Kaguya: My second Shaman King story! And thank you SOOOO much to the reviewers from my first Shaman King story 'Smiles'!
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Thanks to:
Genki Sakura: I'm glad you thought it was cute! Thank you for reviewing!
Jojo: Yay! I'm so happy you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!
Itako no shaman: I'm so glad you thought it was sweet! And thank you for reviewing!
Prissy-chan: Aww... thank you so much! Thank you for reviewing!
Asn water: When I heard that song I was like, 'Hmm... this reminds me of someone and I was thinking about it when I saw my desktop. It was a picture of Anna and I was like, 'That's it!' Thank you for your review!
Yohna: blushes Thank you so much for your encouragement! I agree with you about the thing with the first stories. It was my very first Shaman King story and I am very happy that you like it! Thank you for reviewing!
Crystal Skylight: Thank you for your encouragement! I'm so happy you liked it! Thank you for reviewing!
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Kaguya: Anyways, thanks SOOOO much for all your kind reviews! Without your encouragement, I wouldn't have had the courage to write another one!
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Ah... the spring festival, a time where adolescents can gather and have fun as if they didn't have a care in the world and just watch the sakura bloom delicately on the sakura tree. When they are encased in a environment of happiness and laughter, surrounded by friends celebrating the end of dreadful winter and into the beautiful season of spring...
But to one person, this all seemed like a waste of time. What will you achieve staring at flowers and hanging out with your friends?
Although you would stare at her and say, ' Then what are YOU doing here?'
She would reply coldly, 'I have my reasons.' And stalk off to some secluded area all alone, just like she wanted.
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Anna yawned under the swaying boughs of the willow tree. Everyone was running around like complete fools. Was she the only one in this place that had a shred of sanity?
The second after the school bell rang, declaring the end of the school sessions, Yoh had dragged her here exclaiming, "You must be crazy to miss the spring festival!"
She draped a windbreaker over her school uniform. It was a day of perfect weather except for the occasional whistle of the wind. Besides, it wasn't a new feeling for the Ice Queen to feel cold.
Suddenly, a monarch butterfly fluttered near her face. Anna gazed its confident wings, grasping that little wind beneath its wings to keep it in the air. She brought her arm out and let the butterfly settle on her hand. This butterfly reminded her of one long ago, in a town far away...
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FLASHBACK
The little girl took no notice of the cars that were zooming dangerously near her. She kept her eyes on the road ahead and nothing faltered in her step. But fear was growing inside of her. When would the gnawing pain of hunger take over her and cease to be ignored? When would the coldness wrapping around her take her into a deep sleep, never to wake again?
I don't want to die...It was raining as she approached the park, finally decided to succumb to the growing darkness inside of her and just sleep her pains away and go to that wonderful place called heaven.
This is a nice place to die... a nice 'last sight' anyway...She settled under the weeping willow near the parks clearing, wrapping her thin coat around her tighter.
At least the willow will be weeping for me...She chuckled at her bitter humor.
An hour passed and she was almost asleep when the most amazing thing happened. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was destiny, maybe it was a butterfly that was tired of flying and landed on her nose.
She awoke with a start, sending life jerking through her veins and the numbness disappeared, replaced with pains. She flinched and rubbed her freezing arms and trying to glare at the butterfly that was still perched on her nose.
She sighed; her plan to go to heaven will have to be postponed for a little while. Because of a butterfly.
The butterfly took off again into the fog. It had stopped raining and it was about midnight and a dense fog blanketed the park.
She stood up on shaky legs. Then she started to run after it. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was destiny, maybe it was because she felt like running off the pain the cold night had left in her limbs.
"Wait for me! Don't leave me alone here!" she wailed while stumbling through various roots and stumps.
Then she bumped a tree.
No, it wasn't a tree.
It was Grandmother Asakura, on her evening stroll.
Anna Kyouyama's life was never the same again.
Thanks to a butterfly.
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"Please sensei, don't kill it!" she begged. "I promise I'll pay more attention please!" the girl begged. They were in a courtyard, practicing Anna's skills as an itako when a butterfly flew by. Anna's eyes followed it, marveling and not paying attention to her lessons. Grandmother Kino looked sadly at little Anna, who was on her knees.
"No Anna, I must teach you a lesson." She said sternly. She immediately slapped down at the butterfly, which was perched delicately on her hand. Seeing the dead butterfly, Anna cried and cried as if her heart broke.
"Anna, get up." Grandmother Kino snapped, losing patience with Anna. Anna got up shakily and her watery eyes faced Grandmother Kino's. "Repeat after me, I will not cry or show any emotion!" she barked.
Anna muttered, "I will not cry or show any emotion..."
"Louder!" ordered Grandmother Kino.
Anna said louder, "I will not cry or show any emotion!"
"Louder!"
