Cold Shelter

From the Author: This is a little oneshot revolving around Marion's point of view. It takes place after Hao's death.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

It was dark. From her point of view, it was always dark.

The world was dark.

The people were dark.

Even the sun was dark.

There was nothing that illuminated her world the way her master did. She loved him because of the light he brought with him. She envied him because of his unyielding perseverance, his undying determination and that divine aim he had made for himself. Not for a split-second had he questioned his actions and doubted his own decisions. In his eyes, he was correct. Because of the overwhelming self-confidence that radiated from his being, everyone loved him. Because of this ardent resolve, she loved him more that anything and anyone in the world.

Or at least, she used to.

Marion Phauna huddled up against the cold wall of the cave she and her friends resided in. No, wait. 'Reside' was not the appropriate word here. 'Hide' was the right verb.

Ever since Hao was killed and his plans foiled, they have been mercilessly pursued by the Shaman Council and their Priests. The Hanagumi were separated from the rest of Hao's remaining subordinates when the Priests attacked. They barely escaped from Karim and Namari on Machi's oversouled broom and headed towards the desert canyons as fast as they could. For a whole day they flied on Machi's broom and went further and further away from Patch, but the bloody Priests didn't stop chasing them for a single second. It took Kanna's Giant Oversoul to hold the Priests off for a few minutes, giving them enough time to slip away and hide themselves in a barren gorge. They were lucky enough to find a small cave where they took shelter and stayed on guard for the rest of the day. Marion remembered the desperate, exhausted look on both Kanna and Machi's faces. She remembered how frightened she was back then. The shock from the realization that Hao was dead and the unrelenting man-hunt they had been put to had worn her out physically and mentally. When she crawled inside the small cavern, she collapsed on the ground and passed out. She couldn't imagine how frightened and worried her friends were back then. Mari woke up late that night and was amazed to see a tearful Machi embracing her tightly.

All of this happened one year ago.

Marion looked at her two friends from the corner where she was curled up. Kanna was leaning weakly against the wall. There were almost no traces of her natural beauty left; wrinkles were scattered across her forehead, the dark shadows under her eyes gave her the appearance of a deathly ill person and her face was pale from insufficient sleep and starvation. There were multiple bruises around her body and her clothes were ragged up and dirty. Her waist-long azure hair had lost its colors and was shining in an oily glitter under the sunrays. The only thing that had not undergone change was her eyes; their color and liveliness were still the same. They still radiated that cold, scornful, ribald feeling, that chronic pessimism and spirit of arrogance which was Kanna's trademark. Her lids were still half-closed and her eyebrows were still slightly knitted in that familiar disdainful expression, as if she was watching something so lowly and filthy that it was undeserving of even staying in Kanna's presence. Her hands were rested limply by the sides of her skinny body. The red lego block on her right glove, the insignia that showed her loyalty to Asakura Hao, was cracked through the middle. A small shard from the lego block on her left glove was missing.

Mari glanced at Machi. The redhead was in a condition just as woebegone as their leader. Her hair was a complete mess, her black overalls were torn at the knees, the amount of dirt and stains on her clothing was immeasurable. Machi's face was fresher than her leader's, probably because of her wild, tomboyish nature. Just like Kanna, her eyes were unchanged; they were still filled with that hidden wickedness and impishness that defined Matilda's character. The girl appeared to be the least effected by the one-year persecution she and her mates had been put to. She was sitting on a stone near the entrance of the cave, the light illuminated her face, giving it more liveliness and concealing the signs of her sufferings.

Mari looked at her hands. They were dirty; she could see scabs, closing wounds and bruises all over her arms. She looked down at her clothing; her sundress was tattered up and grimy, her tights were torn at a few spots and the ties of her platform shoes did not seem like they would last for long. She had not seen her own face in a reflection for more than eight weeks, but she felt that it was not a beautiful sight.

There they lied: forsaken, powerless and hounded.

Just like in the beginning.

