Disclaimer: Don't own SK.
Chapter 7: I'll never leave your side
"Aren't you guys being unfair?" Oni wickedly pouted at them. "Three to one isn't a fair fight." Even though his face may not show it, he is trembling with fear and he knows it will be his end if he didn't get away fast. 'If only that stupid girl didn't used all of her energy, I could still summon another big attack like I used to do.' thought Oni. Acantha and Phyrrus stood in front of Oni looking deadly and dangerous. Behind them the young masked man held Ai in his arms in a protective way.
"Bring Ai back to our realm." Acantha ordered the young man behind her while keeping her eyes locked on Oni.
"But…" the young man started to protest because he wanted to make Oni suffer like hell but Phyrrus interrupted him.
"Ai could die if you keep on arguing with us." Phyrrus said with anger in his voice.
"I thought you guys are immortal?" the young man asked in a confused tone.
"Hah! That is what everyone knows but they could disappear if their powers are drained." Oni said with a smirk. Acantha and Phyrrus both brought out their katanas and held it tightly until their knuckles turned white. "As you can see little fire, our dear Spirit of Love is going to disappear like smoke any minute, now that her power is drained." Oni said to the young man who held Ai. Even though you can't see his face it is obvious to his actions that he got terrified for the lady he held in his arms.
"We'll take care of this, little brother." Acantha said to the young man behind her.
"Just what she said little brother. We're not going to let this being go without having fun with us." Phyrrus said with a cold smirk on his face. Without wasting anytime the young man stood up with Ai in his arms and left.
"Now let the fun begin." Acantha said coolly. (AN. Arrgh…another fight scene! If Lou, my daily tormentor, would laugh his head off and I wouldn't hear the end of it. Sheesh.)
Both Acantha and Phyrrus disappeared into thin air. Oni stood alone in the dark clearing like a seating duck. He thought this is a perfect time for him to escape so he ran to the thick foliage hoping he would loose both avenging spirits. He kept on glancing here and there hoping to neither see nor sense the twin's aura but after using his attack, he is vulnerable to their attack. Oni silently cursed his accomplice for not helping him escape. He was looking at his back when Phyrrus appeared in front of him ready to slash him into half but he barely manage to escape. Suddenly, above him Acantha appeared ready to strike him into half. He nearly dodges her but Acantha twirled and slashed his abdomen. Oni formed a dark energy and threw it at her but Acantha is fast hitting only a strand of her hair. Phyrrus appeared behind Oni and was about to slash him when Oni deflected his attack but Acantha shot him in his back with her power. Oni turned around to strike Acantha down forgetting Phyrrus is behind him, when Phyrrus shot him with his power at Oni's back. Oni went down and Phyrrus was about to strike him down when Oni began to disappear like dust. Soon only an empty space is what the twins could see.
(AN: Hah! Lou did you see that, I told you I could make a decent fight scene. EAT THAT!)
"What happened?" Acantha asked Phyrrus who is still looking at the place where Oni once fell down.
"I don't know…but it seems to me the bastard got away." Phyrrus said with anger in his voice. Acantha stood beside him glaring at the empty soil in front of her.
"Next time he comes back…we'll definitely finish him off." Acantha said with certainty in her voice.
"Acantha? Phyrrus?" Acantha and Phyrrus both turned around to the source of voice. There stood Saga with Lyserg and Marco at both her sides with mouth's hanging agape.
"Miss Setsuna how did you know that they are the Great Spirits?" Lyserg asked with awe in his voice. Acantha, Phyrrus, and Saga both kept their expression with coolness and indifference.
"I'm a miko remember." Saga said simply. Lyserg smiled sheepishly at what she said. Marco went down on his knee and bowed his head. Saga's eyebrow twitched at what Marco did. This is one of the reasons on why she hates showing herself to humans.
"We didn't tell you to bow down." Acantha said coolly with a blush staining her pale cheeks. "I really don't like getting treated like a goddess." Acantha said.
"But Acantha you look like one." Phyrrus said coolly with a smirk. Acantha glared at her twin brother but he just ignored it. He faced Saga with seriousness in his face. "The evil spirit got away so your mission in here is through." He said steely. Saga looked closely at him hoping to find more answer but Phyrrus expression remained stoic.
