Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters, only the plot of this fic; they are the property of Hiroyuki Takei

A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but I had a writer's block the size of SOF when he entered the GS; but I'm back. Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story and sorry for not replying but I'm still not used to it

This is for thoughts

This is for spirits talking

Redemption


Chapter 1 – Soul of Light


After Hao's defeat


The scene changes to the outside of Patch Village, which is slowly fading away.

"Well, it seems the end, for now at least" Yoh said with a carefree smile on his face.

"Now what?" Horo Horo asked, out of nowhere.

"How the heck should I know, baka Ainu!" Ren said as he smacked him on the head with Hou Rai Ken (A\N: Ren's family's sword, if you don't remember)

"Why did you do that for, you Chinese freak?" Horo Horo said as he grabbed his snowboard.

They started a small fight and it wasn't much time until a certain itako lost her temper and smacked both dead-on leaving them unconscious.

"Young Master!" Bason floated to where Ren laid.

"Kukuruku!" Kororo just watched how Horo Horo saw stars in front of his face.

"You're annoying me" Anna said while turning to face her inazuke "Yoh…"

"Yes, Anna?" Yoh turned to face her with a dreadful feeling; Amidamaru felt his shaman's distress.

"Since the tournament has been suspended…" Anna said and then smiled, a kinda creepy smile "I'll double your training, so next time you'll beat everyone and become the Shaman King"

Yoh almost fainted at that statement. Double his training?

"Why me…" Yoh just started to cry, anime-style.

"Yoh-dono…" Amidamaru said, mimicking his master's actions.

"Be quiet, Yoh…" Anna said, shooting a glare towards her inazuke, who stiffened and stopped crying along with his spirit "I'm just glad that you are alive, my Yoh…"

After that, all of them began the long trip home, thinking that Hao wasn't a part of this world anymore, but only if they knew…


Now we'll change scenery to another place outside Patch Village, where another team is about to leave, this team is interesting, since of all the original members, only two remain; a blonde man with glasses and a young girl with silver hair and ruby-colored eyes. This girl is Iron Maiden Jeanne, leader of the X-Laws, the group that tried to pass judgment onto Asakura Hao, only to find to find that they weren't a challenge to him. Even she, who had the closest furyoku values to him, was surpassed by Hao, losing her guardian spirit in the process, due Shamash being devoured by Spirit of Fire. The only other surviving member was Lyserg Diethel, but he chose to stand by his friends in the battle against the evil Asakura twin, with her blessing.

"Jeanne-sama, I think it's time for us to leave too" The man said, taking her luggage since they were heading to a truck, so they could arrive to the X-Laws plane and leave to France.

"Yes Marco, you are right" Jeanne said to Marco as she walked towards the truck.

As she walked, Jeanne thought about of all the ones she met along this tournament, including Hao's twin brother, Asakura Yoh and his friends, but also the lives that had been lost to Hao. She almost had arrived to the truck when she heard someone crying. Jeanne went to where she heard it, only to find a small African girl. She remembered her; it was the little girl that was always with Hao. Why was she here all alone?

"Are you okay?" Jeanne asked to the little girl, kneeling at her level.

The little one looked at her and backed away a bit.

"Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you" Jeanne said, showing her arms, so she could see that she wasn't going to hurt her "Can you answer me, please?"

Feeling somehow safe, she shook her head between sobs.

"Your name is Opacho, isn't it?" Opacho nodded "Why are you alone in here?"

"Opacho left because he was so scary" Jeanne gasped.

"You mean Hao?" She asked concerned.

"No, that person wasn't Opacho's Hao-sama" She said between sniffs "Opacho's Hao-sama is strong, kind, brave and pure. Hao-sama always took care of Opacho since Opacho was born"

Jeanne was shocked. Did Hao, that murderer, actually take care of a child since birth?

"What do you mean; little one?" Jeanne asked "What you mean since birth?"

"Opacho was abandoned since Opacho was born" Jeanne felt sickened. Who could have left a child like that? "But Hao-sama rescued and raised Opacho"

Jeanne was thunderstruck by that. Who would have thought that Hao wasn't so heartless? Nevertheless, she couldn't leave Opacho all by herself.

