Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King…
Summary: Post anime: Hao managed to survive with the help of a mysterious servant and now plans to avenge himself! How will Yoh and the gang handle his return? And what's wrong with Anna?
Author's Note: This will be the last part of those that I have written down on paper during my short vacation! It took me along while since I've written it in Japanese… And also, I was so busy tutoring my friend, that I had to stay at his house for three days…Well, I'm trying to get other ideas…If you have one tell me… Oh! And be warned, I might, 'might', have a character die…It is somewhat essential… By the way I named Anna's mom Hana, the same name as Yoh and Anna's official son, Asakura Hana, who starts his journey six years after the manga along with his uncle Ryu. (I don't get why they named a boy that…Hana - Flower, though it could be Hana - Edge)
Important Added Note: I've decided to kill a character...hehe... I'm going to put a character death on a later chapter...That chapter will be all about the character that will die...I will kill my most favorite character ever! I've decided to use my favorite character coz I always picture him dying in a sad and tragic way...Be warned!
I wrote this Shaman King fic when I found an old copy of shonen jump and thought 'oh, what the hell! I'll write a story of this one…'
The first part is a continuation of the previous story...
Chapter 3: Dreams and Awakenings
In a place far away from where Kino met Anna...
Two figures were visible despite the heavy rain; if the rain even hit them at all. The woman in white kimono was bowing to a young boy, who looks barely even seven. The boys was sitting cross-legged on top of large rock not sparing a glance at the figure bowing below him on his left; he was staring at the sky…
"Is she dead?" he asked pretty calmly.
"Hai, Hao-sama" she said still bowing.
"I don't feel it was right…then again, my mother has always been a headache…" he said in a cold tone and grinned.
"What was her name?" he asked her but with little interest.
"Forgive me. In my haste I missed that detail…" she said bowing even further.
"I suppose you haven't seen her face either…oh, well… You did well, Chiyo" he said turning his head to face her smiling.
Seeing this she kowtowed (bowing with her head almost close to the ground) to him, "It's my honor, Hao-sama…"
"But…" he continued turning his head straight ahead again.
"…I've no more use for a weak shaman" at this flames evaporated the rain around them, turning it to steam and then screams echoed through the forest.
"Those who are too weak, deserve nothing but death…You don't belong in the kingdom I will create…" he said with a small chuckle.
A few days later…In the Asakura compound…
The Asakura ancestral home has been in their family for ages. It has gone through several storms and fires but its pillars still stands. Generations of the Asakura family has lived and died here, including Asakura Hao, the one called the ultimate shaman, who performed the ritual of Taizun Kuzun of the Onmyoudo arts to be able to reincarnate himself. Hao believes that humans defile the world and all non-shamans must be extinguished. Unfortunately his plan has been thwarted by the same people he gave power to, his own clan. And now he stands yet once again, born into the world 500 years after his death at the hands of Asakura Yohken and his former spirit guardian, Matamune.
The Asakura clan was diminishing so as to say. They were running out of clan members and worse is that Hao has reincarnated yet once again. Yet hope still lies with Hao's other half, Asakura Yoh, a six-year old that is oblivious to his destiny.
"What?" Asakura Yohmei, the current head of the Asakura clan bellowed upon hearing the news from his wife Kino.
"Hao is starting to wipe-out all that stands in his way. He will not hesitate to kill all those who oppose him and is starting to eliminate possible threats" Kino ended looking at their front garden.
"Still he needs Yoh…his other half" Asakura Mikihisa the father of the two incarnations of Hao who has took it upon himself to find away to defeat Hao without even having to use his other son said half-heartedly.
"Asano-Ha…so that girl is her reincarnation?" Yohmei asked his wife; actually he wouldn't believe something like that unless it came from her.
"It would seem so…" she sighed and continued "…though she cannot control her 'reishi' (soul sight), her talents are unquestionable…"
"Okaa-sama, you're taking her?" her son asked.
"I will take her to Osorenzan (also called Mount Osore) to learn the ways of the itako" she said excitedly.
A small chuckle escaped from Yohmei's mouth earning the other two's look.
"What's funny?" his wife asked him.
"I just hope you'll limit it all to just the arts…and not your ways…" he said contemplating to add the last part. As he said this Kino thrust her cane into his face.
