B e y ond The M y t h
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Author's Note: From "The End", by The Doors:
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes again
Disclaimer: Don't own Shaman King. Hiroyuki Takei does, though, you can ask him bout whatever :D.
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"What the—"
With a flash of bright light, seven women had appeared, graceful Greek tunics draped around their slender forms. Necklaces fit elegantly into their collarbones, and their wrists were adorned with many gold bangles and bracelets. Coloured belts and sashes were placed around their hips, flowers and ribbons braided into their hair. But although they were beautiful, they were fierce. Their eyes shone with tales of many fights, hardships, and much pain.
The youngest stepped forward, holding in her hand what looked like a large, golden pitchfork.
"Akantha?" asked Manta, dumbfounded. Akantha turned to him and smiled.
"Hey there, Manta" she frowned. "Oh Manta. You're bleeding!"
"Akantha…" this one was a quieter, more maternal voice.
"Melia…" said Akantha, turning around and smiling gently at the nymph.
"Poseidon's trident!" snarled Demitri. "That's supposed to be mine!"
One of the sisters turned on him.
"Jealous, are you?" she said with hard eyes. "It's not supposed to be yours, not at all. All you wanted were Dryope's powers. I don't think Poseidon will be very pleased when he finds out that his very own trident was going to be the next object of your pursuit".
"You must have forgotten, you stupid boy," she continued, smiling mischievously now. "That two of us were pursued by Poseidon, and we bore him sons as well. He would never harm any one of us"
"Alcyone and Calaeno" he groaned. "I forgot"
"We know you did" said Akantha sharply. "You chose the wrong god to beg for favor from, Galanis"
She pulled the arm holding the trident back expertly, and held the other in front of her, legs wide apart and crouching.
"What are you—" he began, but was cut off by her hurling the trident at him. It twirled through the air and caught him by his shirt, pinning him to the wall. He roared in anguish and fury, and tried to fire a blow at one of the sisters. It hit the tallest square in the chest, knocking her to the ground.
The eldest, in turn, shrieked and drew a bow and arrow as she stood. The bow was made of light, springy material, but very, very strong. It was long, slender and beautiful. A silver arrowhead glinted in the dim light as she strung the bow and aimed it at Demitri's heart.
"You can't defeat me with a bow and arrow" sneered Demitri.
"It's not just any bow and arrow, young and foolish one" she replied, pulling her hand back. "It was fashioned from a mixture of wood from several trees by each tree's respective Dryad. Only one goddess could earn such a favor."
Demitri's pace paled.
"Artemis" he whispered in horror.
"Exactly"
She let go.
It was as if everything froze to watch the arrow sail across the room. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. It sliced smoothly through the air and buried itself neatly in Demitri's chest. Demitri let out one last scream of anguish before he was engulfed by flames and sucked into the ground.
Akantha stepped forward and picked up the fallen trident. "Have a fun time in the underworld, you bastard" she muttered harshly.
Silence flooded the room.
"Akantha!" Manta rushed over the debris towards her. "Akantha, are you okay?"
Lyserg stirred in the corner.
"Wha—what happened?" he asked drowsily.
And the room exploded.
Horo hurried towards Lyserg, and Melia tore across the room to embrace Akantha, Yoh sauntered over to the Pleiades to talk to them, accompanied by a furiously flushing Amidamaru, while Anna calmly made her way over to the kitchenette and began making tea.
"Akantha…" said Melia, tears gushing from her emerald eyes. "I'm so glad—for centuries—you—your sisters—" and she burst into fresh peels of sobs.
Akantha, in turn, hugged Melia tightly. "Melia…" she whispered. "I remember everything…"
Melia merely continued sobbing. Akantha placed her hands on the nymphs shoulder and shook her gently.
"Melia" she said firmly. "Melia"
Melia looked up.
"I want you to go back to your ash tree"
"But…" piped Manta. "That means…you don't need your spirit anymore…but that means…"
He looked at the motionless body on the cot. It looked paler, less alive.
"I'm not going back, Manta" said Akantha quietly.
"What?"
The three turned around to find Ren standing behind them, arms folded against his chest.
Akantha's face split into a smile. "I remember you" she said. "Ren, right?"
Ren ignored her. "Are you going to die?" he asked abruptly.
Akantha's smile faded. She looked at her sisters, and then up, as if she could see the night sky through the ceiling. She smiled faintly.
"I suppose I was never really alive to begin with, Ren. What is being alive if you can't ever die?"
She felt a hand clap her on the shoulder. She turned around to see Yoh, grinning at her.
"We'll definitely miss you" he said.
Horohoro walked over, with Lyserg leaning against him, limping slightly. His knee was twisted at an awkward angle, and he was bleeding profusely from a wound on his head.
"That fairy sure can bite" he said, smiling weakly.
"What's going on?" asked Horo.
"Akantha's not coming back" said Anna simply, handing around cups of tea to those who were able to drink it.
"Dryope…" came a soft voice from behind them all. The Pleiades were waiting.
Akantha looked longingly back at everyone. Her eyes filled with tears, but she was smiling.
"Well" she said. "Goodbye then"
Manta bit his lip and looked away, Horo looked at the floor. Ren scowled and muttered something about fresh air, while Anna continued sipping her tea.
Lyserg stuck out his hand. "It was nice to meet you" Lyserg said, sticking out an arm.
She took it firmly in hers. "Good luck on all your endeavors, Sir" she said, smiling slightly, causing him to beam proudly.
She let go of his hand, and joined it with one of her sisters. The seven stood in a circle. There was a blinding white flash, and as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone. They turned around to see that Melia had gone as well, back to her tree, to her sisters, to her hidden forest somewhere in the heart of the earth; but no one could know for sure.
Manta slipped outside, onto the balcony. He leaned against the banister—or, at least, tried to—and looked up. And for one, fleeting, shadow of a moment, the cluster of six stars up overhead became seven.
But only for a moment.
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THE END
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Author's Note: So that's it. That's the end of Beyond the Myth. The end of all those hours – yes, literally hours – of research, of scanning Greek god family trees, of writers block. I have to say, I never expected myself to be so emotionally attached to this story. After all, it is my first multi-chapter fanfic.
I want to thank all the amazing authors and authoresses on fanfiction, for knowingly and unknowingly inspiring me. I want to thank all my readers, especially those who have stuck by this story to the end.
I also wanna give a big shout out to Louise, because she's an absolute idiot, and that's why I love her. But most of all, thanks Pearla and Sorrel for always being there for me.
Before I forget, I'd like some constructive criticism please. If I get enough of the right kind of feedback I might consider writing a sequel. No, I will not revive any characters and such, but I will use a different myth. I have many good ideas, and I'm not just referring to Greek mythology here, I'm talking about Chinese, Norse, Egyptian, anything. And I'll make sure that relating whichever myth I chose to the SK gang won't be as random as it was it was in this story.
Thanks everyone. Here are a few wise words from the ancient Greek poet, Hesoid, from his Works and Days.
"And if longing seizes you for sailing the stormy seas,
when the Pleiades flee mighty Orion
and plunge into the misty deep
and all the gusty winds are raging,
then do not keep your ship on the wine-dark sea
but, as I bid you, remember to work the land."
Rock on, Hesoid.
xxx
Terria A. Levend
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