"I will not cry or show any emotion!"
"LOUDER!"
"I will not cry or show any emotion!"
"Again!"
"I will not..."
Anna's teacher looked sadly at her. This was for her own good, but for someone as young as her? Only at the age of 7? She quickly shook this thought away. To become an itako, emotion was your mortal enemy. Anna has potential. Sacrifices were needed to be made.
But still, why did she feel so guilty when she was so sure she was right?
Anna's perspective on life was changed forever, thanks to a butterfly...
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'CRASH'
'BANG'
Yoh looked wide-eyed at the mess. Standing amid the mess was Ren and Trey, furiyoku blazing. Cups smashed, plates broken, Anna's not going to be happy...
But this was the least of Ren and Trey's worries. At least not for now...
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME YOU STUPID AINU?" roared Ren.
"I CALLED YOU A-"
No one found out what Trey had called Ren because then the door opened. Anna was home from school...
Anna's eyes gazed at all the mess and... if looks could kill, Ren and Trey would die on the spot.
"A-Anna" croaked Yoh.
SLAM went the door.
And behind it left 3 very confused people.
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Anna sat on the park bench, her head seething with angry thoughts and confusion? Why didn't she give them what they deserved instead of just slamming the door? Why?
Anna clutched her head. This was going against all the things Grandmother Asakura had taught her. Bad people get what bad people deserve.
What they deserved what to be slapped to the next century and back.
Then she heard someone sit down next to her.
"Are you alright?" Yoh asked
"Hmm..." was all Anna said.
A moment of silence...
"Hey, a butterfly!"
Anna's head shot up. Sure enough, a butterfly was hovering a few inches away Anna.
Yoh grinned. He admired this butterfly. It's braver than him to be so near Anna without being slapped by Anna.
Or just very foolish.
"What's that kind called, a money butterfly?" he inquired, trying to fill up the silence between them.
Anna said, without looking away from the butterfly. "It's a monarch butterfly stupid, can't you see the designs on its wings?"
"Heh, too bad... "said Yoh nervously while contemplating whether or not Anna would get angry at him for getting a butterfly's name wrong.
But Anna wasn't thinking about this. "You look a lot like...no it can't be. It was too long ago." She shook her head, scaring the butterfly away. For a minute, Yoh and Anna just stared at this little butterfly flitting from the sparse dandelions without a care in the world.
"Yoh..." Anna said slowly. "Yeah?" Yoh looked at her. "On bad days do you ever... well..." Anna said with difficulty. "Wish you were something else?" Yoh said with such speed that it shocked her. " Anna nodded.
"You mean, like the butterfly?" he said, gesturing to the monarch butterfly who abandoned the dandelions with glee and flitted towards the forget-me-nots.
"Well..." Could he read her MIND? That was exactly what she wished she could be!
Yoh grinned. "It's all apart of being human! Everyone on bad days would wish they were somewhere else or someone else." Yoh paused, and then continued slower. "But in the end..." he trailed off.
"In the end?" Anna persisted. Yoh looked at her. "In the end it seems you always realize that you'd rather be here than anywhere else..."
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END FLASHBACK
Anna thought over Yoh's words for weeks on end. Would she really? Look how happy this butterfly was. Perhaps Anna would like to fly from flower to flower in such a simple routine?
The butterfly took off from her finger and hovered over a wildflower.
Anna studied this butterfly and a wave of envy coursed through this young itako. 'This butterfly has never felt cold or has never been hit by a drunken father or hearing your parent quarrel everyday. This butterfly has never had to hide its emotion or feel so tired you just want to drop dead.' Anna thought angrily.
She glanced at the sky. This was an emotion she was familiar with. The dreamy reverie that was in her eyes was now replaced with a cold, hard look.
Yoh was wrong, she would-
"Anna?"
She turned around suddenly, acknowledging the existence of the person behind her. "Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you!" Yoh said anxiously, sitting next to Anna."
"I was right here." She said, her voice stone cold.
"Oh, I see..." Yoh was used to her angry, so he learned to just wait for it too pass.
Anna stole a glance at Yoh. His presence always calmed her, although she would NEVER tell him that.
Then she realized.
Butterflies didn't get to taste Tamao's wonderful culinary cooking. They couldn't make Trey and Ren feel so guilty about something that it was amusing, and most importantly; they couldn't sit under a willow tree with Yoh Asakura on a spring afternoon.
So...
Would she trade her life for a life of a butterfly?
Her itako powers for the ability to fly?
Her home for the sky?
Well... you see.
Ask her a moment ago she would have nodded and said 'yes' without no hesitation and another thought what so ever.
But sitting here and staring at the spring sky with Yoh made her realize he was right all along.
She'd rather be here than anywhere else.
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Kaguya: sighs Well that's the end of another Shaman King story...