"There is no worse sorrow than remembering happiness in the day of sorrow." - Alfred De Musset

"Tell me more, please show me

Something's familiar about these strangers like me

Every gesture, every move that she makes

Makes me feel like never before

Why do I have

This growing need to be beside her"

- Strangers Like Me-Phi Collins

Chapter 10

"You will do better to make sure this never happens again, do you understand, Yoh?"

"Hai, Jii-Chan."

Yohmei narrowed his eyes at his grandsons attitude. "Yoh, she might have escaped. Do you now what would happen if she did?"

Yoh frowned a bit, thinking that his grandfather was over reacting about the whole thing.

"Um, Jii-Chan?" he said warily. "I don't mean to sound disrespectful, or um, like I'm talking but…"

"But what?"

"Well," Yoh scratched the back of his head. "According to Matamune she's been up since dawn. If she wanted to escape, wouldn't she have already instead of hanging around here?"

Outside of the room, leaning against the wall, Anna felt a bit amused. She could hear how annoyed Yohmei was at Yoh's last comment.

'Wonder why Jii-Chan is so angry. It's not like she's a bad person or anything'

Anna frowned at the comment. Not a bad person? She was an Itako, everyone thought she was bad.

'I was wrong, he is stupid' she thought. 'Still…' she couldn't shake the feeling it gave her to hear him think that.

The door opened to reveal a depressed Yoh.

'Helping Pirika and Ryu in the kitchen…that means I have to get up earlier…' Anna raised an eye brow.

"I think I'd rather eat the Ainu's cooking then yours," she said.

Yoh jumped. Clearly he forgot she was just outside the door.

"Oh, hey," He grinned, his earlier troubles forgotten. "Sorry about that, you didn't have to wait you know?"

She gave him a look that said, 'Are-You-An-Idiot?'. then Yoh remembered. His grandfather told her that if she went anywhere without an Escort again something would happen. He didn't know what but clearly it was enough to make her wait for him, something that more likely then not, annoyed her.

"Heh, Heh…sorry…"

Anna restrained herself from rolling her eyes and turned to leave.

"Hey, where're you going?" Yoh hurried after her.

"You do have a library in this place don't you?" Anna asked him.

"Uh, yup. Follow me, I'll show you," Yoh took a turn to the left towards a pair of staircases.

"Don't order me around," Anna muttered but follow all the same.

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry, it's not much farther."

Tamao looked around nervously. Her and HoroHoro were in the forest, following a river. He said he wanted to show her something important.

They'd already been walking for a while and she was starting to get a little tired.

"HoroHoro-Kun, why-" she stopped mid-sentence as they came to an open area. The water spread out into a shape of a pond. Trees with light green leaves surround the area like a barrier. In the water were what she thought at first were lily-pads but as she looked closer saw that they were butterbur plants.

"It's beautiful here," she said.

"Yeah," HoroHoro agreed. "When me and Pirika came here we asked if we could plant butterbur here. Their special in our village back in Hokkaido because their homes for the Koropokkur."

He walked down a path. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."

Tamao followed him, being careful where she stepped.

HoroHoro crouched in front of some rather large butterbur leaves. "Kororo, you here?"

A small spirit that could fit in the palm of your hand appeared. She had black hair that was held back by a pink head band and wore a white robe with blue trimming that had Ainu markings on it.

"Kororo, this is Tamao. Tamao, this is my Spirit and best friend Kororo."

"She's cute," Tamao said. Kororo made a cooing noise and went to get a closer look at Tamao. She had a curious look on her face before smiling and making a giggling sound.

"Heh, she likes you," HoroHoro grinned.

Tamao had a shocked look on her face before she, too, smiled with a small blush on her cheeks.

"I like her too."

They stood there for awhile before HoroHoro looked at his watch and yelled.

"AH! I'm late for training, let's go Kororo, Tamao."

Anna had to admit, she was impressed by all the books they had here. The room look like it was once five rooms but all the walls were knocked down to make one big one. She walked up to one of the bookshelves to see the titles. Books she never heard of were there. History, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Spiritual, Life…

Yoh noticed the look on her face and couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Anna took a book of the shelf and went to sit at a near by table. Whatever book it was it didn't take long for her to be absorbed in it. She seemed to forget that Yoh was there. Her eyes moved quickly while turning the pages.

Yoh sat down and just watched her. He didn't know she liked books so much. If he did he might have showed her this room yesterday.

"Whatcha reading anyway?" he asked.

Anna's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the interruption but ignored him.

"Come on, tell me," Yoh whined. This is why he avoided this room, he remembered. He always got bored quickly here. "What are you reading?"

"A book."

"I know that-"

"Doesn't seem like it." Yoh pouted at the insult.

"I meant the title, what's the story about so far."

Anna glanced up at him and saw that he was genuinely curious.

"Read it yourself," She sighed.

"Fine," Yoh said, though he wondered when he'd ever get around to it.

