Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Silent Prince, Perfect Collection 1 ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter 15

Genji was starting to feel tired, not just from his lack of sleep but from running quickly beside Yume. But he was determined not to tire! He would reach the temple just fine! Twenty miles was nothing, he could go forty miles if he wanted…

…

But first, he needed a break…he was becoming so very tired…

"Whe're here!" Momiji announced. "Yu caan stop now!" So, Yume slowed to a trot until she came to a full stop. Genji felt like his legs were turning into jelly. He was breathing very hard, and sweat was dripping from every pore on his body. The moment Yume stopped, he fell over on his face.

"Genji!" Yume cried, sniffing at his hair. She grabbed his shroud in her teeth and tried to lift him to his feet, but his legs were so weakened that he fell back down. "Oh, Genji! Please get up!"

"Is he okay?" Ryu called as he and Momiji jumped off the wolf's back. Momiji was the first to reach the boy, and she carefully cradled his chest in her arms. He started blushing in her embrace…

"Dear Gud…" she cried. "Hey's sweatin' lika horse! T'wasa dumb idea ta run next to-a wolf, Genji…"

"Here. Let me have him." Ryu offered, picking up Genji in his arms. Genji leaned his head on Ryu's shoulder, relaxing and easing his breathing. Ryu looked around the area, seeing only trees and jungle flora around them. He scowled at Momiji.

"Well? Where's your Yuzuha temple?"

"Follow mey." Momiji beckoned, heading off the trail. Yume and Ryu followed cautiously. Momiji led them through the mouth of a huge cave, and through a long, dark tunnel that sloped straight down. Yume whimpered as she trailed behind the group.

"It's too dark in here…I hate the dark…"

"Lookie thaat." Momiji grinned. "Big, tough she-wolf sca-ed ove th' daark…" She started laughing.

Yume barked angrily at the priestess.

"It's not funny!" she growled. "The dark is scary! How could you humans stand it?!"

Momiji toned down her laughter to a quiet chuckle, and continued down the tunnel until there was absolutely no light to see by. Ryu and Yume could only follow the sound of Momiji's clacking wood sandals against the rock floor.

Genji glanced around the darkness, wishing he could see. He couldn't see past his nose…hell, he could even see his nose! Like Yume, he wasn't the biggest fan of the dark. He never knew what was hiding in the huge void of black. Ever since he was young, he always thought there was a shadow monster lurking in the darkness, trying to get him. He eventually outgrew the fear during the years he lived with Miaka's family, but occasionally he would feel a strange and evil presence when he was in a dark room.

Suddenly, Yume yelped as something moved past her, and she bumped into a wall. Genji quickly looked past Ryu's shoulder in what he hoped was Yume's direction.

**Yume! Are you alright?**

Yume began whimpering and barking fearfully.

"Something's in here." She squeaked. "I can smell demons…"

**It's just me, Yume.** Genji comforted. **I smell like a demon, remember? Don't worry, we'll be fine.**

"You're smelling things." Ryu dismissed the wolf. "There's no demons in this area, right Momiji?"

"Whell…" Momiji began, as though reluctant to answer.

Ryu blinked in shock.

"You…you mean…" he stuttered fearfully, "…demons live down here?! No kidding?!"

"Ah, dun worry." Momiji waved a hand at him. "Whe're ina temple. Whe'll be alright."

Genji didn't feel so sure about that. He shifted himself in Ryu's arms so that he was sitting up, but…

BOINK!

**Ow!**

…all that accomplished was bumping his head on the low ceiling. He lowered himself down while he rubbed his aching scalp. Ryu laughed, finally finding something to take his mind off the temple.

"There should be a height warning in this place. You okay, Genji?"

Genji nodded.

"Ah! Here whe go!" Momiji cried, seeing a light ahead. The light came from a hallway lit by torches that leveled to the ground out of the slope. The moment Ryu followed Momiji into the hall, he was frozen in awe. Momiji wasn't lying about the temple being made of gold!

