Stereo Love (Shaman King)

My very first ONE SHOT story.

Kinda had an idea to make different pairings from different stories based off of this song, so they will all probably be called Stereo Love (-insertanimehere-), unless I try to be creative… which I DOUBT. :D

Based off of the song Stereo Love by Edward Maya, Yoh seemed to have left in search of his 'true calling', leaving Anna in tears at home, and his friends out in a search party. Manta decides to join and take a stand, while reminiscing on how him and Yoh used to be, and wondering if he'd ever see him again…

Anna was crying, sobbing, never in anyone's entire life had anyone ever seen such a sight. On any other occasion, it would have counted as a victory, that they had finally crushed the undefeatable Anna. The cold-hearted girl who showed nothing but anger and hate towards all things and people, but showed small signs of love for her fiancé, Yoh Asakura.

Oh yeah, he was the problem thought.

The blonde girl used her bandanna to wipe her eyes away. Ryo had said that this had happened all day, since she had first read the letter. She wouldn't even read it to Ryo, she just threw it away and as always, like the typical Anna, kept her feelings to herself and hid in the dining room to watch television… but this time, it was while crying.

Manta was the only guy who was brave enough to try and see what was wrong.

But she simply coughed, choking on her own sadness, before barking at Manta "JUST GO!" And with that, the smaller male turned and hurried off.

Recently, as in early morning, Anna had woken up to an empty bedside. Yoh was gone, but left a note saying that he 'went off to find myself, find my true calling.' Anna had no idea what it meant…neither did Ryo, Ren, Horo Horo, Jocco… and not even Manta. Everyone was surprised at that. Yoh and Manta had been best friends since forever, told each other anything and everything, kept no secrets from one another. But Yoh had gone, ran away from home…not mentioning a single thing the day before, or even this morning before he left… to Manta.

"Ohhh~ When will they stop breaking my heart~?"

"I don't wanna be another one~"

"He seemed so happy yesterday." Ryo had said in the Asakura's home, while cleaning the kitchen before Manta had left "Anna insists on me cleaning before I head off to join Horo Horo and Ren, sure she's crying for him, but it is as if she does not care even the slightest." He grumbled as he hurried along, trying to zoom through his chores. Manta could only watch with a long frown on his face before he finally stepped outside.

"Paying for the things I've never done~"

It was cold, chilly even, there was very little snow on the ground and all over their world. But the cold weather hadn't stopped half of the cities population from walking to their destinations. It was crowded as ever as Manta crossed the street when the walk sign turned into a little green man. This time though, he didn't have to push through and pass legs, as he used to when he was about four feet tall. Now he had grown, he was a decent Japanese teen's height, but now was not the time to show off.

"Don't let go… don't let go…

To my love."

He only stared down as he walked, gazing at his feet as they stepped back and forth in front and behind the other. He turned as soon as he had crossed, then lifted his head to see himself standing in front of a coffee shop. He stared at the sign, it flashed in bright neon, as if it were a late night club in the middle of the day. He remembered when him and Yoh first hung out together, at least hung out in another place besides school. Yoh invited Manta to this very coffee spot. Manta never had coffee, never cared much for it, but it was that day when Yoh gave him his first cup that he would forever drink the warm beverage.

"Don't chug it down too much!" Yoh had said, gasped, trying to snatch the plastic cup that Manta was struggling to keep to himself "You'll crash after! Don't do it!"

Manta could remember himself feeling jittery, buzzed, crazy. He giggled at everything, Yoh laughed at everything he did. Everyone stared at them as if they were psycho highschooler's who had nothing better to do. Hell, they were. When Manta first entered that café, he was embarrassed and scared from all the reactions. He was still short then, his hair in a typical bowl cut with that dirty blonde color, he looked like a five year old trying to fill his older brother's high school uniform.

But Yoh ignored everything, and only eyed him. With a warm smile, the weed-head wrapped an arm around his friends shoulders and lead him to get his first cup of joe, which he would regret later.

"Can I get to your soul?

Can you get to my thoughts?

Can you promise we won't let go?"

"You have a better chance at finding him than us, bud." Horo Horo grunted, shoving his hands into his blue winter jacket. Ren leaned against the wall beside the spiky haired male, nodding in agreement, but saying nothing. There was an awkward silence between all three of them. They were all probably thinking the same thing, where was Yoh? And why had he gone?

