Farewell

The vacation ended too soon and the participants were called back for the next round of the Shaman tournament.

Yoh said his goodbyes, albeit hard, it wasn't impossible.

So he wondered why he didn't knock on her door to say goodbye when her light was obviously still on.

He trudges to his room, preparing to lie down, though not really sleeping.

"You're very bold" she says. He closes his eyes. He wonders if he'll hear her voice again. "Once you got home, you went to bed without saying goodbye to me?!"

All he heard, was that she was hurt, angry, scared and yet still proud at the same time. He really shouldn't leave her like this but he doesn't want to say goodbye. Not to her face. Not even in her sleep. Never.

"Tomorrow, because you're leaving En..." she continues quietly. He doesn't know how he'd act if she were to say goodbye. "Tonight..." she says. Perhaps it would be easier coming from her, he thought.

"Can I sleep with you?..."

It took him forever to process what she just said. When she heard no reply, she walked towards her own room, feeling rather stupid. What did she expect anyway?

But suddenly, she felt a hand tug at hers gently. "Yes," he says simply.

Never in a million years did both of them imagine this night to happen.

His arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer so that their faces were only inches away from each other.

He sees her crying through the darkness, and muffles her cries as he brings her face to his chest.

Really, it was impossible to say farewell after all.

Fear

She stood from a distance, observing yet again another fight her fiance was facing. It has been a month since she last saw him and this is what she immediately sees. Yoh. Bloodied and bruised, limping on the floor, yet still determined to fight back. Don't expect her to run to the field and cry out to stop. She invoked fear in everyone around her. Correction, she WAS fear. She can't possibly lose face.

But Manta noted that among all others watching Yoh struggle that day, Anna was the one shaking the most, gripping her arms so that her knees wouldn't give way.

She, above all, was the most fearful for Yoh's life.

Flinched & Flustered

After he miraculously survived the ordeal, he was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face preparing the kit to tend to his wounds. He never once flinched while she took care of him and continued to gaze at her lovely face. His eyes never leaving her the moment she entered the tent. He was simply happy to see her once more. He missed her. That alone was a fact.

On the other hand, she wondered why she couldn't cut the damn tape. The stupid scissors just weren't sharp enough! It angered her to the core and she was just ready to lash out to a nearby victim. It was anger, she concluded. Anger that made her cheeks blush furiously red. It was so hot inside the tent too! Damn it. No wonder she was flushed. Yes, she convinced herself. It was the anger and the heat that made her flustered, not his stares.

Focused

"Obviously you're still not ready! You were struggling at your last fight, barely able to make it alive! And what's with your clothes?! They look like they haven't been washed for days!"

He merely gazes at her, still in mild disbelief that she was with him. "If no one's gonna make that happen, then I will!"

"This is it, Anna's training from hell." Manta whispers to the others. It was expected. "Yoh, prepare yourself." Anna continues.

They looked at Yoh, equally expectant of his standard complaints.

"Alright." He gives a curt nod to show that he completely agrees.

Everyone fell to the ground. "W-What did he say?"

And so, they watched him train like hell from the Mistress of Pain. "What I don't get is..." Ryu voices out loud, "why is Master so focused all of a sudden?"

In his mind he pictured this lazy, always complaining young boy who just wanted to have fun. As Yoh joins their table to have a glass of water, Ren asks. "So, Yoh, where is this determination coming from?"

"Hmm? Well," he scratches the back of his head. "Well, my meals seem to taste a lot better now, now that I train harder I mean. He He He He."

"A-Anna can cook?!?!?!" They all said incredulously. A mass of darkness appears behind them. "Come forth...whomever says I can't." Anna says dangerously, arms crossed in front of her.