Author's note: This is a oneshot taken from my first SK fic, The Eternity You Wish For, which has already been deleted. I've made a few changes, but it's basically the same. It's about what had happened in Hao's first life which caused him to loathe humans and begin his plan to create a shaman kingdom.
Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King. Just my OCs.
(1000 years ago; ancient Japan)
If it weren't for a certain young girl who had peeled away the layers of sorrow enveloping Asakura Hao's heart, he would never have been the formidable shaman he would be as an adult. When Hao was six, the first tragedy in his life struck; his beloved mother died of an illness. Then, his father never recovered from his wife's death. He lay in such anguish that he ignored his only son and one night, he just packed his things and left, never to be seen again.
Hao was then left in the care of his father's sister, but he was not the cheerful and carefree person he was before. He rarely spoke, and he didn't care much for his lessons to become a shaman. His aunt then sought the help of a distant relative, who had an adoptive daughter who was Hao's age. A curious child with an imaginative mind, the little girl named Shizu was assigned to be Hao's playmate.
At first Hao was apathetic and indifferent towards his new 'playmate', but Shizu was stubborn as she was kind, and refused to give up befriending this boy who somehow fascinated her so. One night, she managed to coax Hao into sneaking out with her to a place she wanted to bring him. It was an open meadow where fireflies were roaming about, and the mesmerizing sight brought tears to Hao's eyes.
"Why are you crying, Hao?" Shizu asked, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad. I just wanted to cheer you up." She looked down and shuffled her feet.
"Mother…loved fireflies." Shizu looked up at Hao, who was using a sleeve to wipe away his tears. He gazed sadly at the glowing flying insects. "Fireflies make me think of Mother."
Shizu gave a small smile. "Here, let me teach you how to make them fly towards you."
And from that night onwards, young Asakura Hao began to open up his heart to Shizu.
(Twenty years later)
Like that fateful night all those years ago when they were still children, Hao and Shizu were in a meadow full of fireflies. Now, as newlyweds, they were pressed together as they lay under the star-filled sky. Shizu raised a sleeved hand towards the sky, as she pointed out a shooting star.
"What did you wish for, love?" whispered Hao.
Shizu smiled. "The same as always. Peace and prosperity throughout the land. What about you then?"
Hao chuckled. "Oh, I'm more selfish than you. I wished for you and I to be together forever. For our love to transcend time."
"You are selfish," Shizu teased playfully. Hao laughed and stroked her strawberry blonde hair lovingly. He never tired of looking at her. She wasn't the most beautiful woman in the land; heck, even the Japanese Emperor had concubines with more stunningly attractive features. But to Hao, she was. With her azure blue eyes that sparkle whenever she was playfully teasing him and her radiant smile that no one else seem to be able to match, she was the only woman Hao could imagine spending the rest of his life with.
"I'm selfish alright, but only for you," he purred. Shizu's musical laugh filled the air. Soon, the lovers just stopped speaking, enjoying each other's presence, with all of nature's glory surrounding them. Soon, the silence grew unnerving and Hao sensed something amidst in his wife. It felt like…anxiety.
Cupping her chin and tilting her face upwards so that he can look into her eyes, he asked in concern, "What worries you, my dear?" It unsettled him that she had something bothering her.
Her eyes lowered. "The villagers." And she bit her lip.
Hao's eyes darkened and a frown graced his handsome features. Shizu was referring to the local villagers who were constantly seeking their help to vanquish demons. They were non-shamans, in other words, humans. They were recently clearing forests to make farms for their own gain, destroying the habitats of animals as well as plants. Yet, Shizu chose not to confront their actions, preferring to maintain peace.
Hao, on the other hand, had resentful and ill feelings towards them. Having mastered the five elements, he interacted with nature both physical and spiritually. These greedy actions of humans infuriated him a great deal, but out of love for Shizu, he put up with all of this so as not to upset her.
"Well," taking his wife's hand to comfort her, "what about them?"
Shizu paused for a moment. "When I am around them, and if I concentrate hard enough, I can sense that their hearts are tainted with a growing fear…something is making them feel uneasy. And what bothers me is that fear…can grow into hate. This is worrying."
Hao remained silent. He knew what those villagers were fearful of: Him. Being able to read minds, he had discovered that although they sought his services for his shamanic abilities, secretly, they viewed his powerful abilities as 'the devil's own powers'. The humans did not regard the rest of the Asakuras as threats; it was only he. They felt that a single person accommodating that much power should be made wary of.
'Humans fear what they do not understand,' Hao thought angrily.
Unlike Hao, Shizu made use of her shamanic abilities to work as a healer. She inherited the exceptional knowledge of medicine and herbs from the Asakura clan, but she made progress in her field by discovering so much more. Also, she was the only shaman known to possess the innate ability to heal many others quickly in a short time. Respected and admired, she had nothing to fear from the humans.
"Shizu, let's not worry about that now. This is our time together as husband and wife. Let us just enjoy this night."
