Sudden Friendship

Aiko

I listened to the drone of the airport as I stepped out. That had been the first time I'd ever flown on a plane, and frankly, I thought it was very interesting.

Well, so much for the easy part. Now I have to find Dobi Village in under a month. Maybe I should try to find someone else searching for the same place?...

I wandered around town, listening to the conversation. No mention of Dobi Village whatsoever. "Well," I finally said, "I suppose even if this is all just a wid-goose-chase, I can still be a tourist."

Then I heard something that didn't fit with typical-city-street patterns: a battle cry. Curiosity won over prudence, and I went to see what it was.

Yoh

Lyserg didn't get the message that I wasn't going to help him with revenge.

"What are you going to do about him?" Ryo asked Yoh.

"Ignore him."

Lyserg didn't allow that. So, I was forced to actually fight him, and I ended up knocking him down, shattering his weapon.

"You weren't fighting me," I told him, "you were fighting the memory of what happened to your family, and that's a fight you'll never win!"

Lyserg was still on a one-track spiel, until I hit him and explained what was going on. I wrapped up with "Just ask Len."

I let that sink in for a minute. Then I asked, "Now, are you coming with us, or are you just gonna sit there feeling sorry for yourself?"

He didn't say anything, but he laughed a little and chased after us.

Lyserg

"Sounds like I missed quite the show!" a voice came from off to my right. Yoh and I all turned to see.

There was a girl standing there looking at us. Kind of pretty, I suppose, with her almost-violet hair falling over her face and a bag over her shoulder. Okay, she was very pretty, almost beautiful. She also had an oracle bell!

Yoh actually called her on the bell. "You're in the Shaman Fight?"

"Yeah, though I'm not sure how I'll be able to find Dobi Village in time. I'm kind of searching blind, after all."

I heard a female voice let out something like a snort. "Searching blind, indeed!" A Chinese geisha appeared next to her – her guardian ghost – and gave her a gentle shove. "That's the worst pun you've made yet, Miss Aiko!"

She grinned and shoved back. "Aw, go chase a cat or something."

I noticed Len's face, though. He seemed like he was trying to remember something.

"How was that a pun?" Tray asked. "I didn't notice anything funny."

"I'm sorry," the ghost apologized, "It wasn't what was said, it was who said it."

"Drop it, Maia."

She waited with me in the lobby while everyone else went to get their injuries tended. It wasn't too long before they came back, with Tray needling Len about one of the nurses.

I almost left while just leaving a check for them to fill out, but Yoh stopped me and asked me to tell my story.

I got to the part where Zeke had killed my parents and then just left when Aiko made an observation. "It's interesting how your parents' killer stuck around long enough for you to see him. What point was he trying to make to you, I wonder?"

"Hey!" Tray yelled at her, "Who invited you along?"

She shrugged. "I invited myself along. I'm paying for my own food, so why are you worried?"

Ryo cut off any more argument. "Aw, let the lady stay! She did say she was paying for herself, after all, and she isn't doing any harm."

I finished my story. Yoh said I wasn't alone anymore, but then Len dragged Yoh outside to talk to him. Aiko cocked her head.

"Len sounds familiar for some reason."

"He's not exactly unobtrusive, with that hair of his," Ryo commented.

Tray started going on about what he was going to do to Zeke when he saw him, while I started thinking about Yoh. Why did he look like Zeke when we were fighting?

Amidamaru

Master Yoh was sure that even Zeke had his reasons for his deeds.

"And what about this girl who seems to have adopted you? What do you think her reasons are?"

"Hm…I can sense a great deal of power from her…but she seems to be lost most of the time. Did you notice how much she relies on her friend Maia, just to get around?"

"Yes. It makes me wonder."

"Plus, there's the way Len acts around her. Like she reminds him of someone, but he can't place who."

Aiko

It was pretty fun when we went to rescue Lyserg from the group of punks.

I remember a few of something coming my way, but with Maia in my fan, parrying was no problem.

"Is it just me," Ryo asked, "or was Len the first one on the scene?"

"Yep, just like I knew he would be," Yoh answered. "Len's not cold-blooded, he just likes everyone to think he is!"

"Yes I am, I'm very cold-blooded. My blood cells are ice cubes!"

"Suuure they are!" Tray answered with – I could imagine – a big grin.

I'm pretty sure Lyserg was the one to finish off the biggest spirit. He also pointed the way to someplace that could be Dobi Village. So we set off.

"I have to ask," Len asked me, not too kindly, "why are you still hanging around?"

"Two reasons. One, you people seem to have an idea on where you're going, and two, I can't read maps."

"Try can't read at all, Miss Aiko."

"I can read, Maia! Engravings are no problem for me!"

"I'm not sure I understand," a different ghost commented.

I sighed. "I wasn't going to tell you guys, because I didn't want to be considered helpless."

I could feel the look I was getting from somebody. Because it was just a thoughtful look, I figured it was Yoh. Then he stopped in front of me, getting me to stop, and asked, "What color's my hair?"

Bang. The one question I can't answer. "How should I know?"

Tray yelled, "His hair's brown, can't you see that?!"

I grinned at him. "Not really, no."

That brought dead silence. Even the ghosts were quiet. Then…

"You're blind?!?" Tray and Ryo yelled at the same time.

"Hence the reason I didn't want to tell you guys."

Lyserg said, almost sounding sad, "Then you must be a weaker shaman than I am! I mean, how can you fight if you can't see?"

I sighed, my sightless eyes towards the sky searching for patience. "I'm not going to try to explain this to you. You figure it out. In the meantime, Len," I turned to him and heard him almost-jump, "just get used to my being here, for you're not going to lose me until Dobi Village."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't have to. I can feel your burning resentment at being overruled from here."

Len/Aiko

She/He reminds me of someone…

But who?

A/N: This is definitely a spoof from episodes 27 and 28. I DON'T OWN THE SHOW!!! Plus, you all probably already know why Aiko and Len each think the other's familiar - the last time they saw each other, relatively speaking where Aiko's concerned, they were very different, so they don't recognize each other. Don't worry, they'll get it! Eventually... :)