"This cane can reach into areas much more painful than that…" she said taking off her cane from her husband's face.
He rubbed his nose and thought 'Well, looks like she wants to create another her…this will be scary…'
Apart from the two, Mikihisa was thinking along the lines of 'They still act like children…'
Outside the room, the three were oblivious to the figure peering through a small crack on the wall.
"Eavesdropping on adults is not a good trait, Yoh-sama…" a teenage boy with white unruly spiky hair greeted the six-year old boy rather uninterestingly.
Yoh jumped in surprise that somebody saw him. But that surprise was washed away when saw the person.
"Ano…I haven't seen you here before…Who are you?" he asked the older boy.
The older boy did not answer instead stared into his eyes…Those eyes...Seeing this Yoh felt pretty light and felt like he was floating in the air. A feeling of paradise… he was sucked into those amethyst colored orbs and the world around him started to disappear…
His vision of paradise was stopped when a hand was placed over his eyes. He looked up to see his father right hand extended with his palm over his eyes
"Oyaji…(pops)" he whispered seeing his dad giving the boy a cold glare.
"Kyojiro, what do you want?" Kino asked the boy since the door to the room was already opened by Mikihisa sensing danger.
"Everything is ready for your trip to Osorenzan, Kino-sama…"he said boringly and left without saying a word.
Mikihisa let his hands drop and stared at the retreating figure's back.
"His 'Seikansen' (Spirit Infection) is becoming quite dangerous, Kaa-sama. You think its right to let him stay here?" his question directed at his mother.
"As long as we don't know what he's after, we have no choice but to let him be for the moment…"his father answered him "…he is nothing to be concerned about right now. Hao is our primary dilemma that must be remedied…," cupping his chin "Are you going now?" he asked his wife who stayed quiet the whole time.
"Yes, it would be wise to start her training now" she said as she left the room.
As soon was Kino was out of earshot…
"You must understand. Though Kyojiro is not a shaman, he has already attained the highest level of spirituality…"
"Highest level of spirituality?" Mikihisa was astonished with his father's revelation "That boy?"
"He is a follower of Amatsu-Mikaboshi…" he stated which sent shivers down Mikihisa's spine.
Nine years later…
At the En Inn…
Yoh, Horohoro and Ren were all sitting down in the living room with their guardian spirits outside lounging on the roof; they were waiting for Faust to come out along with Eliza and Manta who Faust took with him to help. They have called him, albeit easily since Anna had let him, along with the revived Eliza, stay with them, to look at Anna after her sudden 'fall-out' which Horohoro dubbed as the 'Fall of the Ice Queen'.
On the roof…
The three spirits were drinking tea, Bason and Amidamaru beside each other with the small Kororo in between them trying her best to sip the tea. How they got the tea and how spirits drink? Nobody knows…
Below them…
They have been waiting for an hour now…ok… five minutes, but to them it felt like an hour. The two 'freeloaders', as Anna called them were fidgeting on their seats waiting. If it wasn't bad enough Yoh kept on teasing them saying that it was their fault. Through all this Yoh was still calm enough to eat ice cream which he bought secretly knowing that Anna would probably kill him if she found out. Good thing she doesn't clean the refrigerator. Yoh thought that this would be the perfect time to eat it…with Anna decommissioned and all…
"How can you eat when your fiancée's dying?" Horohoro shouted slamming a hand on the table loudly.
On the roof…
"Huh? Did you hear something?" Amidamaru asked the other two.
"No, must be the birds" Bason replied and Kororo shook her head.
They resumed in taking a sip of tea…
Below them…
"Hmm? Who's dying?" Yoh asked him smiling which made Horohoro sweatdrop.
"It's hopeless, he's too carefree…" Ren stated still with his eyes closed trying to suppress his fear for Anna.
Five more minutes…
"Danna! (master)" a man with an Elvis-like look skidded to the floor in the hallway and came to a stop in front of them with his spirit guardian Tokagero close in tow.
On the roof…
"Did someone just yell?" Bason asked the other two.
Kororo again shook her head and Amidamaru said "Must be the wind"
Again, they resumed in taking a sip of tea…
Below them…
"Ryu?" Yoh asked surprised at the sudden visit.