Hao smiled in satisfaction as he successfully gained control of Zenki and Kouki, two demons that were terrorising the nearby village. Now, they were his guardian spirits, ready to obey his orders. Hao turned to the chief of the village, Yamada, and his attendants, noticing the looks of awe on their faces. Yamada immediately snapped out of his awe and thanked Hao profusely for his service to the village. But underneath that gratitude, was a wretched feeling towards Hao.
'What a terrifying man. He'll surely kill us all once we turn our backs,' thought Yamada. Unknown to him, Hao heard his every thought. He could hear Yamada's attendants who were also cursing him in their thoughts. A rush of resentment filled Hao, but he knew better. 'For Shizu's sake, I must control my anger,' he thought.
What Hao did not know, however, was that a sinister plot was being conspired against him.
Shizu smiled, enjoying the calming breeze in the evergreen forest. "I wonder what my love is doing right now?" she thought aloud. "Oh well, might as well finish collecting herbs to be in time when he returns." The fair maiden strolled towards the deeper part of the forest. It was usually like this every day; she would carry out her duties as a healer, and her husband would engage in any demon vanquishing activity for the humans. Shizu sometimes did that too, but only if Hao was caught up in something else. She remembered the scene between her and her husband earlier on this morning…
(Flashback)
"I really don't think you should go," Hao said slowly. Shizu stood at the gate of their home, and frowned at his last sentence. She really didn't want to go through this discussion again. Must Hao always treat her as though she was totally helpless?
"Hao, we've already discussed this. I'm only going to be gone for a few hours. The villagers, especially the children, need my help. You know how they are. They're worried about the increasing illnesses and their local healers aren't much help at all," she said, trying to sound as patient as she could.
"But I need you too."
Shizu sighed. "Hao, just because you have to help in the monastery all day long doesn't mean I have to constantly accompany you. I have to collect these herbs for the medicines I have to make. It's a simple task, my love; I can do this without any assistance. You never want me to go anywhere else without you."
"Can I help it that I'll miss you when you're gone?" Hao said with a faint smile.
Shizu's face softened at his statement. "I may leave, Hao…"
"…But you know I'll always come back."
(End of flashback)
"O great Nature, allow me to gather your gifts in the form of herbs, for I will be eternally grateful," whispered Shizu. Like Hao, she had an affinity for nature. Shizu believed that just like in the case of other human beings, one needs to ask for consent before taking something that was not theirs. The wind blew gently against her face, assuring the female healer that Mother Nature had heard her request. Shizu smiled and began to gather herbs, taking only what she needed and placing them in her basket. She had to make sure she did not mistake the poisonous herbs for the ones she needed.
All seemed fine, until Shizu heard a terrified shriek from beyond the woods. Instinct led her to automatically drop her basket and make her way quickly to the source of the shriek. Shizu gasped at the sight awaiting her.
Two demons were surrounding two innocent human children. They cried in fear, with the boy shielding the girl behind him. Seeing their saviour arriving at the scene, they screamed pleadingly, "Help us, Healer Shizu!"
Shizu immediately went into action. She always carried with her, a quiver of arrows whenever she went into the forest in case she ran into demons and other evil beings. She was superb in archery, and her natural shamanic ability was to shoot arrows combined with her pure Furyoku energy, able to penetrate through evil barriers and demons' flesh.
She nimbly dodged the demons as they attempted to strike her. An arrow directly hit a demon's heart, destroying it immediately. Shizu leaped into the air as she sank her foot into the remaining demon's eye, temporarily blinding it. She landed in between of it and the children. The demon quickly recovered and charged towards her. Unafraid, Shizu chanted, "O holy light, I command thee, bind this foul creature!" At once, chains of light emitting pure energy appeared and bound the demon tightly, but this was only for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Shizu shot an arrow, causing the demon to moan in agony and thereby vanquishing it.
Shizu heaved a sigh of relief. The two children, still crying, ran towards her and wrapped their arms around her. "There, there, it's alright now. The demons are gone," said Shizu in a soothing voice. Without warning, she felt a sharp and intense pain in her chest. She instinctively shoved the children away. To her horror, there were two daggers pierced deeply into her chest. Gasping heavily, she grabbed the daggers out, wincing in utmost pain as she did so, and flung them aside.
"Children, how could you…?" she managed to say, gasps of agony in between her words. Shizu dropped to her knees. To make matters worse, the daggers had a lethal poison spread on the blade. Shizu mentally groaned that she did not have her vials of antidotes with her, and at a time she needed it most. Blood was dripping profusely. The children began exchanging looks of guilt.
"We had to do it!" the little girl finally said. Biting her lip, she continued, "Lord Yamada ordered us to do it. He…he said that as the wife of Asakura Hao, we had to kill you to get to that devil. H-he said you would rescue us when we're attacked by demons. So we had to take this chance to get rid of you first! We have to get rid of that devil Hao or we'll be killed for sure! We have to! Even if it means that you have to die."
