Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King but most of the characters in this story are mine.
Note: All characters with Japanese or Chinese names will be introduced last name first unless I don't know their last name.
:Mikan's Narration:
Prologue: Begin at the middle
Soba Mikan sighed as she strapped herself into the seat of the tiny plane tiny plane and looked out the window. She couldn't help but wish they'd managed to charter a jet. A big solid can't-possibly-be-unsafe-because-it's-so-damn-huge-jet.
As it was, from where she sat she could see the propellers on the wing of the craft, Mikan winced, propellers, like a kids toy.
It would probably sink pretty quickly if it hit the water after a hundred foot drop into the ocean. . . Oh, Lord.
The young catholic Nun-in-training swallowed hard and touched the gold cross hanging around her neck for reassurance.
"Just so ya know, this one of those little American planes I've heard about. The kind that's always killing rock stars and such. Just as they make it off the ground a big gust of wind knocks 'em right back down!"
Mikan looked up to see a small grinning heart shaped face, framed by purple hair that was done up in a pair of Chinese buns. The owner of the face wore a red Chinese style jacket with wide sleeves. Woo Ling Fa was hanging over the seat in front of Mikan, her small arms folded over the head rest.
At just under four feet and only 95 pounds Ling Fa was short for 14 and looked half her actual age. It still surprised Mikan that someone so small could have passed the Shaman Fight preliminary round but she guessed that it just went to show that big things really do come in small packages.
"We'll be lucky to get off the ground at all, what with all that heavy luggage some of us just had to bring along." The taller girl shot back.
Ling Fa shrugged. "Heh. That's mostly Colette's stuff, but you're right. A hundred feet off the ground and wham that's all she wrote!"
"I 'appen to rezzent zat 'oo!" A heavily accented voice spoke up from the seat just behind Mikan.
Colette Dupont stood, leaning on the head rest of the seat next to the young Novice.
"For your information, I only brought ze one zoot case." She told tiny Chinese shaman.
Ling Fa snorted "Yeah, one 'zoot case' roughly the size of a circus trunk!" She sniggered. "What didya put in there? Your whole closet!"
As the two began to argue, the plane began to rumble all around them as it prepared to take of.
Mikan gritted her teeth, glad that Ling Fa was to busy aggravating Colette to notice her discomfort. she never should have mentioned that this was her first time on any sort of plane. It was just that sort of thing that Ling Fa liked to make all sorts of jokes about.
Mikan stared out the window again and noticed that Asuka, Vicky, Matt, and Ran were boarding the plane, which meant all of their stuff must be loaded.
"Where's Rika-chan?" She wondered aloud.
Ling Fa stopped mid taunt. "Asakura-san? In the cockpit talking to our pilot. We only have the one ya know. Some friend of a friend of some man from the Kansai region who owed her a favor for helping him sort out a serious spirit infestation in his house. Must be pretty useful to be a miko with shaman powers, when you're not running around wearing a mask and doing ninja stuff, ne?(2)" She bent closer to Mikan to continue in a fake whisper. "I hear our pilot enjoys his sake a bit to much if you know what I mean." She grinned evilly. "We got him cheap because he crashed some foot ball team into the side of a mountain (3)."
Colette made a lunging grab for Ling Fa, who ducked back into her seat.
"Stop making things up 'oo!"
"You have no sense of humor frenchie! Ha! Missed me!"
And the verbal fencing match began again.
At that moment Matthew Michael Landon, Yamano Asuka , Karasu Ran and Victoria Dare entered the cabin. They immediately headed for the middle of the plane, Vicky and Matt sitting in the two seats across the aisle from Mikan, and Asuka sat right behind them while Ran sat right in front Matt and Vicky.
Mikan noticed that Vicky looked just as nervous as she did. The pale skinned white haired shaman leaned over in the aisle and smiled at her.
"Ever flown before?" she asked.
"No. You?"
"A couple of times. Always on the big commercial airliners though, DC 747's or whatever. I don't even know what this thing is."
"A DHC 8 Turbo," Matt said. "I think Rika mentioned it at one point."
A small fist pumped into the air from the seat just in front of Mikan. "It's a killer, is what it is!" Ling Fa's high voice floated over the seats. "A rock with wings!"
Asuka sighed. "Ling Fa, do us all a favor. . . Shut up."
Ling Fa cackled, apparently pleased to have someone else to torment.
At that moment Asakura Rika, known to most as the Ninja Shaman, entered the cabin from the cockpit and everyone went silent as they focused their attention on her.
"Okay Minna-san, Looks like we're ready to go." Rika began. "Our pilot, Captain Hyroshi has assured me that everything is in proper working order and we should be taking off in a moment. He asks that everyone remain seated until he gives us leave to do other wise. The restrooms in the back of the plane and there's refrigerator with sandwiches and drinks. Any questions?"
Colette raised her hand. "Do we really need to take 'oo along?"
"Oh frenchie, I'm hurt." Ling Fa drawled, standing up in her seat. "And here I thought we starting to like each other."
Some how the French Shaman managed to look highly offended and devious at the same time.
Rika smirked and shook her head before moving to join them.
She stopped by Mikan's seat and turned and smiled down at the other girl. "Need some company Mikan?"
Mikan smiled. She could tell Rika was trying to be supportive. She could also tell that her friend was dead tired. Rika had been up late the night before training.
"No, I'm okay." Mikan said, smiling up at her friend, who was currently dressed in traditional ninja attire sans hood. "Besides I have Ling Fa-chan to talk me through it."
a -not quite- sinister snicker issued from the seat in front of Mikan. "You got it baby!" Ling Fa crowed.
Rika chuckled, shock her head again and went to sit next to Ran.
Just as soon as everyone was in their seats the plane took off for it's destination, America, the site of the second preliminary of the Shaman Fight.
:I'd always wanted to go to America, but I never thought it would happen like this. Has it only been three months since this all started? It feels like years... Anyway, I'm guessing you're wondering who we all are, so I'll start at the beginning...:
End Prologue.