"If this Oni is the evil that we are talking about, then it means the mission is not yet over, it just postponed." Lyserg said.
"Yes." Acantha said. "But net time we will be ready, all of us."
For some reason, Lyserg and Marco felt uneasy at the situation. They both felt that this battle is much dangerous and intense than the last battle with Hao.
"Ha! I would not eat my snacks if I lose!" Horohoro said to Ren.
"I would not drink milk if I lose." Ren said challengingly. Both Ren and Horohoro are glaring at each other while Chocolove is just standing beside them thinking.
"I will…ummm…bet my…no that's not good." Chocolove said while scratching his hair. Ren and Horohoro went off without him. Just then Christmas lights appeared on Chocolove's hair. "I got it…if I win you'll have to listen to my jokes for about a week and if I lose I won't tell a joke for a week!" Chocolove said happily. Ren and Horohoro paled at what he said, but knowing they could beat him they agreed. Then they faced the incoming horde of evil spirits with smirks on their faces.
Hours later… Horohoro and Ren both are wearing the winning smirk while Chocolove's face is forlorn.
"Why such a long face Chocolove?" Horohoro said with a smile.
"Yeah…" Ren said tauntingly. "So how many did you kill?"
"88 and a half." Chocolove said somberly as he trudge slowly with his head bowed down. Ren and Horohoro both looked at his with mouths hanging agape.
"Could…you repeat that again?" Horohoro said while stuttering.
"88 and a half. The last one looks like the guy from Austin powers…you know Mini Me? Crazy little monster." Chocolove said with a frown on his face. "He even bit my…hey what's wrong with you guys?"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" A loud wail could be heard after that.
"Whoa, who is that?" Manta said with wide eyes as he stared at the unconscious lady in Yoh's arms. Yoh gave Manta a weary smile before he turned to Faust.
"Could you take a look at her?" Yoh said pleadingly. Faust looked at her then his eyes widen at the state she is in.
"We need to find a place to put her in quick!" Faust said with alarm in his voice.
"Why… what's wrong with Anna?" Yoh said with alarm too.
"I need a place to setup my equipment and treat her."
"Well, my family owns a house not too far from here…but it is located outside the town's outskirt…" Manta said.
"Is that the big white house I saw awhile ago?" said Yoh.
"If it is the one beside the hot spring lodge…then that's it." Manta said. Yoh and Faust wasted no time and left in a hurry because Anna's life is in line. They didn't notice that they left Amidamaru and Manta behind.
"I have a bad feeling about that girl, Manta-dono." Amidamaru said with a troubled expression.
"Why do you say that?"
"I sense evil in her." Manta looked at Amidamaru with fearful expression.
"As long as Yoh trust her…everything will be okay." Manta isn't sure whether to believe the words he just said because there is a foreboding feeling that floats in his heart. "Well, I better tell everyone else we're staying at my place." Then he pulled out his cell phone (AN: Whoa HIGH TECH!) and started punching out some numbers.
Waiting used to be never a problem for him. In fact, waiting used to be a prefect excuse for him to lie around and listen to his music or just sleep under the shade. However, this is a different scenario and lying around and just sleep is not the best option for Yoh Asakura. He can't stay calm for just a second knowing that the girl inside the locked room in front of him could be in danger.
'Why couldn't life be simple?' he asked himself in a frustrated tone. He snapped out of his reverie when a hand touched his shoulder. He looked back and saw Lyserg with the whole gang with a worried look in his face except for Saga whose face is pale and melancholy.
"Are you okay?" Lyserg asked. Yoh smiled at them trying to assure everyone he's fine.
"I told you guys she's real." Yoh said to everyone as he turned his loving gaze back to the closed door. If he looked back he would see the questioning looks his friends have, the pain in Tamao's eyes, and doubt in Manta, Jeanne, and the rest of the spirits. Just then a tired Faust came out with Eliza beside him. Yoh looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"She used a lot of her energy that is why she fainted. Actually this stuff only happens when you summon a powerful spirit without proper training." Yoh's eyes grew thoughtful at that.
"Without grandma to train her, this would definitely happen." Murmured Yoh.
"The good news is I manage to save her by using the same method I did with Ren during the battle with Hao?" Faust said with an eerie smile. Ren blushed at what Faust said.