"Is it true?" Ryu asked with teary eyes.
"True? What is?" Yoh asked a little confused.
"About Anna-san…" Ryu stated a single tear running down his cheek.
"Oh. Yeah" Yoh stated flatly.
Hearing this Ryu's tears flooded and he jumped in the air.
"This must be a wonderful moment for you, Yoh-danna! Come on! Let us celebrate!" he shouted grabbing Yoh's arm.
"Wait! Ryu!" he shouted at the overly joyed Bokutou master.
On the roof…
"What's all that noise?" Amidamaru asked his companions again.
Again Kororo shook her head and Bason said "Must be the traffic"
Again resuming in taking a sip of tea…
Below them…
"Eh? Aren't you happy, Yoh-danna?" he asked him confused at Yoh's not so joyous face.
"Why would I be when Anna's unconscious?" he reasoned with Ryu who started crying after he said that.
"Then…that means…that means, Yoh-danna and Anna-san has lost their first child!" Ryu shouted river of tears running down his face.
"EH? Ryu, Anna's not pregnant!" Yoh shouted at his hesteric friend.
On the roof…
"Hey, did you say I'm pregnant?" Bason asked his confused friends.
"Must have been the neighbors" Amidamaru pointing out a house a mile away; Kororo once again shook her head.
Taking a sip of tea once again…
Below them…
"She's not?" Ryu instantly stopped crying "But Boroboro—"he was cut-off when a cup flew and hit him on his head.
"That must have hurt…" Tokagero whispered.
"That's Horohoro! HO-RO-HO-RO!" the Ainu shouted.
On the roof…
"Hey! Don't call me a piece of crap!" Amidamaru pointing an accusing finger at Bason who shrugged his shoulders…
"I didn't say it… I swear this tea has alcohol content…" Bason said inspecting his glass "Oh, well"; Kororo said nothing.
They resumed in taking a sip of tea once again and chose not to bother with all the noise…
Below them…
Yoh turned around a dark aura surrounding him "Horohoro…" he said in a very cold tone that made Horo wince.
"Ano…Yoh-kun, it wasn't my idea really! It was Ren's! He told me to do it!" he defended himself by pointing at Ren.
"Hey! Who made the call?" Ren finally opened his eyes feeling the danger. Though he would go up at anytime for a chance to fight Yoh, this wasn't really a good time with Yoh—, "Huh? What the hell are you doing?" he and Horo said in unison to see Yoh has isolated himself in one corner with dark clouds over his head and was running his finger in circles on the floor.
"I didn't know you thought that way…" Yoh said in a very sad tone.
"Ah, Yoh?" Horo trying to get their friend Yoh back from this person in front of them.
"Yoh-danna!" a hesteric Ryu who has regained consciousness shouted.
"Looks like his depressed…" Tokagero whispered yet again.
"You two have gone too far! Tokagero oversoul!" alarmed Horo and Ren went into their fighting poses when…
"Ahem!" Faust who had emerged from the opposite room with Eliza decided to interrupt their 'small' feud "I think that you should refrain from loud noises while the patient is resting"
A few moments later all of them were now sitting down facing Faust and Eliza. Yoh was sitting at Ryu's left who served as a buffer to the other two who went crazy when Yoh sprang up from where he was like nothing happened.
"So, is she ok?" Yoh asked in a rather caring tone, at this the other three noticed that Yoh actually do care for Anna but chooses not to show it.
"She's fine, just needs a little rest. She seems exhausted" Faust said handing Yoh a piece of paper with a list of vitamins and food supplements.
"Exhausted?" Ren asked rather skeptic.
"Yes, she must have overworked herself" he said which earned him some strange looks "What?"
"She never works…" Horo answered.
"Oh? Then it must just be stress" he said in a rather low tone.
"Stress, what caused it?" Ryu asked, but before Faust could make his answer Yoh beat him to it.
"It's because of Horo and Ren, Anna thinks they're both headaches and calls them 'worthless freeloaders'" he said smiling.
"Say that again!" the Chinese's spiked hair pulsated in anger as he rose up from his seat.
"Yeah! We didn't stay here for free! Well, maybe Ren… But I work my butt off!" Horo shouted also standing up.