Shizu bit her lip to keep her from crying out in pain. 'Yamada? No…then that means…the villagers…they've betrayed me…Oh no, what would they do to Hao…? Or worse, what would Hao do to them…?' thought Shizu frantically.
The other boy then had a sorrowful look on his face. "I really liked you, Healer Shizu. You helped my family many times…but… But no one is truly safe as long as the devil Hao is around! Not even you! Consider it that we saved you from a tragic life with that devil husband of yours."
And then, an unexpected event unfolded: a whole band of demons arrived at the scene (probably to avenge their dead fellow demons). The two children shrieked in terror. They did not expect this and also knew that they were defenseless against demons without Shizu's protection. In addition, they were too far away from their village to cry for help.
"No! You leave them be!" exclaimed Shizu angrily to the demons. Even though they turned against her, she knew she still had to protect them. Although it hurt to hear them brand her beloved husband as 'the devil', she knew it was her solemn duty nonetheless to protect those who could not do so themselves. Shielding the children protectively, Shizu struggled to fend the demons off. Even though she was a strong shaman, in her dire condition, wounded and poisoned, she knew she could not hold them off for long. After making sure the demons' attention was diverted to Shizu, the children ran away back to their village, abandoning the very person who was putting her life on the line to save them.
The battle was intense. Shizu was becoming weaker by the minute. The poison was taking over her veins; it was as though her vital organs were on fire. Not to mention that the demons struck hard. Even with her advanced shamanic skills, there were simply too many for her to handle, and her current condition didn't make things any better either. Shizu gasped in extreme pain, and placed her hand over her wound at her chest, breathing heavily. 'Heavens above, aid me,' prayed Shizu weakly. She braced herself for the final blow from the demons.
'Hao…' was her last thought. Then all went black.
Hao lifted his head in alarm. He had heard his beloved Shizu calling out to him. Fear that she was hurt led him to quicken his journey through the mountains to get to her. He had spent the entire day in the mountains, helping the monks who lived there rebuild their monastery after a demon attack (of course, he vanquished them). A fleeting sound of Shizu's voice entered his mind. In superhuman speed, he made his way down the mountains, across streams, and through forests. On his mad dash to reunite with his love, he passed Yamada's village.
Unknown to the villagers, Hao eavesdropped on their conversation after he heard Shizu's name being mentioned.
"So? Did you get rid of Asakura Shizu, as planned?" Yamada demanded impatiently to two children. Hao's eye widened as he thought of how despicable Yamada was, using children to carry out his dirty work.
'What have they done to Shizu!'
"Y-Yes Lord Yamada. But we were attacked by another group of demons. So we just left her there," replied the young boy, cowering in fear. The girl beside him nodded timidly.
Horrified, and without listening any further, Hao sped towards the forest where he knew Shizu would be gathering herbs there. 'Wait for me Shizu,' he thought desperately. 'I'm coming…So please, please hold on till I get there. Don't die.'
Hao dropped to his knees in disbelief. After hours of searching for Shizu, he found no sign of her. He only found her bow and quiver and to his utter horror, a large pool of blood, which he suspected to be his wife's, as well as two poisoned daggers soaked in the same blood. There was clearly a battle that had occurred here, and with no other demons around, he had concluded only one possible outcome. But that outcome was one that grieved him so.
Tears of sorrow began flowing out of his eyes. It had to be true, though he could not accept it. Shizu, his one true love, the very person who meant the most to him, was gone. Instantly, the delightful cherished memories shared by him and her began replaying in his distraughted mind. It was like that time, when his mother had died, and now, he lost someone so immensely precious and important to him again. Shizu, his wife, his companion, his inspiration, his sole reason to continue living in this world was—
"Murdered," Hao said bitterly, enraged. "My Shizu was murdered by the humans. And after all that she and I had done for them, this is how they repay us! First humans pollute the earth with their greed and ambition, which I can tolerate because of Shizu. But now they have taken her away as well! They have killed her, an innocent shaman who did nothing wrong but help these humans around her! Humans…humans are vile and foul! They should just be wiped off from this world! They are don't deserve to live!"
Hao's heart was filled with bitter resentment and intense hatred. Suddenly, the same band of demons from before appeared to see their latest victim. But Hao, consumed in deep rage, destroyed them mercilessly in a blink of an eye. He made his way towards the village and began tearing the village apart, killing any human he saw. He even wiped out all the shamans he labelled as "weak".
"Weak shamans still have everything they desire! They live off what I have accomplished. They should perish with the humans! That's right, any shaman who sides with weak humans are nothing but nuisances. I shall destroy them all, and build a new world of only strong shamans. A world that I would've wanted Shizu to live in."
Asakura Hao terrorised the villages he passed. Massacres occurred, and Hao even gained fanatical followers who shared his beliefs. He caused much chaos and destruction, until the Asakura family stepped in. Combining all of their powers, they ultimately defeated Hao after a long and harsh battle that resulted in losses at both sides. Yet it is not over. Hao would reincarnate the next 500 years, as master of the five elements.
It was not the end. No, not yet. It had begun.
Please R&R :)