Shaman King: Born and raised to be Shaman

Prologue: The Child of the Lightning

Disclaimer: Iie, I do not own Shaman King!

Another passerby. He waited. The small body that was the three year old child sat and waited longer as the downpour continued as it had for two days. He would not last much longer. He would die, and yet he would not be missed.

They hated him. Everyone hated him. They did not say, but he saw it, and felt it as the simply passed him by. He had only two friends, and only he could see them. Tsao Ton Ji and Poseidon, that was all, and right now, they were out trying to help him, trying to find someone who would offer the young child help.

They had been gone for three days, and he remained sitting against the inn wall, waiting and hoping for someone to come and take him home. But no one ever did. No one ever would. He felt himself giving up, and he let his head fall, but then…. It stopped. He felt it. The rain stopped.

The child looked up, and saw an older child hovering over him, but still a child. His mother or father would be soon, telling him to leave the little dirty orphan child alone.

The boy was frowning at him, a vague stare on his face. It looked as though he was thinking about something to do with the child. But that couldn't be. No one ever thought about him. Yet the boy continued to stand there for several minutes. The child was beginning to get an itching felling that felt like it was deep inside his mind.

Of course though, this didn't register with the child, he was too young, but the older child, no older than seven, seemed to be all knowing. The child continued to stare, and suddenly the boy smiled kindly.

"You're smart, little one. There's something about you, a power so immense for someone your age that I don't believe I could even begin to comprehend," the boy said unexpectedly. The child did not understand, he was confused about what this boy was talking about.

A moment later, the boy hoisted the child into his arms and whispered calmly "Don't worry, little one, it will be alright." The child instinctively wrapped his legs around the boy's waist and his arms around his neck. He planted his head into the boy's shoulder as the boy slowly sifted his fingers through the child's shoulder length, raven hair.

The child looked up into the boy's dark eyes and the boy looked back into his rich cobalt ones. He smiled once more, but the nervous and shy child immediately planted his head back in the same scared position as before.

Then, he felt the boy begin to walk. The boy's manila cloak was draped over the child's body as well as the boy himself. His hair was long and deep auburn, but was now drenched by the rain. He walked for what seemed like hours, and the child drifted off to a calm sleep. He had been in the street for months, and now he wasn't sure of his fate.

When he awoke, he was laying on a huge bed, with a large silky comforter and soft sheets. The boy sat up. He was in a large blue robe, probably the boy's. It was much too big, but all the same, it was the warmest and most comfortable things the child had worn in months.

The child climbed out of the bed and landed with a soft thump on the floor. It had been early morning when the boy had come, but now it was dark. Suddenly an aroma of such unimaginable magnitude caught the child's senses. He ran, occasionally tripping on the robe, down some stairs to another floor, and into a large room with a beautiful carved cedar table.

The boy was standing on one of the chairs that matched the table. He had moved it to a stove, and was stirring something in a large pot. Because the boy was still young, he was forced to use the chair in order to reach the stove, among other things. That was when the boy first acknowledged his presence.

He turned, and stared at the child for a moment. "Ahh, I see your awake, little one," he murmured calmly, obviously trying not to frighten the child. The boy suddenly hopped off the chair and walked swiftly over to the child. He swooped him up and placed him in another chair at the table in one swift motion. Before the child realized what was going on, the table was set with more food than the child had ever seen.

He looked up at the boy, and he nodded furtively. The boy was about to dig into the food with hands, when the boy stopped him. He handed the child a fork, which he had never used, but gave an example of, by eating some of the turkey off of the main plate.

The child understood the method quickly and was soon gulping down food amazingly fast for a three year old child. "Slow down, little one," the boy said almost jokingly, "the food isn't going anywhere. The child slowed, but only slightly. He was now thirsty and picked up the large glass and tried to gulp down some of the ice tea in it, but failed miserably. Instead, its contents spilled all over him soaking him, the robe, and the floor with tea.

The child looked up, terrified. He was sure the boy would throw him out. But, when he glanced over to the boy, he saw nothing but amusement engulfing his face. He broke into a calm laugh, and proceeded over to the child, quickly cleaning up the spill.

"Come now, I think you need a bath, little one," the boy reasoned. "But first, do you speak?" The child said nothing in response. "I guess not, it's not that I expected you would, seeing as you are only a baby, and have been orphaned for who knows how long, but don't worry, I'll teach you." The child looked the boy over, without his cloak, the boy looked normal. His outfit was simple, black pants, with a red and blue star buckled belt. He was not wearing his boots or any socks, and looked as if he only wore those when he went outside. Even though the boy didn't know it, the child had understood every word he had said so far.

"Ee, you stay here, shindou." He told the child. "Ohh, and my name is Hao. I'm going to run a nice warm bath in the onsen. I will be back in a minute. Finish eating."

"H…Ha…Hao." Hao stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. He looked at the child.

"What did you… say?" he asked, almost stuttering.

"I… I .. say.. Ha…Hao. You Hao…. I Ha..Hay….den…Hayden." Hao was absolutely astonished. So the child can talk after all, Hao thought. Incredible, perhaps he really is a shindou. He smiled and nodded, then resumed walking. He rounded the corner on the stairs and continued down what must have been another set. Hayden did as he was told and continued eating.

Hao had scrubbed the Hayden clean in the onsen, and was putting him into another robe.

"Tomorrow, shindou-chan, we shall go and buy you some new clothes and perhaps one of those… what do humans call them… for baby's….. I remember now… sippy cups! Ee, you definitely need one of those, Hayden-chan."

Hao placed Hayden back into the bed in the room that was obviously meant for him, but as happy as Hayden was, he had to ask.

"Hao?"

"Hai?"

"Why did you that?"

"Do what, shindou-chan?"

"Take me home with you."

"Ee, do not worry. You were a starving child in the street, I could not leave you there. Guddonaito."

"Hao?"

"Yes, Hayden?"

"Do you see them?"

"Who?"

"The ghosts?" Hao smiled and Hayden knew that was yes. Someone finally cared.