"Quiet!" Faust shouted to calm the two.
Yoh was chuckling earning him a glare from the two.
In Anna's dreamscape…
Too much blood…She was running through a corridor seeing countless bodies littering the ground… She started to cry but tears won't come out…She saw a huge mirror on the wall, she looked at her eight year old self whole body soaked in blood. She ran until she reached a room with a dim light…She went inside… Her insides churned as he saw himstanding in the middle of a heap of bodies…
He didn't see her, he had his back to her…He was talking to someone…then a huge flame appeared out of nowhere in the darkness…He turned to look at her…Those eyes…my purplish heaven…Then the fire shot towards her…
End dreamscape…
In Anna's room…
"Why do I have to do this?" Manta whined as he swept the floor in Anna's room.
"She couldn't even clean it herself, even if she was conscious…" Manta whined again sighing.
He turned around and saw Anna bolting upright into a sitting position like those zombies on TV when they wake up from their coffins. He gave a yelp and said "Uhh…Anna-san! You're awake!"
In the other room…
They were bored and started talking about random stuff but sometimes most of them would just stare at Ren when he emphasized the importance of milk in their everyday lives and how they should incorporate it in their growth…the others would gawk at him in disbelief but Yoh somehow found it quite interesting…
Their converstion ended when they heard a scream and saw Manta flying through from Anna's room to hit the wall opposite them.
"Looks like she's awake!" Yoh declared, smiling.
Faust seeing Manta still unconscious, kneeled down near him and started to poke him.
"Oh, dear. Eliza, my love, prepare my tools… Manta-kun might have had brain damage" he said motioning Eliza for the kit she was holding.
Hearing this Manta bolted right up trembling.
"There's no need Faust! Really I'm fine!" he tried to give a reassuring smile but failed.
"Now, now, Manta-kun. It wouldn't hurt to take a look…That was a nasty impact" he stated still motioning for Eliza.
"No!" Manta shouted at last.
"Oh, well. Maybe next time Manta-kun" he said as he stood up looking at Yoh.
"Can we go see Anna-san now?" Ryu asked him.
"I'm sorry but I can only allow Yoh… Too many people might give her more stress, especially those who don't know when to keep their mouths shut" hearing this Ren grinned and Horo pouted.
"Then, let's go see her…" Yoh said to him.
A few minutes later after Faust made a check up and advised her to rest she told him that she wants to talk to Yoh alone…
A few minutes passed, no words were shared between them. Anna was lying down on her futon and Yoh was sitting down and leaning on the wall to her left.
At last Anna decided to break the silence…
"Yoh-kun… I—"
"You don't have to explain Anna..." he looked at her and gave her a smile.
"I haven't really told you about myself, have I?" Anna stated looking out the window just above Yoh to his right.
"You don't have to…I already know you Anna" Anna looked at him.
"I don't need to know your past to know you Anna—"he combed his hair with his hand ad looked at her again "—I don't care who you were or who you will be, you will always be the Anna I know, now at this very moment… You'll always be my Anna" he said his voice almost a whisper.
Anna tried to suppress her reddening cheeks but in the end she blushed furiously and looked the other away
"What do you mean 'my' Anna?" she tried to be angry but found that she couldn't…
Yoh didn't answer so she looked at him. Her eyes went wide as Yoh was already so near her. 'Why did he change? Is he confessing?' Anna's mind wanted her to run, but her body won't let her. She heart skipped a beat when she felt Yoh's hand on her cheeks…
"Anna…" he whispered as he placed his forehead on top of hers… "…do you love me?"
Anna was shocked that Yoh asked that question. She didn't know how to answer, her tongue was caught and her mouth dry, she wanted to say yes but her mind is telling her no…her pride overcoming her…she remained quiet.
Yoh took his forehead off hers and a tear was running down his left cheek.
"Gomen…Forget what I said…" rubbing off the tear "If you need anything Anna, anything at all…call me I'll always be here…" he was starting to rise up form his sitting position...
In Anna's sight Yoh turned into another boy from her memory that she loved and left her…forever. She sat up and hugged him from behind.
Yoh was surprised at Anna's sudden action, but was even more surprised when she cried and said…
"Ikanaide kudasai…Koko ni ite kudasai…imadoki…onegai… (Please don't go…Please stay here…today…please…) "Anna said in between sobs.
