B e y ond The M y t h

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Author's Note: I have to say, the publishing of this story came to be just as surprising to me as it is to you! Originally, this wasn't even supposed to happen. But, anyway, here I am, and I present to you my new fic: a secret, a stalker, a nymph and a flower: A Shaman King adventure with oodles of Greek Mythology!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shaman King! -slaps-

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"I can't believe Anna asked us to buy groceries! AGAIN!"

"…"

"I mean, we've already gone twice today! Does she spend all the time it takes us to go and come back writing up a new list?"

"…"

"Is it THAT hard to remember to put everything on one list? I mean, if she spent a little more time putting together the shopping lists and a little less time watching those godforsaken soap operas—Yoh? Are you listening?"

"…What?"

Manta sighed exasperatedly and shook his head in mock dismay. "Why?" he groaned, looking up at the sky and putting his hands together to make it seem like he was saying a prayer. "Why must my best friend be such an idiot?"

The considerably taller brunette boy only rubbed his eyes and yawned, "I'm tired", while the other ridiculously miniscule blond boy beside him mimed choking himself. He gave up a few moments later, after finding out that pretending to strangle himself while trying to hold a shopping bag at the same time wasn't necessarily the safest thing to do while walking through the streets of Tokyo at nine in the evening.

He sighed again and resumed walking beside his friend. The street was silent and ominous, its alleyways echoing with the sounds of their footsteps. Manta realized he was falling behind and so hurried closer towards Yoh, not wanting to fall victim to whatever was lurking, unseen, in the shadows around him.

"So…" he said nervously, looking around cautiously. "Is…erm…Ren staying for dinner?"

"…dunno"

Manta frowned, but pressed on. "What about Ryu? Will he be over to cook this time, too? And Horo and Pirika, will they come visit us?"

Yoh looked down at Manta curiously. "I dunno" he repeated. "Why do you want to know?"

It was Manta's turn to be quiet. He flushed ever so slightly and looked at the floor, trying to avoid Yoh's gaze. "No particular reason" he mumbled, and then fell silent.

The truth was, ever since the end of the shaman tournament Manta had…well, missed everyone. The inn was too large, lonely and empty now that he was used to having so many people around. Occasionally Ryu would come over to visit for dinner (well, he would be the one cooking dinner, but still). Ren and Jun were in and out of town, they would stay for a few days every month or so.

As for Lyserg and Chocolove, he hadn't the slightest idea where they had gone. They had probably returned to England and America. And Horohoro and Pirika were back at Hokkaido, though they came to visit around once a month or so…

Manta sighed mentally and looked up. They were nearing the corner of the street now, and Manta was secretly relieved, as the alleys around him were making him feel…uneasy.

As if on cue, Manta seemed to spot a flash of green dart in front of him. Yoh stopped, and Manta looked around warily, subconsciously drawing closer to Yoh so as to be able to hide behind him if needed.

Amidamaru materialized above the two, giving Manta quite a scare. A shiver ran down his spine and he looked up at Amidamaru anxiously. "Did you…?" he began, but stopped when he saw the look of concentration on the ghost's face.

The aforementioned ghost suddenly whipped his head around and looked at Yoh. "I feel…" he said, frowning deeply. "I feel a foreign presence"

The two friends and the ghost stood in place for a few long minutes, trying to squint through the darkness for the mysterious…"presence". Manta opened his mouth to speak, but yelped instead as the flash of ghostly olive green appeared once more. Manta choked on a gasp, but Yoh stood his ground firmly.

"Wait" he called out, trying to stop the thing from disappearing again. The said thing seemed to hover in place for a while, and then, slowly, began to float towards them.

Manta gasped as he began to make out the ghostly features of a young woman in her own vaporous light. She stopped only a few inches from them, facing them so close they could see every detail in her translucent face.

But was it really a woman? Her body was slender and tall and her limbs seemed to branch out from her body in a root-like complexity. Her skin harbored a soft green tinge and her dark, green hair billowed out from behind her head until it wrapped her whole body, clothing her fully.