The entire hall was carved from solid, shining gold! Pictures of various Mononoke gods, demons, and monsters were embedded in the walls and ceiling in lifelike detail. Not even Genji had seen anything like it. Ryu dazzled at the worth of the hall while Genji admired the beautiful artwork. Yume, on the other hand…

"What's all this ugly yellow rock doing here?!"

Ryu face vaulted while Genji looked at Yume curiously.

**It's gold.** Genji explained. **It's the most precious metal to humans.**

"I don't like it…" Yume grumbled as Ryu got up and continued down the hall. Genji, now able to walk, walked behind him along with Yume.

The hallway opened into a spherical cavern where all but the floor and ceiling was carved gold with more pictures of Mononoke gods and historic events. The floor was polished limestone, and the ceiling was covered with sharp stalactite formations. All around the cavern were more and more openings that led into more chambers built exactly alike with the only difference being the gold pictures.

**Interesting architecture…** Genji noted to himself. Ryu's eyes were lighting up with greed.

"Oh, dear gods above!" he cried out with a slight squeak in his voice. "All the gold here is worth more money in the world! This is just incredible!"

Momiji just shrugged, not flattered to the least.

"If nuut fore th' sacred portraits ove th' guds, I culda let ya boys take soma this."

Ryu's jaw dropped.

"You would have given us some of all this?!"

Genji jabbed his friend hard in the ribs in reprimand. Momiji snorted.

"Whe've got so much gold, its all worthless!" she exclaimed. "Yu're more than welcome ta take sum, bot nuut this gold." She waved her hand around the room.

Ryu came back to his senses, and made a thinking face.

" 'We've?' So, there's more than one of you?"

"It's a temple. Ove course! Whe've all guut our duties!"

"So, what are your duties to this temple?"

Momiji began to beam in pride.

"I'd be th' keepa ove th' maze."

Genji and Ryu blinked.

" 'Maze?' As in…"

"Whe're nuut in th' temple yet." Momiji shook her head. "Follow mey, or yu'll git lost."

/|\

Momiji guided them into the heart of the maze where the main chamber of the temple was located. She explained the history of the temple the best she could.

It was said to have been built by demons as an apology of killing the life god in the form of a cat. The temple also had many safe guards against robbers and unwelcome company. First, the temple was completely underground and the entrance was concealed so only those looking for the temple would find it. Next, the pantheon was built as a long, winding maze made up of identical chambers to trap and confuse intruders.

Momiji's initial job was to deal with anyone who got lost in the maze, may it be an innocent or an enemy. Ryu was doubtful of that.

"How could a young girl like yourself take on such a huge task alone?"

"I haave me own ways." Momiji insisted, patting a small item pouch tied to her obi. "Oh! Whe've arrived!"

They finally reached the central chamber. There were two hundred more priests and priestesses dressed in Shinto robes performing their own separate duties of temple service. A majority of them were cleaning the gold carvings or touching up the details with a chisel and hammer. Others were serving food or supplying blankets or money to strange people gathered around the chamber. These people were dressed rather poorly, practically in rags, and weren't clean and well kept. Other poorly dressed people were selling expensive items and receiving gold back.

Ryu looked around him in disgust.

"Bandits," he identified, "gypsies, hobos, tramps, peddlers, criminals… so this is where you all hang out…" He narrowed his eyes at Momiji. "So, how did a little lady like you get mixed up in this crowd?"

Momiji blushed and stared down at her feet.

"Whell…y'culd say thaat…whell…s'nuthin' big, I'm just yer humble pick-pocket wid no home… So, th' priests tuuk mey in N made me a priestess… I live here…"

"So what…you became a priestess hoping to get money or something? That's a dumb idea, cause we priests don't get paid."

"S'nuut thaat." Momiji shook her head. Then, she suddenly smiled. "Gots mey special powas. I'm a summona."

Ryu blinked.

"A summoner? Really?"

