Disclaimer: Shaman King is not mine.
Author's Note: I got this idea…like…during four something in the morning…so it might be a little stupid,
and the characters may seem a little OOC too, but I'd like to say that this fic is set during
Yoh's childhood. Remember the part where young Yoh had to go for training with his
grandfather in the anime? Yeah, that scene initiated my idea
The fact that his legs were shorter than that of his grandfather did not help as he urged himself to run faster, all the time yelling and hollering something unintelligible back at his equally agitated pursuer.
"No! I don't want to train!"
"How can you not train? You are not on par at all, and if you don't train, you'll lack behind!"
"I don't care!"
"Well, I do!"
"Why do you have to care when I don't?" Yoh gave the final yell, bursting it out as loud as he was able to before he turned into a corner that leads to somewhere else in the big estate of the Asakura family that one might easily get lost in if they are not used to the place.
Yohmei quickened his steps to follow his grandson as he huffed and gasped a little for air. Turning into corner, Yohmei lifted his hand and wiped off the beads of sweat formed at his forehead with his sleeve in a fluid action, but very suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened, and he stared and stared and stared…then mentally smacked himself. The particular corner that Yoh had chose to enter branched out to another two different paths, and the question here is obvious: Which path exactly did the stubborn grandson of his took? As his reaction always was when faced with a problem posed by Yoh, Yohmei again shook his head for the umpteenth time. And how could he possibly forget that this particular corner would branch out? He must be getting old.
Allowing his senses to flare a little, Yohmei proceeded towards the center of two paths, at the same time making clip-clop sound and mumbling curses concerning a certain brunette haired child under his breath. He passed by a very thick flower bush on the way.
It happened very quickly; so quickly that it took Yohmei a few seconds to realize his mistake – the very moment Yohmei passed the flower bush and had his back towards the bush, he heard a faint rustle. Swiftly turning around, he only managed to catch a glimpse of the lithe black blur that was his grandchild escaping around the corner again.
"ASAKURA YOH!"
Mikihisa's head snapped up automatically from his book when he heard his father's piercing yell as he searched for Yoh. Mikihisa's stoic and expressionless head shook in exasperation. That son of his really has a stubborn streak on him. Perhaps it could have been inherited either from his mother, or who knows, he himself.
Mikihisa then closed his book and kept it between his clothes as he rose. As was his habit, he walked towards the door and opened it with such care and caution that it was soundless. Once outside with the door closed behind him, Mikihisa took a deep breath and glanced at the huge estate in front of him. For a moment, he allowed his mind to go blank and peaceful.
He took in the calm scenery with relish and drew another deep breath. Stepping down from the veranda, Mikihisa cocked his head to a side as if he winced when he heard Yohmei's voice calling for Yoh again.
Mikihisa's shoulder then shook a little. Maybe he was laughing. Who could tell what was happening underneath the mask that had been donned on long ago. Whatsoever that has happened, Mikihisa's calm demeanour was quickly back again.
"Maybe a stroll would be nice. I have not been in this place for nearly a month. Maybe I'll discover something new."
Mikihisa was sitting on the ground, carefully scrutinizing and inspecting a flower bush situated near several tall trees that were so thick and full of big branches and deep green leaves that they created a small canopy there when his father approached him. The trees cast a shade that danced and gave cool shelter to both men.
"That son of yours ran off to hide again. Anyway, I need to talk to you. Yoh is not doing as good as we expected him to. I am a little disappointed."
As if he had been anticipating Yohmei's approach, Mikihisa casually stood up and brushed the back of his pants before turning around to face his father.
"I can't do anything about that."
"You are his father," Yohmei's eyes sharpened a little, as did his voice.
"And you are his grandfather," Mikihisa answered back matter-of-factly, casting his sight to another part of the estate, not a bit daunted by his father's harsh tone.
Yohmei opened his mouth to answer back, but no answer came. Indeed, he was the one entrusted with Yoh's training, not Mikihisa.
"You do know what that means, don't you?" Yohmei asked finally in an undertone. Mikihisa did not answer nor react to the question instantly. A picture of another child not unlike Yoh in looks, but totally different in attitude appeared before him. The child practised his skills with full confidence and determination, and eyes filled with unexpressed feelings of discontentment and loathing that had been there for 500 years. Hao. The cursed child. Yoh's brother. It was only after a period of time in which Yohmei stared intently at his son that Mikihisa gazed back at his father and gave a solemn nod.
"I understand, but Yoh and Hao are different," Mikihisa's voice was low and serious. As a father, he did not want Yoh to suffer just to rival Hao. Yoh is but a child, whereas Hao has nearly 500 years of experience.