Thin lips parted and she began to speak, her silky voice probing their minds.

"My name is Melia, Daughter of Oceanus, sister of the Meliae, the ash-tree nymphs" Her large brown eyes bore into them, making the hairs at the back of Manta's neck prick up. Her voice was layered with something magical, something wraithlike and indistinct, the sheer lucidity was…ethereal. If this girl truly were a ghost, she was defiantly not one of a human.

"Melia" Yoh said determinedly. "I'd like to help you, but I need to know—are you a ghost?"

The woman narrowed her eyes at him, before saying, somewhat icily, "I am the spirit of an ash-tree nymph, yes"

"Do you…" Yoh began, but stopped, not knowing how to continue. He looked at Amidamaru and shrugged, as if asking him to take over.

Amidamaru cleared his throat with some authority and began. "Do you…erm…have a…a human you…erm…watch over?"

The dark street echoed with silence. Then,

"As a matter of fact, yes" she said slowly, batting her eyelashes at the samurai ghost for effect, who, in turn, flushed deeply. "Would you like to meet her? She's very nice…"

Manta gulped. Something about her alluring voice seemed…out of place. "Yoh…" he began, trying to warn his friend…

But Yoh just smiled. "Sure. Nothing like meeting another shaman, eh Manta?" he continued without awaiting his friend's reply. "So!" he said, turning towards the spirit of the nymph before him. "Let's go!"

The nymph merely smiled, showing all her teeth. Manta suppressed a yelp after seeing her incisors glint in the dim light of the flickering city lights around them.

She turned and began gliding towards the alley from which she had emerged. Manta clung to the side of Yoh's pants and followed, heart thumping against his ribcage. Melia disappeared into the alley. Her head reappeared again and she held out a beckoning hand.

They stood before the alleyway and squinted. There was no telling what could have been in there. Manta thought he heard a rat scuttle away at his feet and shivered. Yoh and Amidamaru walked in, and Manta quickly followed.

The alley was dark, the pungent smell of garbage lingering in the air. They were guided only by the ectoplasmic glow of Amidamaru and Melia, now knowing what awaited them in the midst of all the shadows…

Yoh gasped and dropped the bag of groceries he was holding. Manta scurried forward, and let out a shrill squeak. "Y-Yoh…" he asked, shaking. "I-is that…?"

Yoh nodded grimly. He turned to Manta. "Manta. There's a pay phone a block behind us. Call the onsen and ask Anna to meet us at the hospital. We're going to have to be a little late"

Manta only squeaked in reply and scampered away obediently. Yoh turned towards the grinning nymph before him. At her feet lay the bloody body of a girl, her breathing shallow and slow.

"Did you hear that, Akantha?" asked Melia, directing her question to the dying girl before her. "The nice boy is going to get help! I'm so happy. It would have been ever so lonely if you had died"

The ash-tree guardian floated down until she was at the girl's level. She nudged her softly with a long, branch like finger. The girl groaned in return, the mere intensity causing her to cough and sputter. "Oh, come on now. Don't be rude. Say thank you!"

As if collecting all the remaining energy she had left, the girl cracked open an eyelid, fixing an aghast Yoh and Amidamaru with a bleary eye. A single tear fell down her face, making a small path in the dried blood on her cheek.

Melia frowned, then looked up at Yoh and his ghost. "I'm sorry. She seems to have forgotten her manners. Rest assured, we thank you. It's not every day we meet other shamans!" she paused, and grinned slyly. "And oh-so handsome ones too!"

Yoh tried to retain his somber expression, though it was broken by the slight flush that was creeping up his cheeks.

There was silence in the alleyway. Yoh moved towards the girl and knelt down beside her. Melia grasped her hand. Everything was still. Time had stopped moving. Then…

"Yoh! Yoh!"

Yoh looked up in time to see Manta running towards him.

The sound of sirens pierced the air.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Author's Note: So here it is, Chapter One! I can't wait to here your reviews. Flames accepted.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&