He was a good man who never raised his voice at okasa and I. He taught me the value of human nature, and to respect my surroundings. That to be humble is a sign of true humility. Chichi was very wise. One winter, he passed away and I was left all alone. Okasan never came back unless it was to gather a few trinkets in the hopes they had some monetary value to trade for silk. It was not long after this that she sold me to the brothel. 

I had befriended an old woman who lived outside of the village. She wore bandages around her face, legs and arms. She spoke with a soft voice which was almost drowned by the thin piece of dirty cloth covering her mouth. I never learnt her name, but that did not matter. This woman taught me how to sew, how to hunt small animals for food, and most importantly how to remain strong like a tree on the inside. She had seen teeth marks on my body and with quiet disposition and sadness in her voice say “What may happen outside”, as she rubs lotion on the marks, “Should not affect your inside”, as she holds a bandaged stump of a palm against my chest. She is speaking of my soul. I was slowly beginning to realize that this woman was not making conversation out of being lonely. She was giving me principles that I should abide by. It is on this day, that as I left her shack, I realized that I wanted to do for others what my father and this woman had done for me. Chichi had begun my destiny as a child; preparing me for all the work ahead of me. And this woman was sent to me for the sole purpose of allowing me to realize my journey.  She said I was to face the greatest challenge of my life in a place far away, that I must seek it to understand. That I must not be afraid, for I was a good person, and that she will never forget the joy my presence brought her. But what was I to understand?

The following night, the old woman did not open the door. She did not greet me with a small of milk or tea. Concerned I slowly pushed the slight door open, looking around the room my eyes take in the unkempt floor and the bowls on the table. I look again and there she is, still lying on her makeshift mattress, in the same position I had left her in the night before. Her body lifeless and cold under the tread bare material. After sitting next to her for hours and holding her cold bandaged hand, I thought about our conversation the night before. I did not want to seek a challenge. But that night, I slowly walked back to the brothel, with a renewed purpose. I saved as much money as I could and bought a home, and saved other working girls from other homes like the one I was sold to.  They looked to me as if I were a hero, their savior. 

Since then, I have made a lot of money from the operation of the mill in Iron Town. I feed the women, I clothe them and I train the guards. But lately….lately I feel a darkness in my soul; an unidentifiable feeling of anger, and hate. All I wanted was to clear the forest of those blasted beasts so we can extend Iron Town once the forest is cleared out. An extension would bring more money, and allow me to save more women from the brothels in the villages and towns.  Yet it is a child, San, who stands between me and my vision. Am I wrong to want to feed my people; the lepers and the women of the brothels that I have saved from societies cruel taunts?  It is so wrong to want to stop this girl child warrior; although I know I know deep in my soul it is I who is wrong? But my people have come to expect me to react in a war like manner. We are here in the sacred place of the Forest Spirit, and as I look back at them, they stare me wide eyed with mounting expectation as does Gonza, my faithful soldier. Yet I cannot ignore the sinking feeling deep in my heart,  that the outcome will ultimately be my undoing.

I close my eyes and glance back at the creature.

“Now watch closely everyone. I’m going to show you how to kill a god; a god of life and death. The trick IS not to fear him.”

Clutching the rifle close to my chest, I quickly ran to the edge of the lake. From the corner of my eyes I see Ashita burst through the top of the lake with San lying helplessly against him.

I look ahead and the Forest Spirit continues its transformation, neck graciously extending towards the opening of the forest ceiling with the moon guiding the way, unaware of its fate at my hands.

I run faster.

“NO DON’T!”

Silver light crosses the path between the god like creature and I, the gleam sealing itself to my rifle. It is Ashitakas blade.

“Eboshi!”

A blade cannot stop destiny Ashitaka, I thought to myself as I watched him stagger out of the water in an attempt to stop me, San still lifeless in his arms.

I look up and take aim.

The Forest spirit turns its neck, leaves and tiny branches suddenly sprouting from all crevices of the rifle. I quickly brushed them away.

“ooh..”

There is something in its eyes. It looks at me intently with such sympathy. It knows something.

“You WILL die!”

BOOOMMM

Dropping the weapon, I look down at my hands. My fingers are still clutched tightly around the rifle, and my knuckles turn white as my hands begin to tremble.

Oh….w…..what have I done?

Now I see.

Okasan – mother

Chichi – father

Sakura – cherry blossom

Baka – fool, idiot (insult)

Daijouka – are you ok?

Hai – yes

Daijoubu – don’t worry, I’m ok, I’ll be alright

Commentary

Act I:

It starts off with Lady Eboshi reminiscing about the past as a child, to a time when her mother did not care about her, and her father whom she loved in an ordinary world.

•  She is told by the old leper woman that great adversity was awaiting her in a far off land, which she was to seek out to understand. A call to adventure.

• When the old passes away, she remembers the conversation and initially thinks it a bad idea and almost refuses the call.

• That threshold is crossed when she decides to save the brothel women and sets up a town outside a forest which houses magical beasts

Act II:

• At this point, the only enemy is Eboshi herself as she struggles with her inner conflict of right and wrong. Her allies are Gonza, the only one mentioned in this fanfic, and her enemy San.

• Eboshi looks deep within herself (inner cave) and discovers that she cannot turn away from what has already begun. She decides to shoot the Forest Spirit, and to suffer the consequences. 

• As the bullet is fired from the rifle, her supreme ordeal is her unanswered question in which she asks herself “what have I done?”

My fanfic centers around Voglers (1998) Mythic Structures of Set Up and Development as shown above. A good portion of the fanfic revolves around ACTII which according to Vogler (1998) occupies 50% of an entire film, and the other 50% divided between ACTS I & III. In this case, I have not included ACT III, because I wanted to showcase the turmoil Eboshi felt the moment she pulled the trigger, and I wanted an ending where the reader could decide on an appropriate ending. 

In terms of Mythic Structure, I have painted Eboshi as the hero because that is what she is to the people of Iron Town. She is the unconventional hero with a humble pitiful beginning. Her father was a humble man who married a woman who found material items more precious than family. When her father passes away, Eboshi is left alone until she is sold to a brothel to recover her mother’s debts. 

It is while she works at the brothel that she meets an old woman diseased with leprosy who lives near the village that teaches her humility. Since the passing of her father who she loved dearly, then the old woman who substituted a mother Eboshi takes it upon herself to save money in order to buy the contracts of the women in the brothels so that they too may have a good life. It’s not until she realizes the Forest Spirit is looking at her in a way that belies what it knows that she finally realizes what needs to be done. This was the destiny the old woman foresaw.

That Lady Eboshi will only understand the true nature of being a human when she kills the Forest Spirit. That is when her eyes become wide open.