LAST TASK FOR THE GREAT SPIRIT'S COMING
EDIT: I know I said in the previous chapter I would have revealed in this chapter the BIG secret… but, as the story went on, I decided to just give you a very BIG hint. Hope you like it anyway.
And, dear "shounen.shoujo" and "gae-ta", both of you got closer to the truth about both Manta and Anna… in any sense (wicked grin)… except for Manta/Opacho pairing. Nothing personal, but he is 15, she about 8, so …
CHAPTER 2
In the Bridge of Death from "Monty Python and The Holy Grail
Bridgekeeper: What... is your name?
Sir AverageMankinFan1234: My name is Sir AverageMankinFan1234 of !
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Sir AverageMankinFan1234: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is the owner of Shaman King?
Sir AverageMankinFan1234: Xantospoc
Sir AverageMankinFan1234 is all of sudden cast in the gorge by an invisible force.
Even the "Old Man of The Scene 24" and the Bridge of Death know I don't own Shaman King, but Hiroyuki Takei (or Chuck Norris, it depends on how much the previous disclaimer was real!). Anything in this story won't be canon. Some canon character may be harmed or forced for this fic.
The night has fallen on the island. Goldva, from inside the Patch Palace, was looking the design of the submarine oversoul, along with Radim and Nichrom. All their minds anyway were distracted by something else.
"Did we do the right thing by letting Hao deal with Anna?", all of sudden Radim blurted out.
"What do you mean, Radim? – Nichrom sarcastically replied – Of course! Hao is going to find a way to make Anna do that, if he hasn't already done it! He is wiser and stronger, not to say more experienced, than all of us put together!"
"I have no doubt about this too… that's not the matter. If Anna succeed, Yoh will be at peace… I don't know how much he loves Anna, but love is love… and she has to outright betray him!"
"And then? - Goldva's voice slowly said – I know Yoh is a pretty nice guy, and most of us has a purely friendly relationship… but we don't have to get too much involved! Siva did this, and was about to stole our Spirit. You know the rest. We are referee of the Shaman Fight, and we must be neutral! Okay, his fiancée is going to betray her, and he'll be devastated! That's it! He may still be able to get his head into the Shaman Fight, or he will inevitably lose! We must follow nature, and it's useless to complain. The sooner this story end, the sooner it will get resolved. Any complain…?"
Radim was going to answer, but he knew that Nichrom was Hao's follower and Goldva was too obsessed with his rule of being Neutral, so it was useless. He bowed his head down and apologized
"No, Goldva… I'm sorry, I had no intention to get my emotion involved with business…!"
The other two Patch smiled.
"That's much better!".
Then Hao all of sudden appeared from the door. His face had a giant imprint of a slap, and he was still rubbing it. Despite it, he didn't seem to be in pain at all.
"Yoh – the onmyodo said – I must tell you: you have VERY good taste for girls… After all, you are me, so you have my taste… Whatever! Bye, everybody".
Then, glancing another time at Manta, he fled away.
The night had fallen in the island. Yoh had just seen his twin brother going away after a mysterious conversation with Anna, his fiancée. He and his friends soon got out, with Manta being the last, as he was even more worried about the onmyodo's sudden interest in him.
Anna was waiting for them outside. For a moment, she looked very different from the Anna they knew, respected and feared. She almost looked … weak-willed, pessimistic, frail. But as she tuned to them, in her eyes was returning the inner fire of the itako's will.
"Finally – she said – I thought you were never going to get out of there anymore!"
Chocolove smiled as an answer.
"We would haven't turned back anymore if we trained a little more. Understood? Anymore, a little more!", Chocolove said
"Yeah – Anna answered – it means you aren't standing well this training. Tomorrow you will train at least thrice as hard, and for much more time! If something wrong will happen… I'll call for the Gahandara"
All the boy's jaws dropped, but soon after Horohoro and Ren started attacked the joke-cracking wannabe. Then, Manta, nervous, quickly and neurotically asked: "What did Hao tell you?"
Anna answered by giving Manta a death glare before spitting out the words: "… nothing… important!". Manta freaked out as he went behind Yoh.
"He just tried to flirt with me once more and I answered as he deserved, that's it!", the itako continued.
Yoh didn't have reishi, but something very alike: empathy, the same thing he befriended may people with.
"Are you sure, Anna?", he said calmly, but with an hint of worrisome.
Anna's heart softened as her fiancée talked, but she couldn't tell him the truth … it was a new feeling to her: fear of truth. It was often overcome by rage or sheer willpower, but that time that truth could have shattered her love ... she couldn't allow it to happen: anything would have to happen unbeknownst to Yoh.
"Yes, Yoh – she firmly replied – No problem at all!"
Everybody went home and had dinner. Then, all of they fell asleep. All but two…
Anna was still looking at that photo… she couldn't react… she had tried to tear it to pieces, but there was something in her mind who kept stopping her at the last second.