Before Hao had found them, they were nothing. They were lowlier than dirt. They had lost their families and were shunned by humankind because of their uncanny ability to communicate with spirits. They were called witches, demons, they were treated as dogs and mocked just because they were born different than others… and then he came: Asakura Hao. In their eyes, he was the embodiment of justice they had waited for so long; the divine retribution that descended upon the corrupt, evil humans who had caused them so much pain; he was the source of joy and the path to salvation they had expected their whole lives. They followed him passionately and because of his attentiveness they grew like flowers under the warm rays of the sun, they blossomed and prospered. They were given a goal which they followed with all their hearts and souls, without a drop of hesitation. They did not waver for a second, because they had Hao behind their backs. He promised them that as long as they were loyal to him and accepted him in their hearts, they would be unstoppable.

It was a lie.

The almighty, all-knowing, loving Asakura Hao, the man they had loved like their own father had deceived them. He, who claimed to be perfect, was struck down by people who were far below his level. Everything that reminded of his magnificence and might vanishes in seconds, along with the dream of a shaman-only world. The support given to the Hanagumi over all this years crumbled like a sand tower, throwing them outside of the warm world offered to them back into the harsh, cold, cruel reality that sought to erase their existence. And so they ended up alone, powerless, persecuted and hated once again.

It seemed that history was repeating itself. It was such an irony that after everything they had gone through and everything they had achieved, in a sudden twist of events they were back at the bottom, the point from where they started. All their efforts had been in vain. In the end, it seemed that they had been living a lie. They were not invincible and they were not all-knowing. Whatever power and knowledge they had gained while under Hao's wing was fake and illusive. Why else would that scum, that pathetic excuse for a shaman, Asakura Yoh, defeat them so easily? That impudent fool had traded on Hao's teachings and used them against him! He had set as naught the notion of a perfect shaman-only world and rejected Hao's ideals to the very end! How was it possible that someone who stole Hao's techniques and openly refused to accept Hao's wisdom and power in his heart was able to crush them, the ones who willingly accepted Hao's dream for a pure and better world, with so little effort!? How did that unbeliever beat them!? All that Furyoku they had received from Hao had done nothing to help them achieve victory. How could Hao give them, his faithful followers, something that could not benefit them in their fight!? They were fighting for his dream, for God's sake! It was preposterous that Asakura Hao, a thousand-year-old Onmyuji with immense knowledge and experience and the most powerful shaman in the history of the world, would not be aware of the effects his actions would have on the Hanagumi. But on the other hand, the idea that their master might have knowingly doomed them to defeat would mean that he had used and abandoned them, something which was simply unthinkable.

Then, there was the possibility that they were not strong enough. They may have been too weak to handle Hao's Furyoku and use it effectively against their enemies. Maybe after all, they were not worthy to stand by Hao's side. There was no room for weaklings in his world. If Hao's teachings were supposed to make them more powerful and they still lacked the strength necessary, then their failure was all their fault. But they followed him so passionately! They worked day and night to perfect their fighting skills, their Furyoku had reached incredible heights! They trained tenaciously and with all their hearts and souls and yet, their powers were not enough!
It made no sense… Nothing did anymore.

There was a loud rattling noise of metal feet stamping on dry rocky ground. Kanna suddenly raised her head. She crouched and stepped outside of the cave quickly. Machi chose to remain inside the small hole in the cliff and stretched her neck so that she can see Kanna clearly. Mari crept up to her and stared at their leader.

The woman was staring at the towering figure of a man clad in a metal suit, standing on top of the high cliff opposite them. The knight's face was concealed under a helmet and he was armed with a lance taller than he was. Kanna furrowed her eyebrows and called out:

- Ashcroft!

Her spirit partner leaped from the cliff edge and landed on his feet in front of his mistress. The earth trembled when his feet met the ground. Kanna hadn't moved a muscle since then. She was only looking at the small blue fires inside the helmet of the knight.

Mari and Machi understood that Ashcroft had brought important, or at least interesting news, so they left their shelter and walked out in the sunlight.

