Chapter 2 – Stargazing

Last time:

"I suppose I'll just have to tell you my name only, then you'll know everything about me"

"Why? What do you mean?" asked Amy curiously.

The boy smirked and said:

"My name is Hao Asakura."

Amy couldn't believe her ears. She truly stared now at the boy who just said his name is Hao Asakura with her mouth opened widely. This is impossible ... this can't be Hao Asakura, first because he should be dead and second ... second because he just can't !' the girl thought with shock written all over her face. Kitty was also looking at the boy in shock. They were both speechless, while the boy smirked, satisfied by the surprising and shocking faces the girl and spirit have. Finally, after almost a minute, Amy regained her calm, cheerful voice and said:

"Alright, now stop being funny and seriously tell me who you are. You CAN'T be Hao Asakura, that ……. that criminal is dead" This took the smirk off of the boy's face.

"Do you want me to burn you and your house with my Spirit of Fire as proof? I don't die that easily and, lastly, I don't like the way you call me a criminal, you know, it's very impolite" he said in a cold tone.

Amy blinked, then said:

"Well, I'd like a proof for sure. Definitely not burning me or my house, even if you can or can't, but how could I verify if you are who you say you are ….. are you sure you don't have some amnesia from the wound in your head? It's still …" but was cut off by Kitty, who finally said:

"Amy-san, he is who he claims he is. I can sense his shaman aura, I didn't notice earlier, but it is him, I can feel it"

'OH MY GOD ! now this is the surprise of the year' Amy thought in shock. She couldn't believe that the murderer of many people and shamans, Hao Asakura, was right now in her house, in her bead, with almost half of his body bandaged. Then she found her voice again and asked:

"Alright, Hao, then you've got some things to tell me. How come I found you in the forest? Why are you hurt like this? Why weren't you killed? Why didn't you attack me, I don't know, just burn me, especially since I attacked you in the forest?"

Staring coldly at the girl, he said:

"Now, how do I know I can trust you with my answers?"

"Oh please" Kitty said "Amy-san helped you and you say we can't be trusted? She's even letting you in her house, in her bed for you to rest and recover and you don't even want to answer to some questions which must be answered?"

"Do you want the girl to pick your ashes and put them in a bowl, spirit?"

"I'd like to see you try anything."

"Now, calm down both of you." said Amy a bit louder than she meant, as she heard the phone call. Sighing, Amy said: "I'll go answer the phone, meanwhile you think of answering all those questions. Kitty, keep an eye on him" and she went out. As soon as they were out of the girl's hearing, Kitty said, eying the boy suspiciously:

"You should be thankful to Amy-san, she took you in and helped you with your wounds and you still act rude. No wonder, you are a criminal …"

"Then maybe I should go. It's not like it's a pleasure to sit here anyway" Hao said and he got up, but winced from the pain in his chest and foot.

"Are you mad? You can't go out with those injuries, they're really nasty, and in plus if someone else sees Hao Asakura outside, no matter how hurt you are, they'd attack you and, Spirit of Fire or not, you wouldn't stand a chance to ..." Kitty was saying, following Hao down the stairs, when he snapped:

"Shut up!" which made the spirit to close her mouth.

As Hao was about to take the last few steps, in front of the stairs came Amy, just as he collapsed.

"Oh, my !" Amy said worried "What do you think you're doing outside bed? You're very hurt, you need to lie down for a few days"

"I can take care of myself and I don't want to sit here anymore" he hissed, yet the pain was evident in his voice. 'Damn, I hate being so weak' he thought.

"Please, at least tonight stay here, explain everything, I mean, all that you want and you can leave tomorrow" 'if you recover completely, which I'm sure you won't, so …' "Please please please please please ?"

Not being able to resist her pleads and the pain, he said:

"Fine ….." he sighed and was led by the pleased girl back to the bedroom. After he was comfortable again in Amy's bed, Amy asked:

"So ….. ah, Hao, do you think you could answer me some of my questions? "

Still, Hao didn't answered her and just kept staring at the ceiling.

"Hao?" Amy asked again.

"Aren't you afraid I'm going to burn you or your house?" he asked coldly, still looking at the ceiling. Amy was slightly taken aback by the question. 'Now that's a good question. I know who he is, why am I not afraid of him?' Amy thought, but still, she answered:

"All I have to do now is just to trust you, I hope I'm doing the right thing. Anyway, I just couldn't let you in the forest in the way you were hurt. No matter who you are, no matter what you did, it's just not how I am."

Hao didn't say anything else, just kept staring indifferently at the ceiling. Then Amy sighed and said:

"Well, if you don't want to answer questions, then I'll just let you sleep, I'm sure you're tired." She finished as she got up.

Amy first went to her closet from where she took out some spare blankets and a pillow. 'Lucky me I have the couch downstairs, or it was the floor for me'

"Well, good night, Hao, sleep well, cause you know, you need to recover" she said cheerfully, while waving to him, but there was no response. Still, she put off the lights in the room and went downstairs, with Kitty after her.