"You're his best friend." Horo Horo added, breathing out to make a cloud of smoke appear before his face, before it vanished within the cold "Can you remember anything at all? Did he say something yesterday to you?" Manta only shook his head, unable to speak.

"All the things that I need…

All the things that you need…

You can make it feel so real."

Ren huffed, his own breath dispersing before his yellow eyes "God. What is his deal? I wonder if he is getting cold feet about becoming Shaman King."

They paused, and Horo Horo commented "Maybe. Hey, I wonder if Ryo and Jocco are in as much shit as us."

"We're getting no where fast." Ren said quietly as Manta turned and walked off, leaving the two to their search.

"Cuz you can't deny…
You've blown my mind.
When I touch your body…
I feel I'm losing control."

Manta wore a long green winter jacket, thin but warm, and his hands were buried deep in his pockets to keep them from freezing over. His mind was cloudy, his mouth dry, and his voice seemed to have vanished as soon as he heard the news. It troubled him deeply, but he couldn't think about finding Yoh… he could only think OF Yoh. Of them, of their times together. How much fun they had had together, with friends, with one another's families, at school, the movies, the playground, especially the cemetery.

"Cuz you can't deny…
You've blown my mind.
When I see you baby…
I just don't wanna let go."

They had recently gone to the cemetery about two weeks ago to see the stars together, like they often did whenever they had the chance to get out their homes at such a late hour.

"There is no place greater than here, Manta." Yoh had announced then, with a stretch, leaning against the dead tree that rested at the peak of the cemetery land. Manta was simply standing right next to him, but soon he let himself sit as he nodded "Yeah, the view is always great. Better than the clouds covering up the city."

"Yeah…" Yoh sighed gently, relaxed as he slowly prepared to tune out the world "I could just… sit here forever, Manta. I really could."

Manta looked at the male as the brunette slowly slid his orange wireless headphones over his ears and closed his eyes, a song soon being heard through the ears of the headphones, and Manta realizing that Yoh was probably getting ready to sleep.

"Ohhh~ When will they stop breaking my heart~?"

"I don't wanna be another one~"

Manta now stood at the peak, looking out into the city with a quiet gaze. His eyes told everything though. He was hurting, aching, in pain. Where had he ran off to? Why wouldn't he tell him? Where could their memories go… if there was no one to share them with?

"Paying for the things I never done…"

Would he ever see Yoh Asakura again?

"Don't let go…Don't let go,
To my love."

Manta was already hallucinating, imagining things, dreaming in broad day-light that Yoh was with him at that very spot. He was watching a faded photographed version of Yoh leaned against the tree, in a sepia toned color. The teen had grown his hair out, the color brown had always been soft… and though he rarely brushed his hair, he kept it in a ponytail that made it look so neat and clean. His headphones were worn out, they had lasted for years, they were there when Manta first met Yoh, and they would probably be there when Manta had left Yoh.

The fading image of Yoh looked up towards Manta, before he joined the shorter male and stood to his own feet. He moved close, but Manta felt nothing. He knew Yoh wasn't there, he knew there was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes as he felt the image move through his body and past him, and with a turn of his head, Manta watched as Yoh's image descended the stairs that lead to the far off street.

Manta had to run.

"I can fix all those lies,
But baby, baby I run, but I'm running to you…"

The thin male ran, as if running from the cops in a high speed chase. As if he were being chased by some animal, a monster, but the monsters were his own thoughts, they were scaring him. They seemed to threaten him. As if he had failed as a friend, as a companion… or as something more.

"You won't see me cry, I'm hiding inside…
My heart is in pain but I'm smiling for you~"

His tears finally fell, his emotions finally revealed. He was thankful no one was around to see, as he chased down the now running image of Yoh. It was as if the image were trying to get away from him, either that or lead him. But what if it were to be in the wrong direction? What if this was a dream? What if this figure was something made up in his head to deal with the loss of his friend? What if… it was Yoh's ghost…?