Yoh turned around and hugged her back…
A few minutes later Anna succumbed to sleep on Yoh's lap.
Yoh was caressing Anna's cheek and was playing with her carefully not wanting to wake her up. He leaned in closer to her ear and whispered…
"Not just today Anna…I promise… I'll stay with you…forever"
On the otherside…
"They've been in there for two hours now…What could they be doing?" Ryu asked to no one intrigued.
"Let them be…They need to be alone…" Faust said to him.
"It's getting dark…Ryu cook for us will you?" Ren commanded Ryu.
"Sure! I'll show you my newest recipe!" he excitedly and left to the kitchen.
"It is really a miracle they're not fighting…" Horo stated while drinking one of Ren's milk that he gave to him "…hey, this is good!"
"I told you so!" Ren smirked.
"They don't really show it…" Manta suddenly said.
The two looked at him with a '?' written on their faces.
"…But Yoh and Anna love each other very much…"
Anna's dreamscape…
The fire that shot towards her but he appeared in front of her blocked it with his bare hands. Then she heard a voice form the fire…
"What's this?" a very cold voice.
"She is not a part of this!" she always noticed how there was now emotion in his voice whenever she was around him; no longer that bored and seemingly uninterested tone.
"Anna-chan, as soon as I go into the shadows leave this place, got that?" he commanded her.
He was about to walk when Anna hugged him from behind and started crying on his back…
"Ikanaide kudasai…Koko ni ite kudasai…imadoki…onegai… (Please don't go…Please stay here…today…please…), "she whipered to him in between sobs.
"Gomenasai…" he turned to face her and placed his forehead on hers…They stayed that way for a minute before he broke off and walked away…She tried to go stop him but she felt weak and slumped to the ground crying…
TBC
Brief Reference Text: (Important! Pls. Read!)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is the god of evil and stars in Japanese mythology. It is believed that is not a physical god but an evil or dark force that existed before the universe with power and control in darkness. It is said that Amatsu-Mikaboshi's control shattered and created the universe and the chaos of life and movement. This gave birth to the gods and humanity with the Amatsu-Mikaboshi still living on in each of us and is the source of human passion. It is an antithesis to the positive forces of life in Shinto, thus its lack of a singular form. It is a force of absolute domination that feeds off of human emotions that, if left unchecked, result in social, emotional, or physical destruction. It's ultimate goal is to dissolve everything back into chaos to restore its control. Some people tend to 'try' and use its power against their opponents.
This will be an important part in my fic to explain Anna and Kyojiro's power and its relation to Hao…Might sound deep but it's easy to understand.
Other terms and meaning…
Taizun Kuzun – For those who don't know, Taizun Kuzun is an old name for the god of the underworld which Hao has made a contract with. One must traverse the underworld and pass the seventy-five lords of hell to reach him. Hao, having done so, is able to reincarnate himself at will. The ritual is the greatest of the Onmyoudou arts and only Hao was able to perform one successfully; a testament to his terrifying power.
Reishi (Soul Sight) – Is the ability of a person to see another person's heart. Anna has this ability when she first met Yoh in the manga. She couldn't control it such that people's negative feelings and ill will forces themselves into her mind; all these emotions with Anna's forming hatred for people manifests itself as an Oni. In the manga, Yoh sacrificed Matamune and used Matamune's necklace (the necklace Yoh always wears) as a medium to defeat a powerful Oni that haunted Anna freeing her from her curse. It is said that it was this act of Yoh which made Anna fall in love with him. I think Anna was 10 and Yoh 11 when they met in Mt. Osore…(I forgot)
Original Abilities…(Fictional)
Seikansen (Spirit Infection) - Kyojiro's ability to put a person in state of heavenly bliss allowing him to 'infect' Amatsu-Mikaboshi's will on the other's soul. The state they go in after is called 'Joutei No Koukotu' (God's Ecstasy).
Author's Note: Kyojiro's power cannot be compared to Hao because he is not a shaman.
Added Note: Asano-Ha is the mother of Asakura Hao; the one who gave birth to him 1000 years ago. Anna is said to be her first reincarnation.
What do you think of this chapter? I kinda hurried this one…