"Amy-san, I hope you know that he cannot be trusted for not one second. Why do we have to keep him in the house, in your room, at night? He might attack us while we are asleep, Amy-san, he's a living danger, he's a murderer!"

"I know, Kitty, but I just couldn't let him." Amy sighed. "You saw how injured he was, and still is. I had to help him, especially since I smacked him in the head pretty hard. That was one more pain he shouldn't have had"

"And this is one more worry we have. In plus, where will you sleep?"

"On the couch, of course, what do you expect me to do, sleep in the same bed with him?" said Amy revolted.

"Of course not, Amy-san, of course not. But …"

"Kitty, just trust me with this one. I know who he is, I know what he did, but I'm not sure what he can do. There's something strange about his aura." Amy said as she was trying to make the couch as comfortable as her bed.

"Now that you mentioned it, I felt something strange at his aura too, Amy-san"

"Still, we won't know until Hao tells us, if he wants, tomorrow." Amy yawned. "But right now, I'm tired, still hungry, but I'll eat tomorrow, I'll make a huge breakfast, cause I'm too tired right now."

"Very well, Amy-san, I'll stay on guard. If he does a single suspicious move, I'll wake you up."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, but I'm sure we won't have any problems. Night, Kitty" she finished ah she lied down.

"Good night, Amy-san" said Kitty.

Meanwhile, in Amy's room, Hao was thinking.

'She knows who I am and still she trusts me. Yet, I shouldn't trust her. If it weren't for this stupid human body, I'd be out of here.'

He looked around the room. It was a pretty small room, with a bed, a closet, a table with some books on it and a chair. 'Not much ...'

'I have to stay awake, who knows, they might be planning an attack thinking I'm asleep ……I'm not sure I'd feel it in my state' but just as he thought that, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

It was far from sunrise when Amy opened her eyes. 'God, this is the second time I've woke up. This couch is so uncomfortable, I miss my bed' she thought sleepy 'I'm lucky tomorrow is Saturday, or else I would've been totally dead'

Turning around, she tried to fall back asleep. After 5 minutes, she decided to get up and go to the kitchen for a glass of water. Amy looked around: no sign of Kitty, probably asleep. 'There are times like these I wish I was a spirit ……… No problem sleeping, eating, drinking …….. Nope, being human is still much better.'

After drinking her glass of water, she decided to go and take a look at her guest through the small window up the door. She tiptoed on the stairs till her room and looked a bit on the window, when she gasped and opened the door.

'Oh no oh no oh no oh no OH NO ! He isn't in his room anymore. Where did he went? Did he left? He's mad, he can't go for a walk or something with his injuries' but then she saw that his gloves and poncho were still here. 'that must mean that he hasn't left for real. But where could he be?' she thought as she looked outside the window when she saw Hao outside, sitting on the bench in front of her house, stargazing.

'Well, a little bit of company would do him well, I'm sure' she thought smiling. She grabbed a small blanket and went downstairs.

As he sat lunged on the bench, Hao was looking at the stars. 'Stargazing is relaxing ….. I almost forgot the pain'. Then, he heard footsteps and got up alarmed, though a bit hard, because of his wounds.

"Wow, calm down, it's only me" Hao saw the girl, Amy he remembered her name was, coming towards him with a red coat in her hands. He decided to ignore her as he got up on the bench and continued to look at the stars. Then he felt something on him and looked up at the girl, as she put the coat on him.

"You know, I saw you from the house. It's pretty cold out here, you shouldn't be outside, especially without something on you, you could catch a cold and a cold in your condition could be dangerous" she added.

He was actually a bit cold, but he didn't want to admit it, especially in front of her. Again he ignored her and looked back at the ceiling. It was beautiful: stars everywhere on the dark sky, shining all around. Quite a relaxing atmosphere. Then Amy decided to sit down and try to make a conversation.

"So, you still don't want to tell me what I asked you?"

She thought that he would ignore her again, but he said:

"Why should I?"

"Well, let's just say you're not the Hao Asakura I imagined and I'm just wondering. Why are you not dead? I know Yoh killed you kinda a week ago."

"You know Yoh?" he asked as he slightly turned to watch me.

"Yeah, we're in the same class. We're not friends exactly, but we talk sometimes, seeing as I'm a shaman too. And I also know a bit Anna and Manta and I've slightly saw once or twice Ren and the girl with pink her, Tamao, I think her name is"

"I see you know a bit of the group."

Then it was silence for some minutes. Amy was starting to get bored, so she asked Hao:

"What exactly happened at the battle that didn't kill you, but injured you in such a way? Will you tell me?"

Hao seemed to be thinking when he finally answered:

"Very well. I'll tell you some things . I was battling with Yoh, he cut the Spirit of Fire, so in a way it was like cutting me in half, but I escaped with these injuries only."

