Disclaimer: Do not own shaman king.

This is a chapterless story. Think of it as an act by act procedure, which means lengths might be inconsistent, but the point comes across. ;)

Alright, if you haven't read Destiny, you're probably more confused than those who did, although perhaps just a little bit. I'll be explaining more as we go along, don't worry.

The English Schoolgirl with a Katana

Soon…I was supposed to meet her soon…

Ren slashed at the monstrosity before him with Kwan Dao, stabbing backward with the pointed end just in time to stop a second attack. He could hear the heavy breathing of all his companions, and could feel himself getting frantic.

Just ahead…she's waiting just ahead…

If only they could call upon their oversouls, he would be able to end this in a flash. With a gasp, Ren found himself being dragged down by some immense force that felt like it would rip his body apart if he resisted it any further.

Aizawa…

The name brought a sudden burst of defiance out of Ren, who had stopped thinking logically the moment this insanity had begun. Deciding that he could throw Kwan Dao in his current state, he aimed at the cloaked man standing a distance away.

He couldn't remember how long the man had been standing there, he wasn't even sure how they had gotten into the situation they were in. All he knew was that every pore in his body was screaming at him to run, but his pride as a Tao shouted back in defiance, his instinct honed by numerous battles telling him that the man was the cause of their troubles.

Just a flick of the wrist…aim...throw.

And throw he did, which was a bad decision as he found out the moment his trusty spear left his hands. From there, everything seemed to get a whole lot worse.

For some reason, the man had been standing in the air, a fact that seemed to have eluded Ren's senses. He could only gape as Kwan Dao soared upwards, missing the man by an inch before the blade twisted downward as if it was a hundred times heavier than the end. The blade which had been his ally looked quite different now that it was pointed at him.

With an abruptness that could not have been in any way natural, the spear hurtled down towards Ren with an acceleration impossible for its weight. He heard Yoh groan something from towards his right. Or maybe it was his left. All sense of direction was lost to Ren in his world, now warped by the huge pressure pulling his whole body ground-ward. Even worse, those monstrosities, now seemingly larger in number, were leering down at him with their salivated blood-stained fangs.

And then, it was over. Just like that.

His eyes wandered up her slim legs, past her knitted skirt that didn't even reach halfway to her knees, drinking in her form. Still caught in a half-daze, he found himself staring at her long chocolate hair, reaching up to her shoulder blades, as it shifted with the strong sea breeze, orange streaks seeming to glint under the sunlight.

There was something strangely familiar about her figure as she stood low, in a stance that was ready for battle with her sword held slightly above her forehead, that gave him the feeling that he knew it, yet it seemed so shrouded in mystery that he found himself wondering how he could know someone like her. Still, there was something in him that wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms, hold on so tight and whisper sweet nothings in her ears.

"Stop gawking, Ren." He turned at the sound of Yoh's harsh whisper, and realized that his jaw was wide open. Embarrassed, he hurriedly shut his jaw, clenching it together so hard it hurt before turning back to the girl.

Dammit, she's no Lyn.

"Thanks for your help from…whatever those things were…" Yoh told the girl in his normal cheerful tone. Yet, Ren could sense a tone of restrain that reminded him of their situation. They were in a foreign country, not even sure if they had come to the right place, and they had been attacked for no apparent reason, and to top it all off, this girl came to their rescue at just the right time. Even Yoh would probably feel a little distanced and unwilling to get friendly.

Then again, it probably was because Yoh wasn't very fluent at English.

So there they were, stuck in England, thrown completely off-guard. Imagine their surprise then, when the girl responded in Japanese.

"What, two years, I let my hair grow a little and I'm suddenly a totally different person?" Her voice was relaxed and her laugh, familiar. Ren's eyes widened when the girl turned around, revealing a pair of dark blue eyes, sparkling with an easy laughter, teeth showing in an all too familiar grin.

"Lyn!" The girl suddenly found her arms full as Kaede ran forward, flinging her arms around Lyn's neck and burying her face into Lyn's shoulder, where she promptly began sobbing. Silently, Lyn put an arm around Kaede, running a hand through her hair comfortingly, a strangely sad smile that seemed at home on her face.

This was wrong. Ren shook his head in wonderment. It was not right for such a sad expression to look fitting on Lyn.

What in the world happened these past two years? She still seemed fine when we met her at China…

"Isn't this great, Ren?" The purple haired shaman looked up at Yoh blankly, unsure of whether to nod or shake his head. Inside of him was a torrent of emotions, waving around wildly, uncertainly.

He was glad to see Lyn again, fit as a fiddle. But that joy came accompanied by doubt and uncertainty. It had been two years since they'd last met. How much would she have changed?

Did she still feel the same way?

Ren bit his lower lip and clenched his chest tightly with his right hand, trying hard to suppress the uncomfortable feeling building up there, fast becoming unbearable. With a low moan, he sank to his knees slowly. For some reason, his senses felt heightened, to the point where Yoh's concerned eyes on him felt like they were burning a hole through his skin.

Love only drags you down.

Ren gasped as he looked into the icy stare of the cold-blooded killer who had once been him. Staring into his reflection, he could feel his pulse quicken, his breathing grow heavier. He had stopped believing that long ago, during the first round of the shaman fights, after he had met Yoh.

That part of him couldn't still be existent…

A roar of pain erupted from his throat as his skin seemed to burn, and his over sensitized nerves sent waves of agony rushing through his body. His lungs felt like they were on fire, the air too heavy to breathe.

A malicious smirk.

Followed by pain tearing through every ligament in his body, something so unbearable he expected blackness to follow. Yet somehow, as if fate reveled in his suffering, he remained fully conscious, his enhanced senses screaming at him in a medley of agony.

Desperately, defiantly, he staggered up, biting down on his tongue until it was wet with blood. He stared his twin in the eye, a wave of nausea hitting him as the figure before him suddenly blurred, and became a strange looking boy.

With a jolt, the world spun, and Ren found himself falling to the ground. As he hit the ground, his body was wrapped in agony, which faded into numbness as all his senses, overly heightened before, seemed to disappear completely.

The only thing he could feel was his skin burning. Then, a pair of gentle hands, cool on his cheeks.

And Lyn's voice, which didn't really sound all that different.

Lol. That's it for the beginning.