"Oh baby I'll try, to make the things right,
I need you more than air when I'm not with you~"

Manta's cell phone rang, loud, he had remembered that he had put it on outdoor mode so that he would hear it if anyone had heard or found out anything about Yoh's whereabouts. He stopped dead in his tracks, right before hitting the street, thankfully. He wiped his eyes, letting his phone ring as he tried to calm himself. He stared ahead across the street, as the cars sped by in front of his gaze. There he was, Yoh's… sepia toned reflection, standing across the street casually.

"Please don't ask me why, just kiss me this time~

My only dream—is about you and I…"

"It sounds like he's not even in town, dude." Jocco said on the other line. What sounded like static was simply the wind, and the fact that Jocco was fighting off Ryo from speaking, but failing. When Ryo had gotten the phone, he breathed out into it "Little man, how about you? Have you at least found anything? Clothes? Fingerprints?"

"What is this, True TV?"

"SHUT UP JOCCO!"

The two argued once more, and Manta simply closed his cell phone. He was a little bit more relaxed after that, though there was still no sign of Yoh anywhere. Ren and Horo Horo were searching everywhere, as much as Jocco and Ryo were… Manta was the only person doing nothing. All he was doing was browsing memories, strolling down memory lane at the places that they used to go. Some friend he was.

It was soon safe to cross the street, and Manta was back to staring down at his feet as he walked.

"Manta! I'm so glad we can talk face to face now!" Yoh had said once when the two of them were crossing this very street. It was the day when Manta woke up in bed and found out his bed was too small, his clothes too small, he had become Alice in Wonderland, and had eaten the cake that had made him grow to large proportions. Yoh said it was puberty, and though Yoh sounded as if he meant 'finally, i'd thought you'd be a midget forever', Manta wasn't at all excited about suddenly seeing the world from a normal perspective.

"Shut up Yoh!" Manta remembered crying from embarrassment. They had crossed the street when Yoh started to laugh at the male.

"Haha I'm sorry, I'm sorry! 's just that every time I had to lower my head—"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"I felt like I was belittling you by having to stare down."

Manta huffed "Dammit Yoh!"

Yoh laughed.

"Now I'm tall enough to punch your arm!" Manta formed a fist and gave a quick jab at Yoh's shoulder, causing the brunette to wince, but his laugh carried on. "Ow! Hey!"

Soon the memory faded, as Manta crossed the street, and down the block, Yoh was peeking from around the corner of a wall. Manta wondered if it was really him, if this was his Yoh, his friend, his…

The boy soon vanished, and Manta was once again on the run.

"I hate to see you cry…
My love is dying inside…"

He had made the turn, and Yoh was now leaving the city, going in the outskirts of town, reaching the fields of snow. Did Manta dare run after him? Of course, friends were always there for each other… always.

"I can fix all those lies…
But baby, baby I run, but I'm running to you~"

He ran as fast as his unfit body could. He was thin sure, but he had no muscles, rarely worked out except during school when he carried his books to and from classrooms. Yoh was working out every day. He was thin too, but he was a different thin. He had a pack forming on his belly, that he showed off daily because of his need to have his shirt undone and open, and his arms were strong and toned. Manta was always jealous of the boy, but it was a good jealous, not a jealous that lead to a scary envy… Manta enjoyed Yoh's muscles…

"You won't see me cry, I'm hiding inside…
My heart is in pain—but I'm smiling for you~"

Manta had made it as far as he could, the city was gone, nothing but snow and hills all around him. He had gotten so far, but the image of Yoh had vanished, disappeared. Was it a trick of the eyes? Had Manta came all this way, following his own mind games instead of actually trying to search for Yoh? Manta had finally lost it, he had reached his limit… he fell onto his knees in the cold snow, and he cried. He cried harder than Anna ever could. He cried so loudly that he heard his own echoes yell right back at him. He wept, wept as hard as the universe would let him.

A hand touched him, it felt like it at least. Manta continued to cry, crying and wiping his infinite tears away at the back of his hands. The poor teen's face was flushed, his nose was starting to run, and his only tissue was his own sleeves, his only comfort the snow beneath him. He would always be alone—

Suddenly, someone's sneeze..

In the distance, it sounded.

And another; followed by an echo.

