STORY TITLE: SWITCH

Chapter 10: Give Up

"ANNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Yoh!" The faint scream woke her. The feelings of yearning stirred her consciousness – it seems like he's not afar, so she hoped.

"Hao? Are you there?" she suddenly asked amidst the darkness, still unsure whether those words were either whispered in her mind or uttered by her lips. Although death is inevitable... for her – It's just unbelievable.

"Hao, answer me or else I'll kill you!" she boldly demanded hoping to assure herself that she still existed, although not physically but at least the mental image of Anna Kyoyama would still remain.

"Pfft! Hahahahahaha!" Finally, a lively response. "I don't think you can kill me as a soul, Anna. Sorry. I just never thought you'd be this funny."

"I'm dead serious, Hao Asakura."

"Heh? You never fail to amuse me, Anna. As expected of the future Shaman Queen."

"Oh. So you're finally giving up your throne now? Cowering in fear against my Yoh, aren't you?"

"Hmmm… How to say it? Umm… Actually, Yoh and I agreed on a deal and…"

"That's good. I didn't know you're such a nice aniki, Hao. Giving up your throne is definitely hard but I believe Yoh actually deserves that crown, so you need not worry."

"Is that so, Anna? You wanna live again as a Shaman Queen, huh?"

"Of course. Who doesn't wanna live as a Shaman Queen?"

"You said it."

"Huh?"

"I'm retrieving your life and make you the Shaman Queen, Anna."

And instantly, light overwhelmed the darkness and coated her entirety. Moments after, she found herself in a greener pasture – a paradise, so to speak. Her gaze shifted towards her fingers, her palms, her arms, her foot, her body – I can see them now. However, she noticed her usual jet-black dress, now replaced with a light-pink kimono embroidered with sakura flowers on the edges, and her blonde hair neatly tied in an elegant bun. Still in doubt, she slapped her face with her legendary left and winced, "That pain is real."

"Anna…"

That voice – she thought yearning. After being submerged into the pits darkness, the warmth of that voice revealed her desire to live once more. She glanced to her back, seeing the face she had always longed for… those chocolate eyes staring at her with utmost tranquillity… those brown strands of hair flowing smoothly with the calm breeze… that innocent face marked with adorable stupidity… those passionate lips speaking with the purest intent… and that brawny chest she wished to cling on forever. The warm atmosphere filled her dreamland with burning passion. It has been a long time. Occupying her trails of thought were consecutive utterance of a single name – Yoh – but it stopped as soon as the guy aggressively pushed her down on the ground, viciously smiling, eyes glowering, flustered and breathing deeply.

Her heart ached – You're not Yoh. How cunning is fate to make them twins. She tends to question herself even before. She had always feared the fact that she might succumb to yearning and end up being blinded by that single face, and even think of them as one. The darkness must have blinded me. No! Please, give me wisdom and strength.

He smiled feebly, "You held your guards down, Anna. I already had enough every time your mind is filled with the thoughts of Yoh. You should know that you aren't destined for him. In fact, all of these troubles are just evidences that fate is against you. You can't be together, Anna. Believe me."

She was speechless of his frankness. Although it may be true since her dream as a Shaman Queen was hindered by Yoh's defeat against his brother. Then here comes the switch thus disabling her to speak normally with the real Yoh – she will obviously choose neither with that dowser's face on nor with the brunette possessed with the Chinese brute. Another is her death – planned by her own fiancé, even though he was just an accomplice of the real poison-maker. And most especially, the fear she inflicted to her supposed-to-be future groom, which made her relationship with him too cold and aloof. Are we even lovers to start with? Maybe he actually hated me right from the beginning. I'm just using my strength to restrain him, didn't I? I can't live without him, I think he knows that. Or does he not? Maybe I'm not worthy to be her wife. Am I not good enough? – Her insecurities amplified.

Hao chuckled quite pleased with the thoughts he read, "You can feel much worth in your life with me, Anna. I won't let you feel the coldness and aloofness of life. I will make you feel livelier and overly satisfied. The moment you'd be my queen, everything you wished and demanded for… I will give all to you. You will no longer have rooms for doubt. Just be MY queen. Be the Shaman King, Hao Asakura's Queen." He waited for her positive response in full confidence, so he hoped.

"Yada," she promptly blurted.

"W-what?"

"I said 'Yada!' No way!" she finally emphasized her rejection while pushing Hao away. She then stood up, patting off the dirt from her back. "I won't be deceived by a moron like you, Hao. Besides, I dislike aggressive types of people. I don't care if you persuade me many times but... I still prefer your idiot brother. So back off." Her mind was stern. She can't be misled any further. She believes in Yoh. Whatever deal he may had agreed with Hao must be some misunderstanding, so she wished.

He defended, "But he doesn't even value you with great importance! I even asked him what's his most precious thing, and he replied 'Oranges' and not you, for heaven's sake, Anna!"

She smirked. "Bakabakashii! What a shame… for the title of a Shaman King. Yoh was right. Indeed, oranges are his most precious THING. Because I'm not a THING, Hao. I'm his most precious PERSON, FYI. He may be stupid but his intent is always pure, unlike you who desire to snatch an engaged fiancee from his own blood-brother. Shame of you."

.

.

.

He was dumbstruck for a minute. Then, he chuckled. Later, he laughed deafeningly as if gagging his lungs out. "As expected of the Ice Queen! Hahahahaha! You really never fail to amuse me!" Tears surfaced from his eyes perhaps after excessively laughing. He wiped them off. "Sorry. I was just playing around. I have been bored dozing off so I tried snooping around with your lives. Just for entertainment. Hehe."

Her nerve snapped, "You dare make fun of me!" thus, sending Hao's poor soul soaring out from his gut, which she comically pulled back and pushed deeply through his throat while Hao struggled holding his neck, gasping for air.

He raised his arms in surrender while Anna halted her deadly tactics against him. Silence swarmed for some time, then Hao broke it up with the words: "I HAD a dream, Anna."

She looked at Hao, who was then staring blankly to space, dreamingly. Anna noticed a passage of light from the distance, thinking it was the way out. She motioned to leave. Hao nodded with a smile while extending his right arm, pointing to that bright passage.

She walked towards it but paused bidding her farewell, her back facing the brunette, "Thank you, Hao. I'll pray for your dream to come true." Then she crossed the path of light and vanished from Hao's sight.

"I HAD a dream…" he whispered lowly to himself, "…to be with you… But it was JUST a dream… Your prayers can't make it true…" and the previous tears he ought to stop flowed in streams, "I'm giving you up. But, thank you."

tsuzuku

A/N: Maybe I'll try making another HaoXAnna pairing next time. Well, not happening in this fanfic yet. Leave comments please! I'll greatly appreciate it! Onegaishimasu! Arigato! ^_^