Chapter Two: Bad Things Are Going Down

Hao Asakura and his two followers, Ashil and Machi, were strolling care-freely through the barren desert. Or at least the love couple was strolling; Hao was striding with ill concealed anger. The thought that someone was making fun of him just couldn't go away, as his Sixth Sense was now hyperactive and on guard since he woke up in Ashil's embrace.

"Thank God!" Hao thought again. "Thank God that he's straight."

Hao himself was very surprised to see his fanatical underling alive. Yes, he had proven himself useful in the past, and by sending him after Yoh Hao wished to witness the X-Laws' power in action. Ashil was expendable to him. Hao left him there to die and that should've put the end of the Ashil case. But, in spite of all logic or laws of nature, Ashil was now here, alive, breathing, and once again, not stopping cackling for a moment.

- ...So, here I am, screaming at Yoh, and flunging towards him...
- Yeah, and? - Machi kept asking.
- ...and just when I was about to kill him...
- Yeah?
- That ray of light comes out of nowhere...
- And?
- ...And shoots me in the heart!
- Oh my God!
- Yes! It did! And then those X-Laws appear and try to brain-wash Yoh...
- Forget about that moron! What happened to you?
- I was there, bleeding and dying on the ground...
- So what happened next?
- ...I was getting there, dear, but, if you could stop interrupting me...
- Sorry.
- ...and that doctor guy, Faust, came out of nowhere, and started patching up my wounds with his Furyoku and some medical treatments... and thank God, I survived.

- Why did Yoh's teammate helped you survive? - Hao asked gloomily while trudging next to him.

Ashil shrugged.

- Faust was a loner back then. He wasn't with Yoh's group.

Faust brooded over what he had just heard and a minute later began:

- But, Faust wasn't...
- ...with Yoh. - Machi finished for him.
- No, wait! At that time Faust hadn't even arrived in Am-
- I'm not so sure about that, Hao-sama. - Ashil drawled thoughtfully. He wandered off his dreamy gaze to scour the horizon. - After all, no one knew where Faust was during Episode 33.

Hao bristled up when the Fourth Wall was broken for a second time.

- Ashil, you can't just transgress the laws of the TV productions like that! - Machi scowled a little and fixed her boyfriend with a reproach in her eyes.

Ashil raised his eyebrows and grinned widely:

- What? I am the one violating the rules? Heck, you started it!
- Maybe so, but you weren't supposed to pick it up! - Machi answered with a smile of her own. She cuddled closer to her boyfriend. What she didn't know was that Hao was becoming extremely pissed off of being ignored so much. They were treating him like he wasn't the guy with the biggest role in this whole Anime! Well, maybe second-biggest role, but he was still a very important character!...

He gulped when he accidentally broke the Fourth wall... for the third time.

- Is this place you speak of very far, Ashil? - Hao muttered haplessly. Ashil, on the other hand, didn't feel much sensitive today, and replied with a wide grin:
- No, Hao-sama! It's just round the corner!

Hao looked around bewilderedly.

- What corner?

Ashil sweat-dropped and suppressed his grin.

- It was just a saying, Hao-sama. You don't have to understand it literally.

Hao's dumbfounded mug could match Horohoro's own idiotic expression whentheAinu'sbrain lacked information of the nearby events.

- Oh. - He mumbled. For the first time in his life, Hao felt really... stupid. And so, just to disperse the growing suspicions that he was losing his mind, the pyromancer asked something that made sense:
- Ashil?
- Yes, Hao-sama?
- Where are the others from my group?

Short silence. Then, Machi uttered hesitantly:

- Hao-sama, it's a bit complicated...
- And it may take a while to explain... - Ashil added wearily, but Hao interrupted with a wicked smile, more typical for his nature.
- Don't worry. I'm sure I'll understand, and we have plenty of time.

More silence.

- Eh... alright then. - Machi took a deep breath and started: - Hao-sama, the rest of the team betrayed you.