"Okay, now that was one question answered. Or maybe two, I don't remember for sure. What were you doing in the forest?"

"After I was injured, I managed to teleport myself, but I didn't know where. I attended my injuries as good as I could and I walked until I ended up in this forest, where you kindly attacked me."

"Hey, I said I was sorry. I thought you were a wolf or something, I just got a little scared. You're at a place just outside the town. Pretty far from my school, but luckily I'm a shaman, I arrive in kinda 10 minutes at school. Anyway, why didn't you attack me? Even with your injuries, you could have done it." Amy asked again.

"Does that really matter? You would have preferred to be burned?"

"Of course not, but …….. it's a bit uncharacteristic of you, I think."

Again there was silence. 'Man, this silence is getting on my nerves ……' Amy thought, a little sleepy. 'And I'm sleepy again. Well, it's not a big surprise, it is 4 o'clock in the morning'. Then, she heard Hao answer her:

"After the power, I've lost almost all my shamanic powers. That's why the Spirit of Fire isn't here, that's why I couldn't burn you or anything when you attacked me" he finished in yet another cold tone, even thought inside the fact of losing his shamanic powers hurt almost as much as the wounds.

That left Amy speechless. After a few moments, she asked:

"And what's left from your power?"

"Still sometimes I can teleport and read minds, but not always." and then there was silence again.

"I don't know if it's the right thing to say, but I'm sorry for you. It must be …"

"Cut the crap, you can't even think what it's like feeling weak and pathetic like a poor human." Hao said with anger in his voice, turning to face Amy. " You don't know a thing, so don't you dare start saying that you understand me or something like that. And besides that, I don't need you pitying me!" he finished.

And then blue eyes gazed into chocolate-brown ones. 'How can a shaman lose his Shamanic powers?' she thought. 'I mean, it's hard to believe, yet he must tell the truth, I can see in his eyes that he is not lying'. Then Hao turned away from her again and said:

"Are you glad now? I am nothing more than a human. A weak, pathetic human. I don't even have my Spirit of Fire."

"Well, if you think I'm glad because you lost your shamanic powers, than you, Hao Asakura, you are stupid !" she said. "Of course I'm not glad, baka!"

"I'll just let that one slip, as I'm in no mood of fighting with you."

"Yeah, well, anyway ……… isn't there another way to get your powers back?"

"If I knew one, I would have already done it."

"Can't other shamans help you?"

"I don't know, you're a shaman and I don't see you helping me too much."

"Hey, I'm no good at fighting and things like these, I mean, I know to oversoul and some other small things, but nothing big. Kitty's more like my friend, she helps me live on my own… " Amy said a bit sad, but then she was back to normal "But still there must be someone to help you."

Hao didn't answer. 'Of course, a powerful shaman, like I was before, might be able to help me' he thought 'But nobody would like to help the evil Hao Asakura.'. His thoughts were interrupted by Amy.

"Well, the single shamans I know are Yoh and his friends. Maybe we should go to …"

"Do you honestly think they will help me? Wait, I'm starting to believe you don't think at all." Hao interrupted her irritated. "They tried to kill me! And if they'd see me without my powers, they will do it!"

"I don't know, I mean I don't think so. But still, they wouldn't try something when I'm with you. We could …"

"What we?" Hao cut her off angrily, as he got up, wincing a bit from the pain in his wounds. "I don't need help, least of all yours." He said and slowly walked back towards the house. "You think that now, after I lost, my shamanic powers, I can't take care of myself? I'm not weak, I don't need help"

Amy stood a bit stunned than got up and went a bit after him:

"But, you have to get your powers back …"

"Leave me alone!" he almost shouted without turning towards Amy, and the girl stopped, as she watched Hao make his way towards the house, where he loudly closed the door.

'Well, he definitely isn't a gentleman, that's for sure. I'll see what I can talk to him tomorrow, it's gonna be a new day.' she thought as she made her way back to her house. Inside, she went in the kitchen, as she was sure Hao went back to bed. Drinking a glass of water, she almost chocked it when she saw the time. 'Five o'clock in the morning ! Man, I won't be able to keep a single eye opened tomorrow! Enough thinking about Hao for now, it's time for sleep.'

As she tried to make herself comfortable in the couch, she was still thinking about Hao. 'Why do I insist so much to help him? After he gets his powers back, he might try to take over the world. But I just don't want to see him suffer. But he made so many people suffer, he killed so much. Maybe I shouldn't help him. No, I can't stop now …oh, what am I going to do?' Amy thought. 'I just hope I won't be wrong about helping him …' 'I just hope I won't be wrong about helping him …' Amy thought before drifting to sleep.

isa18: hehe, my second chapter, happy ! Well, I hope I did a good job and you enjoyed reading it. Thank you for my first reviewers and thanx Sima-chan ! Please review! Huggies !