Though no words were spoken verbally, Kanna and Ashcroft still communicated and the woman perfectly understood whatever the knight had to say. A minute later, she turned around and faced her teammates. A smirk was plastered on her face.

- There is a group of shamans coming in our direction. – She said plainly.

These news caught the girls' attention. They fixed their eyes on Kanna.

- More Priests? – Machi asked alertly.

- No. Those guys are traveling towards Patch for the Shaman Fight. There are three of them: two boys and a man, driving a green jeep. They are going to take a shortcut through the canyons, which means that they will pass through this location.

Kanna's smirk turned into an evil grin.

- Those guys probably have provisions. It's been a long time since we've eaten some decent food.

Both Mari and Machi brightened up. They had already figured out their leader's intentions.

- So we are going to hijack their car and steal their food? – The redhead asked excitedly. Mari didn't remember seeing Machi so lively in the last few weeks.

Kanna nodded.

- This is a golden opportunity we can't miss! This canyon is the perfect place for an ambush; We'll take cover and wait for them to pass through here and when the time comes we'll attack them from surprise! – She slammed her right fist in her left palm triumphantly. – They will never have the time to react! After we kill them, we'll take their car and go as far as possible from Patch Village and the Priests!

- Shouldn't we look for Luchist and the others? – Machi asked without much interest.

Kanna snorted:

- Screw them. It's been over a year; they're all probably dead or caught by the Priests.
- Yeah, but still… - Machi murmured and gazed at her feet.

Kanna flared up in annoyance:

- What the hell is wrong with you two!? We've been moving through these canyons for a whole year now and we still can't get away from the cursed Priests! Now is the chance for us to escape somewhere far away, where the Priests will never be able to find us! Forget about Luchist and the others; after Hao-sama died, it's been every man for himself. If Luchist and the others have been able to survive up till now, they'll be just fine on their own. They don't need our help, nor do we need theirs.

Mari and Machi nodded. There was no need to worry about them. Luchist was Hao's most trusted warrior and the most capable in the whole group. With him as leader, the other survivors must have surely been able to evade death and the Priests. Besides, the Hanagumi never really liked him anyway.

Kanna looked back at Ashcroft. The knight had not moved an inch since he arrived. He was still standing in a guarding posture with the lance pointed towards the earth. The blue-haired woman gave him her orders and a second later the suit of armor was tramping down the wide rugged path towards his destination. Kanna turned around and said:

- Get your Oversouls ready and take positions from both sides of the gorge. Those guys will pass through here in twenty minutes. Mari, you'll go and wait for them from the west. - The blond nodded. - Machi, you'll take a position from the east. – The redhead nodded as well. – I'll wait for them further down Mari's cliff and prepare an attack from their rear. When they arrive, we'll attack simultaneously from all three sides. Our lives and freedom depend on this attack, so showing weakness or mercy is unforgivable!

Marion and Matilda, now more serious than ever, nodded. Kanna smiled contently.

- Good. I don't think there is anything left to explain. Now take your places! If everything goes well, by the end of this day we'll be out of this canyon and driving towards our new future!

With that, they disappeared. A split-second later, they were standing on their respectful places, their Oversouls prepared for combat. All three of them hid behind rocks, spires, dry bushes and other obstacles that will keep them out of sight.

'At least we can still teleport.' Mari thought gloomily. She looked at her Oversoul. Chuck was as ragged as ever, his eye was dangling loosely and his expression was just as lifeless as the first time she had received him. The doll was staring at her dementedly with its only intact eye.

'Hao-sama…' Mari thought sorrowfully and looked away from the doll. She glanced at the horizon, spreading in the infinity, under the blue cloudless sky and the hot summer sun. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, sighed, gazed at the desolate pathway beneath her, sat on the ground and waited.

'Why did you do this to us… to Mari?...'

The Hanagumi didn't have a single idea how their lives would change this day.

The End

From the Author: That's about it for this oneshot. Review after you're done reading! I'd like to hear your comments on this one!