Hao froze still. The love birds turned around to see the Asakura's stiff expression on his face.

- They WHAT? - He croaked out.
- I'm afraid it's just like that, Hao-sama. - Machi continued guiltily. - The few of us who remained loyal to you were captured by the Ten Priests.

- Who are they? - Hao insisted.
- Zand-Ching and Luchist are now in prison. Turbine escaped, but he is on his own now. Bill died because he couldn't handle his Furyoku, Block was also captured and Peyote is waiting for us in our hideout.

The girl closed her mouth, desperately praying that her master won't ask the question she feared and hated most.

- Ok, but... Where are the other Hanagumis?

Machi silently cursed the skies and muttered:

- They turned their backs at you, too.
- Mari and Kanna are with Yoh-sama now. - Ashil confirmed miserably.

Hao's lower lip trembled. The Hanagumi had betrayed him? The group that worshiped him so passionately, the ones who would follow him to the very ends of the world...
...had betrayed him?

- Why? - He muttered emptily. - Why have they betrayed me like this...
- Kanna and Mari got tired of you, Hao-sama. They say you didn't justify their expectations and abandoned you.
- Is that what they said?...
- Actually... - Machi cleared her throat nervously. - What Kanna said was something that sounded like: "To hell with that motherfucker! I'm going with Yoh!". The only thing Mari said was: "Mari's bored."

Hao clenched his fists furiously and hissed:

- Those bitches! I'll have the Spirit of Fire incinerate them when I see them!

Ashil cleared his throat in turn.

- I'm afraid that is not possible, Hao-sama. The Spirit of Fire is no longer here.

Hao looked around. It was true, the giant spirit had truly disappeared. He didn't see him when he woke up, and the Spirit of Fire was not here now.

- Where the hell is he? - He muttered gloomily. Ashil explained once again:
- I believe I saw him leaving you, saying something like: "I'm sick of that asshole". Then he fluttered away.

Hao was left with a devastated mug on his face. He goggled unbelievingly at the boy, then sighed deeply.

- THIS is bad. - He concluded moodily.
- Even Opacho and the Zentryos have joined Yoh. - Ashil topped it all up with no emotion in his voice. - Mattie, Peyote and I are all who remain free and loyal to you.

Hao recalled the doll-faced African girl, Opacho, as well as those boneheads Zen and Ryo. Even Opacho had left him... Maybe he shouldn't have been so hard on her back then...

- I lost my power... my spirit... my closest followers. - Hao uttered sadly. - What am I supposed to do now?

Ashil and Machi neared him. The last Hanagumi member patted him on the back and spoke softly with a smile on her lips:

- You still have us, Hao-sama.

Hao raised his head to face the girl. Although he was going against himself, he decided to stay as much optimistic as possible. He stretched his back, shook his head and said:

- We'll just have to do with what we have. The Shaman-Only World must come to live!

Ashil helped him stand up. Shortly afterwards, the three were on their way once again.
And from distance, unnoticed by anyone, Tamao, Faust and their spirit companions were watching the group of shamans, walking away in the desert.

- Do you think he has a chance? - Tamao mumbled.

Faust VIII shrugged and smiled spookily.

- Nope. He has no spirit, almost no allies, and is currently powerless.
- Then why is he so optimistic about it? - Konchi asked.
- Who knows? Maybe he sees something in the future.
- Or maybe he has just read the script? - Ponchi suggested from Tamao's left.

Everyone fixed the raccoon spirit. Ponchi grinned goofily.

- You're breaking the Fourth Wall again... - Tamao warned him squeakily.
- So what? It's not like we're gonna get in trouble, are we?
- Who knows? - Faust said again and stared at the horizon. - There's no telling what the guy who writes this shit will think of?

From the Author: Personally, all I can say is: LMAO! Like I said before, I don't own Shaman King. Anyway, I'm trying to improve my sense of humor and writing abilities. So, what do you think? :D