Silence fell between them again as Anna read and Yoh listened to music with his orange head phones. After awhile he said, "Hey, how old are you?"

She ignored him.

"When's your birthday?"

Ignored.

Yoh sighed. 'Is she gonna keep ignoring me?' he thought but what he didn't notice was that Anna's eyes stopped moving across the pages.

In her mind she wasn't seeing the words on the pages but was wondering why he kept asking her these questions. She tried to read his mind but all that got her was even more questions he wanted to ask her.

'Why does he…annoy me so much…' she thought.

"Where did you get that bracelet?" Yoh asked suddenly.

Anna's eyes automatically went to the blue beads on her right wrist. Yoh saw a sad look in her eyes as she stared at them.

"It must be important," he commented.

Anna sighed, turning her gaze back to her book. "Not really," she said.

"If it wasn't important you probably would have it, right?" Yoh pointed out to her. She glanced up at him.

"Like your headphones?" She said, trying to change the subject. "You stole them from your dad since he wasn't around a lot when you were little. Pretty childish."

Instead of getting offended, Yoh just smiled. Putting his elbow on the table, he rested his head in his hand starring off into space.

"I guess," he said. "I could give them back but now I like them too much. Anyway you still didn't answer my question."

Anna frowned. The memory replayed in her mind again. "They were a gift from someone…" Again, the look returned to her eyes. "Someone who I thought was important to me."

Everything went silent as Yoh thought about what she said. 'Someone who she thought was important to her…' he repeated in his mind. 'If she still has it she must still care about them. I mean, you don't just forget someone that easily' he glanced at her. 'She seems sad…maybe I shouldn't have asked her about it'

"Your confusing," he said. She glanced up at him. "But I guess I like that about you."

She shut her book and stood. Yoh gave her a confused look.

"Your friends are looking for you…it seems you have a training session with your father," she said quietly. Ten seconds later Matamune appeared.

"Ah, here you are Yoh-San," he said. "Everyone's been looking for you. I never thought I'd find you here of all places."

"Heh, Anna wanted to come so…" Yoh's voice trailed off.

"I see," Matamune looked at the Itako but she was ignoring the two of them, seeming lost in her thoughts. "Your training starts soon so you we better hurry. Anna-San can stay with Tamao."

"Alright," Yoh nodded. "Coming Anna?"

"Don't have much choice, do I?"

"Ne, Matamune? Why are Itako's banned anyway?"

Matamune sighed. He'd been dreading this question. "It's not my place to say. You father will explain to you someday."

Yoh scowled. "That's not a good enough answer." he complained.

"Well it's all I can give you. Look sharp or your father will get you."

"Huh? What do you-AAHH!"

"And his spirit is a Koropokkur. I've never heard of them before, she's really cute Anna-San."

Anna closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands, listening to Tamao tell about her day. They were outside in the shade of a tree while Yoh, HoroHoro, Chocolove, and Ryu trained. Ren, who was sitting not far from them, couldn't join since Bason was still on the errand for Matamune much to his annoyance.

Noticing the blondes reaction, Tamao's voice trialed off.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to bore you Hime-Sama," she said.

Anna opened her eyes and looked at her.

"You like it here, don't you?" she asked her.

Tamao hesitated before nodding. "Y-Yes, I…I feel…safe here, for the first time I…"

Anna nodded, almost to herself. Though she didn't show it, she was glad that the girl finally found somewhere she felt safe. "Your fond of that boy. I can tell."

"A-Anna-San!" Tamao exclaimed, her face going red.

"Will you two keep it down?" Ren said, walking over.

"S-Sorry…"

Anna ignored him and looked to where the other Shaman were practicing their fighting.

"Jun's coming to visit sometime," Ren said, looking down at her. He saw her stiffen. "Just thought you should know."

Anna glared up at him but didn't say anything. She heard Yoh yell and looked back over. He was running away from his dad, yelling for a time out.

"Your confusing…but I guess I like that about you." his words repeated in her head.

"Yoh Asakura…" she whispered. "I wonder if you will live to see tomorrow."

Bason looked around carefully in his Spirit Ball Mode. So far, he hadn't found anything. He looked up in the sky that was starting to turn orange from the setting sun.

'It's time I should head back' he thought. Just as he was about to leave he saw something in the trees.

White.

He went to get a closer look. Two men, both with blonde hair, were talking quietly to each other.

"And your sure you saw her here?" the one with glasses said.

"Yes. It was defiantly here Captain Marco."

The one named Marco nodded. "The we should go back and tell the others. Then we can discuss with our leader on what we should do next."

Bason's eyes widened.

'The X-Laws? What are they doing here? I have to go tell the others!'

I was going to update this tomorrow but the Grey Cup is on and I'll either be to busy celebrating over the next few days when the Rough Riders win…or, god forbid, too depressed if they loose…so here it is. I don't know when I can update next because I have to work some things out for the next chapter and it might take awhile so plz be patient! And plz Review! I didn't get any last chapter!