"I know, but Yoh must bear the responsibility whether he likes it or not," Yohmei answered, voice equally low. This time, Mikihisa did not reply. Unconsciously, he looked away. That's the truth, but he did not want to accept it if possible. Yohmei drew a deep breath, eyes still on Mikihisa, in fact, narrowing even more.
"I need you to go out again and check-"
"No! I don't want otou-san to go out yet!"
That one childish cry from above both men that interrupted the flow of Yohmei's sentence caused them to snap their head back and search for the source. It was not hard. Yoh was perching precariously on a branch very high up, face scrunched up in agitation as he stared down. His legs dangled, and it looked as if Yoh might lose balance and fall off any moment.
"Yoh!"
"I don't want otou-san to go out yet! He's just came back barely three days ago, and has been absent for a month!" Yoh yelled back a little drawlingly, hands flailing about, expressing his displeasure at the idea of his father leaving again.
"I have things to do," Mikihisa answered back formally.
"But can't you stay a few more days? At least for a week!" Yoh's hands flailed around even more agitatedly. His expression became much more troubled, somewhere between worried and unhappy.
"Yoh, come down here this instant," Yohmei instructed, voice hard.
This time, Yoh answered with a rigorous shake of his head.
"Will-" he started to retort, but blame it on Yoh's own carelessness or certain supernatural forces, Yoh suddenly slipped off the branch he was perching on, and his elbows scraped against the harsh tree bark. He emitted an involuntary high-pitched. Simultaneously, panicked shouts from the two men who stood below him were audible.
Mikihisa's paternal instinct instantly took hold of his as did fear, and he swiftly moved under the tree. Blindly, he snatched at the first thing that fell into his arms, and pulling it close to his body, clutching hard. Fear once more grasped at him for a while, but when a pair of arm curled around his neck, the feeling dispersed, leaving him with the exhilarating aftertaste of adrenaline. He was so worried that he might have missed, and was about to reprimand his son as all parents would do when their child narrowly escapes a danger, when he noticed that the hands around him were clutching very tightly, and the body he was carrying against himself was shaking.
"Yoh, are you alright?" he asked in worriment, but at the same time trying to make his voice stern.
For a while, Yoh did not answer, his nose buried deep into his father's clothes, but soon after a while, in which both men waited in suspense, he slowly turned around to meet his father's glance, before giving out a gleeful shriek and laughing in delight.
"That was fun! Can we do it again?" he said laughingly as his deep brown eyes twinkled in eagerness and amusement.
Yohmei, who had been watching in tension immediately snapped out from his trance and promptly gave a sound knock to the side of his grandson's head as Mikihisa stared at his son in bewilderment. That knock emanated another yell from the boy, although this time a pained one.
"You idiot!"
"Am not! And I don't want otou-san to leave yet!" Yoh retorted back, pouting, being the child that he was.
"Your father has something to do! Now, come on and continue with your training; we have wasted the whole morning!"
"Will not! And otou-san never talked to me this whole month! I barely saw his due to the trainings and now he has to go again!" by this time, Yoh was practically yelling his head off, quite on the verge of tears.
"You-"
"Enough," Mikihisa's deep voice suddenly intercepted. Yohmei silently closed his mouth and glared at his grandson in annoyance. He knew that as respectful Mikihisa was to him, when he said enough, he meant it. Yoh, meanwhile, responded towards his grandfather's glare with tightening his clutch around his father's neck and burying his face deeper into his father's chest, as if his grandfather would vanish from his sight that way.
"Can you please spare him for today?" Mikihisa finally enquired a little awkwardly, reduced to pretending that he did not see the silent match between his father and son in order not to cause another argument. Yohmei shifted his glare from Yoh to Mikihisa, and considered.
"Fine, but only for today," he said in the end, shaking his head in annoyance again. Immediately, Yoh's head snapped up and he gave another of his innocent, childlike laugh – his laugh that was so merry and infectious.
"Thank you! I love you!"
"Oh, so only now you love me?"
"Yeah, I love you!" Yoh returned back enthusiastically, not quite realising his mistake in agreeing with his grandfather yet, and resulting in both Yohmei and Mikihisa sweatdropping.
"Anyway, you had better make sure that you come on time for your trainings tomorrow," Yohmei warned after he managed to shake himself out from his previous state.
"Yes!"
As Yohmei slowly tread his way back home, his lips curled upwards in amusement when he heard Yoh's answer.
So innocent…As for the other two figures still under the tree, they stood in silence until Yohmei has entered the house. Then Mikihisa looked down at his son. Yoh returned it with a smile although he could not quite read the hidden expression.
"What do we do now?" he asked. Again, Mikihisa took his time answering
"Want to go for a walk with me?"
"Yes!"
And with that, Mikihisa hitched an obviously delighted Yoh around his shoulders before taking his leave.
I really discovered something new…I discovered Yoh's cheerfulness
Well, all that remains is just your review!