That fascinated Genji. He had never seen a summoner before except in video games…

"Reely." Momiji nodded. "Thaat's how I fight back intrudas. I summon th' appropriate spirits ta help mey."

Ryu decided to test her knowledge, and see if she was lying again.

"Okay, say that you can't summon spirits to fight back intruders. What do you do?"

Momiji raised her head with a devilish smirk, and reached into her item pouch. She pulled out two cloth gloves with no fingers and iron wiring around the knuckles.

"I fight 'em off meself." She answered, tugging on the gloves.

"Oh, c'mon!" Ryu doubted. "What if it was a warrior like me? What then? Huh?"

" 'Wot if' this, 'wot if' thaat…luuk, if yu wanna see wot I'm made ove, then cum aat mey!" She struck a fighting pose. Ryu blinked a few times, then shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh man, I hope you're insured, sweetheart…" he wished. Then, he charged in attack. "TIGER TEETH, ATTACK!" His strength and agility doubled, and he attacked ruthlessly with fast fists and clawing fingers. Momiji artfully dodged Ryu's hands and blows by effortlessly moving from each hit. It didn't take her long to find his unguarded side, and pounded it with her right glove.

ZZZZZZZZAP!

"AAAAAA!" Ryu yelped, thrown to his back. Genji couldn't believe it! Several of the bandits and priests applauded and cheered for Momiji, and the girl flashed them a peace sign.

Ryu sat up with a groan, holding his side with one arm.

"What kind of gloves are those?!" he growled. Momiji grinned and slammed her knuckles together.

ZZZZZZZZAP!

Electric sparks shot from the metal bands and flickered harmlessly across her hands. Ryu and Genji stared in shock while Yume flinched away in fear, whimpering and barking. Momiji parted her hands, making the sparks disappear.

"Electro-gloves." She explained. "Powa-d by th' movement ove molecules N th' air. Wid theyse babies, I've neva lost a fight."

Genji applauded, impressed by the technology on her hands. Ryu jabbed the boy sharply in the ribs.

"Well, thank you for the visit," Ryu bowed as he turned around, "but Genji and I have to be going now." He grabbed Genji's arm. "C'mon Genji. Yume, let's go."

"Finally!" the wolf sighed.

"Hoye!" Momiji called as they walked away. "Don't yu need help getting out?"

"We'll be fine." Ryu insisted. "We know our way back." Then, they left and entered the maze. Momiji put her hands on her hips.

"Ungrateful bahstads…"

ZZZZZZZZAP!

"YIKES!" she yelped, quickly taking her hands off her body. Everyone in the room laughed as she pulled off her gloves. Momiji laughed along with the crowd.

"I hate it when I du thaat…" she sheepishly admitted.

/|\

"Didn't we pass this chamber already?" Ryu wondered as they wandered through the maze. Genji scratched his head. He didn't recognize any of the pictures in the gold. He looked at Yume.

**Can you find our scent and trace us the way we came, Yume?**

"Okay." Yume nodded. "I can do it." She lowered her nose to the ground and sniffed around. After sniffing around the whole chamber, she flattened her ears against her head and started whimpering. "I can't find our scent anywhere…"

**We've never been in this room before…** Genji theorized as Ryu fell over behind him. **Let's keep walking around until we find it. I don't think the maze is too big…**

So they kept wandering around, hoping Yume would pick up their past scent that would lead them out.

"I found it!" she barked.

"Great!" Ryu cheered, "Let's get outta here!" So they followed Yume around the maze as she sniffed their scent trail. However…

"Hey!" Ryu called after a while. "We were just in this chamber! What the hell? Are we going around in circles?!"

Genji shook his head, determined. They kept wandering though the maze hoping to come across that completely golden hallway, but sadly…

"The way out is around here somewhere…" Ryu started sniffing in futility.

As the hours and familiar chambers wore on by, Ryu finally broke down and cried out.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WE'RE LOST! WE'RE GONNA DIE IN HERE!"

It was Genji's turn to fall over in embarrassment.

**We better ask Momiji for help…**