"Opacho…" Jeanne said as Opacho looked at her "Do you want to come with us?"

"You want Opacho to go with you, Iron Maiden?" Opacho said with big eyes.

"If you want to, I can't and I wouldn't want to leave you here alone" Jeanne said and smiled "And please; call me Jeanne"

Opacho got up and walked to Jeanne and she smiled.

"Opacho will go with you, Jeanne-sama" And then both girls walked to where Marco was.

When he saw Opacho, he immediately went for his revolver, only to be stopped by Jeanne.

"Marco, stop this at once, Opacho is coming with us" Jeanne said to him "Am I wrong, Opacho?"

"No, Jeanne-sama, you asked Opacho to go with you" Opacho said and then continued "Maybe Opacho can find her Hao-sama in the way"

Marco was going to tell her to give up since Asakura Hao was already dead, but Jeanne silenced him with a look that said 'Don't, she's still not ready to hear that'

He didn't say anything else and let both girls to ride the truck, ready to part to the plane.


In another place, a beam of light fell to the ground, leaving someone as it faded.

"Where am I?" He said "Great, now they let me stuck in here, maybe I should…" But he didn't finish that thought since a jolt of pain crossed his body and after that, he fainted.


Jeanne and Opacho were heading to the plane, as Marco drove, just letting the wind brush against their faces, when Jeanne heard a voice in her head

"Iron Maiden Jeanne…"

Jeanne got up, surprised by the voice.

"Hear us, Iron Maiden Jeanne"

"Who are you?" Jeanne asked "Where are you?"

"Are you okay, Jeanne-sama?" Opacho asked softly, but Jeanne told her that she was fine.

"See in your heart, you know who we are"

"Great…Spirits?" She guessed who was speaking with her.

"Indeed…you are right" The GS said.

"Why do I have the honor of hearing you, Great Spirits?" Jeanne asked in her head, wondering why they were talking to her.

"Someone needs your help…" They said.

"Who needs my help?" Jeanne asked to the GS "Why me?"

"Because you're the one fit for this…" Again they spoke "You'll find the one if you follow our voice"

"Are you sure I'm the one fit for this, Great Spirits?" She asked one last time.

"Indeed we are…" The GS spoke.

"Then I'll do it" Jeanne said to them "Marco, please, stop the truck"

"Why Jeanne-sama, is something wrong?" Marco said, but did as told.

"There's nothing wrong, Marco" Jeanne said as she left the truck "It's something I must do"

"Wait, Jeanne-sama!" Marco yelled to her since she already had covered some distance "Let me go with you"

"Very well, Marco" Jeanne said as she waited "But also bring Opacho"

Marco put Opacho down and both followed Jeanne.


Jeanne just walked across the desert, waiting to hear again the GS.

"Great Spirits, where should I go?" She asked trying to find someone.

"Just go north from where you are…and you will find him…" The GS answered her plea.

"Thank you, Great Spirits" Jeanne thought to them, oblivious of whom she was going to help.

Jeanne just kept walking until she saw the shape of someone in the sand, only to freeze on her tracks as she saw who it was.

Her nemesis, the evil-incarnate, Asakura Hao. Though she noticed that he didn't look like always. His chestnut-colored hair was sprawled across the sand; his poncho was completely torn, revealing his bare chest, which was crossed by the middle, along with his face, by a very nasty cut that seemed to have being oozing with blood for a while; since now it was all caked-up. It seemed the cut stopped above his waist, and she wondered why, since everyone saw how he had been cut in half by his twin. Also his face seemed to be contorted in a mask of excruciating pain, even if he was out cold, but somehow, he was still breathing, alive and in a stable condition; even with the seemingly fatal wounds. She was broken out of her musings by a child's scream and the loading of a gun.

"Hao-sama!" Opacho ran towards the fallen Hao, only to start crying when she saw his current state.

Marco just loaded his gun to summon his guardian spirit, Michael, and finish Hao for once and for all.

"It seems that Asakura Yoh didn't finish him after all" He said as he aimed at Hao.

"No! Don't hurt Hao-sama!" Opacho cried.

