First Glance

Pairing: Marco x Meene

Author's Note: Well, it certainly has been a while since I've written anything. I've wanted to write a Marco x Meene based story for a while, since there is a considerable lack of them.

This story will follow the pair through some of their milestones; starting about a year before the Shaman Tournament. It uses both the anime and manga as reference, but doesn't exactly stick to the same series of events.

Written from Marco's POV.

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not to me.


When I had first decided to start scouting out potential shamans to assist me with destroying Hao, I hadn't been planning on visiting Montreal. Nor had I been planning on stopping by a small cemetery on the outskirts of town. Yet, that was exactly where I ended up. Something had drawn me there, which I would later come to realize was my own Archangel. He certainly did have a knack for picking out suitable shamans for my goal.

As soon as I had set foot across the threshold leading into the small clearing, the rain started to fall. Nothing more than a drizzle to start, but I knew that it was going to intensify within minutes. I remember thinking that there was no point in hanging around a cemetery during a storm, yet Michael had decided he had his own ideas. My eyes quickly drifted across the tombstones as the spirit zoomed forward; soon coming to rest and act as a sort of canopy over a hunched figure. I squinted for a moment to try and get a better look through my rain-stained glasses, but to no avail. Relenting to my spirit's wishes, I started to move forward toward the seemingly motionless figure.

"You shouldn't be out here in the rain. You'll catch a cold." The surprise on my face when the figure whipped around to glare at Michael must have been evident, for the deep scowl set onto the figure's features was accompanied by a rather harsh response.

"Take your holy spirit and leave me alone."

It wasn't the sort of response I was expecting to receive from a woman visibly shivering in the rain. Especially from a woman that could very clearly see the Archangel hovering above her. My lips must have curled into a frown, for the sandy blond quickly rose to her feet and placed both hands on her hips with a sharp glare.

"Didn't you understand me the first time? I would like some privacy." She snapped, her olive eyes flaring in anger as a flash of lightning lit up the sky behind us. At this, she jumped, and whipped her head around. Her eyes were wide with a silent terror as she took a step back away from the tombstone in front of her. It was only then I was able to get a somewhat decent look at the inscription on the stone.

'Corporal Derrik Montgomery. Loving father to his daughter, Meene. Will always be remembered for his kindness both on and off duty'.

The name had sounded familiar to me. It was then I remembered seeing something on the local news a few days prior. About how a Corporal in the military had been killed in a mysterious house fire…and how it had been a miracle his daughter had survived.

'She's the girl?'

Well, that would explain why Michael had been able to pick her out so easily. Still, she didn't exactly seem open to the idea of having anything to do with me or my spirit, which would prove to be difficult.

Nevertheless, I extended one hand toward her while trying to maintain a faint smile.

"Come on, you might as well head somewhere dry. Your Father wouldn't want you to become any damper than you already are. You catching pneumonia won't do anyone any good." I was being genuine, and for a moment, the woman seemed to be inclined to listen to me. A crash of thunder overhead seemed to be all the motivation she needed to move over to my side and give a slight nod.

"How about we go grab a coffee? I'm sure it would warm both of us up." I felt my smile grow as she finally took my hand and cast a somewhat appreciative glance up at the angel acting as an umbrella.

"What's his name?"

"Michael, the Archangel. My name's Marco. And yours?"

"Meene…" For the first time that afternoon, she cracked the faintest hint of a smile. It was at that point that I realized there was more to her than one could ever realize at first glance.