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.