"Get away!" Marco yelled as he prepared to summon his spirit, only to be stopped by the person he less expected to

"Marco, wait" Jeanne said, as she spoke in her mind, trying to talk with the GS again "Great Spirits, what is the meaning of this?"

For a few seconds, there was no answer, until…

"It is as we told you…" the GS responded "He is the one who needs your help…"

"Why would he need help anyways?" Jeanne asked to the GS "He's better off dead"

"Do you really think that?" The GS inquired to her "After you learned what he did for the little one?"

"One good deed won't clean all of his evil deeds" Jeanne said sternly "Even if it was a pure-hearted one"

"Jeanne D'Arc…" The GS spoke gravely "Do you believe in redemption?"

Jeanne was startled, not because they knew her name; they were supposed to be omniscient after all; but of the question they had made. Being the Holy Maiden, of course she believed in redemption, but then, why had the Great Spirits asked her that?

"Why do you ask that, Great Spirits?" Jeanne was curious "Of course I do"

"Then you should know that every soul, no matter how evil they can be, they may hold a chance to redeem themselves…" The GS lectured "And you, Jeanne D'Arc, are the one who will help Asakura Hao to reach his redemption…"

After what the GS had told her, Jeanne was in a crossroad, she could let Marco finish Asakura Hao and be done with, but there also was what the GS had said. Although she didn't want to believe it from Hao, they were right; every soul had the chance for redemption. But could it also be possible for someone as Hao? Could his sins ever be forgiven? Also Opacho seemed very much attached to Hao, and he had saved her. What was she supposed to do?

"Jeanne D'Arc, what is your answer?" The GS asked to her one last time "Tell us now…"

Finally, after taking her decision (hoping it was the right one) and steeling herself, she answered to the GS.

"I will help him, Great Spirits…" She declared to them "I hope this is the right choice, but I'm doing what my heart is telling me to do…"

"You have taken your decision; time will tell what happens…" The GS said "For now, our child shall stay with him, unless he says otherwise…"

"Your child?" Jeanne asked to the GS as she eyed a horned scarlet orb which hovered above Hao, but it looked much weakened "Spirit of Fire?"

"That's right, until we meet again, Jeanne D'Arc…" The GS gave their last words and kept silence.

She was brought back of her conversation by Marco calling her, as to ask her what had happened, and Jeanne's answer shocked him

"Marco…" Jeanne said, also turning to look at Opacho "Pick up Hao, we're taking him with us"

Marco was nevertheless completely paralyzed. Had the Iron Maiden asked him to pick Asakura Hao up?

"Jeanne-sama…why are you asking me this?" Marco was shocked about Jeanne's order "He must die!"

"Marco, I know you doubt my decision now" Jeanne said, relatively calm, though she had an inner turmoil "But I have to do it"

He stood in his place for several minutes until he finally bowed and reluctantly placed the unconscious Hao on his shoulder to go back to the truck. He really doubted this, but he thought that the Iron Maiden had a plan or something (he hoped so) only to be followed by Spirit of Fire's Hitodama

Jeanne was about to follow when she felt a small tug in her dress. She looked at Opacho, whose eyes were big and overflowing with tears

"What's the matter, Opacho?" Jeanne asked to the little girl

"Opacho…Opacho wants to thank Jeanne-sama for helping Hao-sama" The child said to Jeanne as she dried her tears with her dress

"I felt that I had to, Opacho, no need to thank me" Jeanne said, again hoping she had taken the right choice

Both girls went to catch up with Marco to return to France. What would happen after this? It was Jeanne's thought all along the way. Only the Great Spirits may know what the future had in store for her and for Asakura Hao…


To be continued…


Author's note: Well, here you have a new chapter, hope you like it. Again I apologize for not updating before, but as I said, I had a HUGE writer's block that only crumbled down recently. By the way, this story goes with the Animeverse of Shaman King; though sometimes I'll use some things from the Mangaverse (like how Hao found Opacho). I hope I haven't made Jeanne somehow OOC. Also I added something in Jeanne's crossroad

Someone has any idea to what is going to happen now? Any guesses or suggestions?

Please leave reviews, advices and everything you want. And flames will be used to feed SOF (Which I don't own either)

I'll update after 5 or more reviews have been given to this chapter

My thanks to all of you readers

See you later!