Disclaimer: "Shaman King" and the canon characters are owned by Hiroyuki Takei. The authors do own the original characters involved, as well as this story as a writing and the interpretation of the canon characters.

Summary: A compilation of moments, scenes, monologues and meditations of different characters, presented in first person and following a theme of herbal symbolism. It will include two main OCs or original characters, a shaman and a spirit, as well as the main cast of the Shaman King series.

Authors: This story was initially meant as a collaboration, but it was left on hiatus after the prologue because of a lack of feedback lowering the motivation and interest of my co-author and I. Now, I have decided to adopt the story and move it to my account, no longer involving my co-author's OCs and scenes that had been sketched and planned before. This being said, reviews are loved, followers and favorites are very appreciated, and I am looking forward to hearing from you. Before the 'adoption', the story had 178 views, 3 followers, 3 favorites, no reviews. The title had been changed from "The Path to Eden".

Part I - Unexpected Dawn

"The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way."

Angel's Trumpet

.~*~.

Over the years, man had tried to make his life easier. He has created instruments and machinery to help himself with the daily burdens of his life. He has searched for ways to make his work easier, without thinking of the consequences. He has turned the earth inside-out in search of minerals, crystals, coal, and precious metals. He has cut down forests so that he can seed the rich land with his preferred plants; those he found more useful than the spontaneous ones. He has burned and crushed the surface of the land, forcing the animals into hiding. He has claimed the rivers, the lakes, the seas, and the ocean's depths. He has conquered the winds and the clouds. In doing so he has declared ownership over life.

In his mindless greed, he has left a wild paradise for dead. He has crossed oceans and discovered new lands with only the thought of exploiting anything he could. He has slaughtered his own for insignificant reasons... He has robbed the land and sea of their riches and life; consuming and infecting everything in his way.

What could be expected from a race so greedy, capable of carrying out genocide and slavery? What could I expect from the man who would take the life of his brother for papers printed with numbers and faces that won't be of actual use to him? Could I expect him to pity another life in agony? The most intelligent of beings have fallen into the trap of playing God. Fake gods of greed and vanity have climbed their way to imaginary thrones; proclaiming themselves rulers, emperors, dictators.

And the rest of men? They have allowed it. The common man is just as guilty for his ignorance; for his passivity in face of injustice. They have lost faith in the Great Spirits and ignored the voice of the Earth. They have denied the guidance of their ancestors and the cries of the Earth. Instead, they allowed themselves to believe in the lies and illusions they were sold to. They accepted working day and night; neglecting their children and their parents. Thereby, they sell themselves to the rich. They have allowed themselves to despair and fall into poverty and sadness while the greedy lose count of their money.

The children grew and inherited the frustrations of their parents. They are all the same. They were taught to do the same, so they will live and die the same - as slaves of the rich. They fear nature and the spirits of their ancestors because they cannot understand the ways of the spirit. They believe them all to be demons or illusions.

Some agree that there were better times. A few of them understand that this is wrong, but refute the power they have to make a change. They look back at notes and inscriptions of the past. They know that the Earth was more generous and healthier ages ago, but they are convinced there is no way of returning to that state. It is those men that sadden me the most.

Out of all the eras that I've seen and all the generations that I've encountered, it is this one that has disappointed me the most. Fear, pain, and the denial of love have never been as acute in the hearts of men as they are now. It is not only their loss of faith in spirits and shamans, but also the way they have labeled shamans as insane. They have misunderstood the doings of a shaman and begun to fear us. Fear is perhaps the worst sin of humanity... It is what makes people murder. It is what makes them destroy what they cannot understand. The most regretted moments of life is when one is on their deathbed realizing that fear had once conquered their heart. Fear that influenced them to do something they knew was wrong or to remain a bystander when they knew they should have intervened.

Pain is another demon of humanity as it is capable of slowly poisoning the heart and clouding judgment. It holds man back from moving on. It stops men from forgiving one another, and it makes them deny love and compassion. Pain usually holds hands with Fear and distorts the picture of man has about himself and the world around him.

What I have shamefully allowed myself to forget in the course of time is that the greedy are only a small group of humanity and they are the ones who most often inflict pain and use fear to control the masses. It is them who have started this movement from harmony to chaos and have deprived men of faith in the Great Spirits. It is them who have clouded the hearts and enslaved the minds of the people. More often than not, these people, lacking the guidance of spirits and distrusting shamans, have had no way of anticipating the effects of these fake rulers.

Perhaps... Perhaps I have fallen into the same trap. Perhaps I have allowed illusions to become part of my reality, orchestrated by Pain above all. Because, in the end, a shaman is only a gifted human, is he not? And my gift, or maybe my curse, has only shown me the momentary thoughts of those around me, but not the reasons fueling their rage and ungratefulness. Most of the time, men are not even aware of the reasons behind their misery, so they cannot see any way out. In the modern language, they become depressed... And, perhaps, there is a chance we were all victims of one another.

Thinking back, I wish I could have known the saying of an old spiritual soldier and peaceful leader that had left the world wondering about their ways. "An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind," he said. Thinking back, I would have done so many things differently... Perhaps it is not too late to heal the pain that I've caused. Perhaps there is a way to change man into accepting the consequences of their doing and a way to try to balance their wrongs with kindness, forgiveness, and compassion because how else are we ever going to return to innocence?

Author's Notes:

"The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way." - Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator's Speech

"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi

Angel's Trumpet, also known as brugmansia, is a heat-loving tropical annual shrub or small tree native to South America with large, trumpet shaped flowers that come in white, pink, orange or yellow and hang down from their branches. The flowers have a very pleasant fragrance that is strongest at night. All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested and can be used in preparing scopolamine. Traditionally, the plant has been used as a hallucinogen and to induce euphoria. It has also been used in traditional herbal medicine to treat skin irritations, arthritis, headaches and rheumatism. Even in small quantities, the plant can be deadly to both humans and animals.

As part of the herbal theme, the narrating character or the character whose perspective is presented each chapter will be announced by a plant. The description of the plant is what will help you identify the character, based on similarities.

For example, Angel's Trumpet has a beautiful name that inspires peace, but is actually poisonous - a contradiction that's meant to show you a character that could seem good at first, but prove to be a very dangerous companion. A strong plant for a strong character, it can be used for good (as medicine), or evil (as poison), depending on the context. The colors of this plant's flowers are warm, closer to the colors of fire. Also, the plant loves heat - the second piece of information pointing towards the element of fire. Since the plant can induce euphoria and hallucinations, it is representing a shaman. The answer should be obvious by now - Angel's Trumpet represents Hao Asakura.

From now on, you can guess the future perspectives and leave a review with your guesses. The first to guess right a perspective can ask for a favor (a certain plot twist, a certain ship you would like, or even promoting your own story). Guess three in a row and you can ask for a one-shot.

Important: If you know the artist who created the picture used as the cover of this story, please let me know and I will credit them!