Looking Through Your Eyes
Hara breathed a sigh of relief; the furyoku of her opponent just ran out. Setting her glaive on her shoulder, she offered her hand to her opponent.
"It was a good fight," she told him, smiling.
"Yes," he replied, shaking Hara's hand," it was. I don't feel disappointed in losing to you. I feel you rather deserve it."
"That's a nice thing to say," Hara grinned cheerfully," usually, my opponent would just scream that it's impossible to lose to a kid, a girl, for that matter."
"Stop downplaying yourself Hara," Kalim said," you're a very talented Shaman. Congratulations, you passed the preliminaries."
"That's great," Hara smiled, stretching her arms," now if you'll excuse me, there's a neighboring fight I want to watch."
"And whose might that be?"
"Yoh Asakura and Tao Ren's," she flashed a wink to his direction," sources tell me that both of them are quite good."
And to Kalim's dismay, Hara darted through a bush.
Arriving at the other side, with her hair full of leaves, Hara saw a small guy watching Tao Ren and Yoh Asakura's battle.
"Hi," she greeted him, startling him a bit," sorry to surprise you. Who's winning?"
He looked at Hara strangely before answering her question, "I don't know actually, the battle seems pretty even."
"Oh," Hara muttered," who are you supporting, Yoh or Ren?"
"I'm Yoh's friend," he said, his eyes not looking away from the battle," Manta Oyamada."
"Nice meeting you," Hara smiled," Hara Marxine's the name."
"Are you really Japanese?" Manta wanted to know.
"I'm half and half, my dad's English, my mom's Japanese."
"Will you shut it up there?!" Ren yelled at their direction," You're distracting me from MY win!"
Hara sneezed on purpose, "Sorry, I'm allergic to egomaniacs."
He glared at her, "After I defeat Yoh, you'll be my next target!"
Hara glared back at him, "I can hardly wait."
He looked once again at Yoh and the two started to heat up, their furyoku glowing. They surged towards each other.
Manta was blown back by the pure force of the two. Hara grabbed his shirt just in time, but his face still suffered because Hara's hair was blown back and it was slapping his face.
"Oh, sorry about that," she said to him, still concentrating on Ren and Yoh," they really are strong."
The two of them stood, their backs facing each other.
Ren smiled, "Though this pains me to say this, this must be said. Congratulations Yoh, I guess you won, my furyoku just ran out."
Hara's eyebrows raised in surprise at his easy admission of defeat.
"W-w-wait, Ren," Yoh stammered," my furyoku just ran out too."
Hara released Manta in surprise. What the heck's happening here?, she thought.
"Well this is just great," Ren yelled," then how are we suppose to know who won?"
"Oh no! Anna's gonna kill me!" Yoh yelled at the same time," you need to go with me when I tell her I lost! It's your fault!"
"My fault?!" Ren said disbelievingly," how can it be MY fault that YOU ran out of furyoku?"
Yoh wasn't listening to him, however. He was still bereaving and moaning in the agony that Anna will punish him for not winning.
Ren was getting annoyed and started poking Yoh in the face with the end of his rather pointy hair.
"Fear not," Silva boomed at one end," I saw the match, I know who won."
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO?!" Yoh and Ren said in unison.
Silva looked taken aback, but then cleared his throat," The both of you ran out of furyoku at the exact same moment. The Oracle Bell will tell us who won."
The three of them looked at their Oracle Bells. Both Yoh and Ren looked closer at their Oracle Bells, their expressions confused.
"Congratulations," Silva told them," it seems that both of you passed the preliminaries."
Manta jumped up and approached Yoh, his hands up in the air and shouting with glee.
Hara also stood up and approached them.
"Congratulations to the both of you," she smiled," it seems the Shaman Fights will be hard since the both of you will be there."
They stared at her, their faces blank.
"Umm, who are you again?" Yoh asked," your face seems familiar, but I don't think I know your name."
"And you say you're allergic to egomaniacs," Ren huffed," it seems that you're one yourself."
Hara's eyes widened and she laughed," That's right, I forgot to introduce myself. Hara Marxine, I passed the preliminaries as well." she glared at Ren," and no, I'm not an egomaniac. I happen to know both of you, Yoh Asakura and Tao Ren."
Yoh slapped his head," That's right! You're the girl rumored to have a gla--. I can't pronounce it well. It's that thing you're carrying around on your shoulder."
Hara nodded," It's a glaive, the Japanese call it a naginata. This," her spirit guardian, a red-haired, brown-eyed and pale faced woman, her brown eyes flashing red, indicating danger, appeared," is Gillian Lazarus, my spirit guardian."
Manta paled as he looked at Gillian, who looked back at him calmly.
"Wow," Yoh breathed.
"Show off," Ren muttered.
Gillian glared at Ren. Who paled slightly.
"Gillian," Hara warned her," please, he's not Simon or Mordecai."
She looked at Ren, rather tenderly.
"Sorry," she breathed," but you seem like the son my ex-husband would have wanted."
Ren look rather angry and turned his back to the two of them.
"Did I say something wrong?" Gillian asked, turning to Hara.
Hara shrugged, surprised at Ren's reaction.
"Well," Yoh said cheerfully," let's go to my house for a celebratory feast." he looked at you," You're welcome to come too, Hara."
Hara smiled at him," Thanks, I'd love to."
"I'll pass," was Ren's short reply.
Even against his wishes, Ren still went along. He was, after all, obstinately pulled by Yoh.
Hara smiled lightly, still wondering what of Gillian said that bugged Ren so much.
"By the way, Hara," Yoh said, laughing," your hair's full of leaves."
Hara looked up and laughed. Shaking the leaves out of her black hair, she trailed along with them.