"Do' ahou!" Ren said angrily.
"Can I come in?" Yoh said nervously. Faust nodded once he saw the look Yoh gave him. It was the look he once has when Miss Setsuna said she could bring his wife back. Yoh went inside leaving everyone with questions in their mind.
"I'm going out." Saga said. "I may not be back for a while." Saga left with Ryu on her heels. Suddenly a loud thud could be heard outside and all went out to see the cause of it. They only saw a fuming Saga and a bruised Ryu on the ground. Everyone laughed at the sight temporarily forgetting the young shaman king with the mysterious lady he calls Anna.
Yoh couldn't take another step the moment he stepped inside and saw her. Deep inside he is still debating whether or not this is just a dream of his or is it a reality. Cautiously, he approached her sleeping form until he is beside her. He looked at her face trying to memorize each contours so that if this were just a dream at least he would have a memory of her. Her face is much different from the Anna he used to know. Her golden hair sprawled in her pillow creating a halo effect. Her cherry mouth is set in a grim line and her eyebrow is set into a frown. He was about to tuck away some stray strands of her hair when he felt her warm breath on his hand.
'This is not a dream…you're really here.' Yoh thought happily as he pulled some strands away in her face, and then he touched her cheek gently. Her face changed the moment his hand connected to her cheek. Her mouth formed a small smile and her face seemed relaxed. Anna unconsciously drew near to his warm hand with a small smile on her face.
"You know this reminds me of something you used to do back then." He said lovingly at her. "Everyday you would go to my room when you thought I am already asleep. You would always sit beside me and just look at me. Sometimes you would pull away some strands of hair away from my face just like what I did. I didn't want to tell you I'm awake because…I don't want you to stop visiting my room and maybe you would give me a painful slap." Yoh tenderly touched his cheek with his free hand as though it still sting from her slap. "Do know what? When I woke up in this bizarre world and learned you're not real…I…I don't know what to do anymore. I even developed insomnia because I kept on waiting for you to come." He stared at her peaceful face before going on. "I don't want to live a life without you."
Anna is lying in a curled position inside a dark and cold face. Her eyes we're blank and cold, like the room where she is in. She is wearing a white-strapped dress, which is no good because of the cold atmosphere.
"Why can't I stand up? Where am I? Am I dead?" she asked in a stoic voice. Suddenly voices filled the room where she is in.
"You're a disgrace to our clan!"
"Why don't you die you ungrateful child?"
"She's a demon."
"An itako…a cursed child."
Voices from her past kept on taunting her. Soon voices from the present mixed in with them. She clutched her hands in her ears hoping to block their hurtful voices in her head.
"Stop it! I don't care at what you think of me. Stop it!" Their voices seemed to go louder and louder as each passing moment. Suddenly, the voices seemed to stop as if someone has pulled off the switch.
"What happened?" she asked as she slowly pulled her hands off her ears. The moment she pulled her hands off the scenery changed around her. She now stood beside a big tree on a cliff. The temperature changed from cold to warm and soothing feeling. Her grim lips curled into a small smile and her face soon relaxed.
"What is this I'm feeling?" When she felt her lips curled upward she got confused more. "Am I smiling?" Suddenly a warm voice spoke.
"Do know what? When I woke up in this bizarre world and learned you're not real…I…I don't know what to do anymore. I even developed insomnia because I kept on waiting for you to come."
She looked for the source of the voice but she could not find him.
"I don't want to live a life without you."
Anna's eyes widen at what the voice had said. The more she stood there the more confused she get.
'Surely, this voice must be talking to someone else.' She said to herself as the gentle wind blew on her golden tresses.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Sorry it got so long because I have classes. Hey if anybody has some ideas or questions about this story you are free to ask me. Hehehe.
SazzY-gOyLe – ummm….U?
Merissala – if you can't understand this chapter…Kino did not meet her to train her powers. Anna used all her powers for summoning those demons and sharing some of power on that Oni.
Anime-obsession260 – Oh no don't die yet the story isn't finish yet.
XaArzie – you think so?
Crazygirl18 – Yay Anna Is Here!
Sailor Otaku – Wow I should do that more often! Setsuna…you've got it right. I kind of thinking of a name that suits her in Japanese version and I remember Sailor Pluto. If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask me.