Somehow, that photo had a spiritual bond to the itako's soul… she could clearly understand what she was doing and how she felt at doing it… It was a strange feeling: on one side, she was pretty much enjoying what she was doing. On the other hand, there was a lot of guiltiness.
She couldn't help but stare at her… Could that be her destiny? Was she going to betray Yoh… THAT way?
It could have been another Hao's trick. By making Anna betray Yoh, he could have been weakened in the will and would have joined Hao… but c'mon! That was Yoh! Yoh the unmovable. The one who, despite so many people threatening to kill him, never flinched an eye, and sometime was even able to understand them. More than once, Anna was forced to is pushing him into being the Shaman King so that he could lead an easy life, as well as to fulfill his promise to her. She too wanted an easy life, after all. Anna had suffered too much during her childhood (she'd even had an army of Oni to show it), and not to suffer anymore was her intention.
Also, if the picture was really 'taken' by the Spirit King, she would favor Yoh and their friends, there was no doubt. Luckily, she had a swift plan to end this story as soon as she could, and had already started it.
Unfortunately, she didn't manage to fall asleep, so she decided to have a walk to relax herself.
Manta wasn't having a good night too. Hao really scared him that time… he had never shown so much interest in him to look at him not once, but TWICE. The blonde had always wondered how come the misanthropic onmyodo had let him live, but he'd rather not have an answer. Maybe Hao had been just waiting for the right time… and it had just come. Manta knew he could trust Yoh… at least how much he should fear Hao. He, out of fear, hadn't eaten nothing for dinner…
Grumble!
… and eventually the hunger pangs were growing more and more bothersome so much it force him out of the bed and to go in the kitchen to eat something… After all, how many were the odds to be discovered by Anna at that hour?
As Anna was walking in the alley, she heard a rumor in the kitchen. She knew what was happening! She, like a Fury, headed toward the room and opened the door with strength, yet with silence.
Manta freaked out as, when he had just opened the fridge door, he felt a nearly demoniac presence beside him, whose sight was piercing his soul.
"What are you doing, Manta?", the itako asked with slight snarl.
The blonde slowly turned to her with his eyes filled with fear… He hesitated, and gulped many time, but he finally answered with a lot of shyness: "I… was hungry… and…"
"That's because you didn't eat at dinner", she coldly stated.
"Yeah - Manta said with a blush, avoiding looking at Anna's eyes by bowing his head down and rubbing his foot against the floor – but I was so nervous…".
"You know, Hao got a strange interest in me – the short boy continued, at any words freaking out more and more - He looked at me not once, but twice, and he even smirked at me!" The short boy wasn't noticing Anna was looking questioningly at him.
"Well – the girl said – now you have opened the fridge, now finish your job! I will give you company".
While sitting down, with Manta having a snack, Anna continued: "But didn't Yoh tell you to relax? Hao won't have the balls to attack you as long as his brother is around!".
Manta blushed as he nodded to this: Anna had much more guts than he would have ever had. She was so strong, and she's come such a long way from being just a sadistic shaman who would torture her fiancée and everyone around her just for fun.
He quickly finished the snack and helloed the itako by bowing his head, to which Anna answered with a smirk…
"Oh, and I'll make you pay that snack!", she said to Manta, who, hearing this, blocked himself in shock
Returning in his room, Manta shook his head. What was he trying to do?
As the blonde went back to his room, Anna stretched her arm above her head… Now she felt relaxed enough to know how to go forward her plan…
The next day, Anna was talking in the breakfast table with the Five Elemental Warrior, Anathol and the other.
"Okay – the itako said holding a list - let's just make a list of the thing we have to do! The boy have to train for all the day, the girl will look after them, as Tamao could foresee who will get injured and Jun could heal them, Anathol will be my shadow and he will tell me anything, and I will look after Manta while he clean all the house so well my image could be reflected by the floor. Agreed?".
Of course, everyone nodded. Manta slowly turned at the mop: it was so tall compared to him… With a sigh, he started cleaning.
While the others were going away, Anna asked Yoh to remain there for a while.
"What's the problem, Anna?", he cheerfully questioned the itako.
"You know, Yoh. I didn't like the dreamy way you looked at Lady Sati yesterday", she said.
Yoh turned pale as he understood Anna's statement: "What do you mean, Anna? I was so tired, my dreamy expression was because I was so tired, not because…".
"Yoh, I give you a week to find a way to make me forgive you… In the meanwhile, don't dare try to justify you or to make eye contact with me, or else", Anna said materializing her shikigami, who was rubbing his fist.
Gulping, Yoh nodded and, with all the speed he had, reached the others.
Manta chuckled seeing the scene, but as Anna was turning to him, he fastened his arms and the mop, sweating a lot.
While sitting down, the itako looked at the blonde the same way a general looks a private.
"So, Manta – she asked while looking at the window – how are you now?"
Then, did you like it? Understood Anna's dark secret future?… Hope you enjoy the next chapter! In the meanwhile, make (constructive) critiques, review and give me suggestion