Manta stood up, and he looked as far as he could. His eyes continued watering like a sprinkler as he walked on, hope now in his heart from what he had just heard. His knees numb from the cold ground as he wandered ahead. Soon, he saw a form, lying in the snow, as if dead and unmoving, but another sneeze came from it, and the form lifted when Manta took another step forward.

The pale figure had a long brown ponytail, an open tan shirt, and blue jeans that had torn holes at the knees. The male was shivering up a storm, his nose and cheeks pink, but the rest of his skin was pale, and he was sniffling.

Manta stared, his eyes were cracking, forming into ice from how many tears he had cried.

"Oh baby I'll try, to make the things right,
I need you more than air when I'm not with you~"

The male slid a set of worn out orange headphones off of his ears, then he noticed Manta, and hollered "Manta!" It sounded like a surprised yelp, as if he hadn't expected him, but the way the teen formed a wide smile on his death pale face, revealed that he probably had been.

Manta had nothing to say, he wanted to yell, scream at Yoh, ask so many questions. Why did Yoh run off without telling him anything? Why did Yoh cause a heartless woman to cry? Why did Yoh threaten to leave them all forever? He wanted to punch the male, he wanted to kill him, murder him and bury the body right in the snow he had laid on. Yoh even ran off without a jacket or anything, and it was obvious that he was sick from the stupidity.

Yoh stood to his feet, his smile remaining on his face "Manta…" he repeated the blonde's name, in a softer and more loving tone.

With those last words, Manta let out a loud cry as he ran to his friend, his best friend… his true and first friend… his love.

Manta hugged the male, sobbing against Yoh's chest as the brunette wrapped his arms around him. His smile was gentle and calm as he simply let Manta cry on him, release his burdens, his pain and sorrow onto him. Manta couldn't control himself, he couldn't calm down, and soon Yoh whispered into the males ear…

"I found myself, Manta."

Manta lifted his head to the other, and Yoh continued to smile, his eyes half closed, as if he were to collapse onto the smaller male any second "My true calling."

Manta shook his head slowly, but Yoh's face moved so close that he could feel the pale boys heated breath against him. It made the blonde shiver, but soon Yoh whispered once more "My true calling…I found him."

They pressed their lips together, a gentle and soft kiss that made Manta crave more. He realized he was in love with his best friend, but the fact that his feelings were returned made the problem all the more sweeter. He wrapped his arms around Yoh's neck, trying to get what he was searching for, which the brunette gave. He gave his all, his everything, his heart belonged to Manta, and Manta's to Yoh. The best friends were best lovers, and a sepia toned image of Yoh slowly appeared behind Manta, eyeing Yoh with a prideful grin.

"Please don't ask me why, just kiss me this time~

My only dream—is about you and I…"

Yoh broke the kiss, and the two were left breathless, but breathing heavily against one another to get some sort of air into their lungs. Yoh soon grasped Manta's hand, but then noticed his photographed counter part.

Manta realized as well, worried that he was hallucinating again, but Yoh soon smirked "Thanks, Amidamaru."

The sepia toned teen slowly grew and changed, glowed as bright as the sun, until it turned into a gray haired samurai floating above the ground. The ghostly man saluted with a smile, and Manta simply turned to Yoh and glared.

The love of his life, the man that thought of him as his 'true calling'…

Laughed.

"My only dream—is about you and I…"

Then sneezed.

Well this was it. My very first ONE SHOT story. :D Based off of the song Stereo Love, look it up, it's made by Edward Maya.

I recently got back into the Shaman King era from the fact that my Youtube account name is AyameAsakura, and I was searching for some episodes to create a new opening for all my videos on there. Ayame Asakura was my first online username ever used throughout the internet based off of my love for Shaman King's Yoh Asakura. XD A bunch of Mary-Sue fanfics rest in my documents... :P But a lot of yaoi too, but none of which were of Yoh and Morty. I realized my favorite pairing was probably the twincest between Zeke and Yoh, or the rebellious Trey and Len. But I started getting interested in Morty and Yoh when I saw the first episode, and how Morty seemed to view Yoh, and how Yoh seemed to show concern and love towards Morty. But I know that not many people enjoy Morty because of his size, but hellow~ best fwiends always fall in love in stories. XD

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Many more shaman one shots to come, even regular chapter fics perhaps? :D