Disclaimer: Neither Anna, nor Manta, nor Yoh belong to me, they belong to Hiroyuki Takei.

A/N: Another oneshot, it's somewhat random, very short and not my best work, but I like it for some weird reason that I cannot explain. :)


Red

Manta fairly couldn't believe it. He had actually managed to get Yoh lured out of the house on a Sunday morning. The occasion? A science project for biology, to be worked on in a botanical garden.

Anna had (under curses and threats of murder against the science teacher) given her permission since the whole thing was for school. However Yoh would rather miss dinner than training if she got her way. Which of course she would, leaving Yoh in a rather sulky mood as he stepped through the gate to the garden with Manta.

It was a beautiful piece of nature, filled with a variety of different plants that even though they couldn't interest Yoh in facts, by their beauty managed to lift his spirits. For Manta he established contact with the spirit of a former gardener, who willingly answered all questions the small boy had.

With support so professional it didn't take Manta long to acquire all neccessary notes and the friends strolled around the park a little longer to enjoy the peace and the beauty.

The talk stayed casual and general, until Yoh stopped, an expression of utter amazement on his face, in front of a thick hedge adorned with big, bright red roses in full bloom.

Manta followed Yoh's example and looked at the flowers too, smiling slightly at the glow of the petals in the sunlight, then, as an afterthought he laughed a little and then sweatdropped. "Haha Yoh, I just thought you might compare the roses to Anna. Silly isn't it?" he laughed a little louder. "Well, thorns would be like Anna all right."

Yoh looked at him rather surprised and then grinned, "Actually.. Yes and no." The brunette looked at the hedge again, eyes clouding over with thought. "They remind me of Anna but it's not the scent, or the form and not even the thorns." Manta looked at him puzzled but the next second Yoh had recovered and smiled at him. " We should get back now or we might get in trouble." Manta nodded and soon both were back at En inn where the one and only ice queen already was expecting them.

She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, with an indifferent expression on her face and before Manta could heed the most natural reflex and shiver in fear he suddenly saw it. All around her there was passion, ambition, determination, strength and pride. She was radiating it in color, the color of her bandana, the color of bright red roses.

He was still staring in awe as the noise of a hand impacting on skin woke him from his daze. After a blink he saw and heard Yoh whine over Anna's slap and the additional training she was burdening on him.

Manta laughed nervously.

Maybe it was the thorns after all.


A/N: I guess it's my obsession with roses that makes me like the story^^ Constructive reviews as always will be appreciated, unreasonably harsh criticism will be ignored.