Night: -is curled up on her bed and lightly snoozing-
Yumi: -waves at the readers- Hey everyone, long time no see~
Yoh: Yeah, Night's been kinda busy…
Night: -groggily looks up- yeah…and not to mention that this chapter did not want to be written for the longest time…it's been in my head…but it wouldn't get onto the screen…-mutters darkly about writer's block-
Yoh: Anyway, Night doesn't own Shaman King.
Yumi: Though she does own me and Ryoushiame so don't steal us!
All: Enjoy!
We left town the next morning, with the ice shaman waving us off and Anna leading the way. I was growing stronger now so I wasn't relying on Ryoushiame, my staff, or Yoh anymore which was a great relief to my pride. Apparently the boys had gotten clues from some Five Great Chiefs, I guess that I missed them in my 1,000 years of being dead. 'Red River Canyon, Black Dust, and Blue Cave,' I don't really know what that means, but if the boys believe in it then I don't really have any room to complain since I don't have any idea how to get to Dobi Village. We've been traveling for a few days now and we realized that if we don't get to Dobi Village by sundown tomorrow, we'll be kicked out of the tournament for good. Boy I hope that we're going the right way!
"Man Yumi, don't you know the way to Dobi Village! I mean, you are 1,000 years old so don't you know anything?" Trey was frustrated as the group sat around their campfire. "He does have a point, don't you remember anything Yumi?" Len questioned accusingly, glaring at the eldest female. Mayumi sighed as she rubbed her temples, as much as she wanted to help them out, the woman couldn't tell them how to get to the village if she wanted to. "When I asked the King of Spirits to get a second chance at life so that I could help to stop Zeke he had conditions. I don't have the strength or powers that I had in my previous life, I don't remember everything that I did in my previous life, and the only way that I am able to regain these is if I train hard and if something triggers a memory. The only thing that the King of Spirits gave me was Ryoushiame and he was sworn to secrecy with the King of Spirits not allowing him to say or do anything that might allow me to regain my strength, powers, or memories. So as much as I would like to show everyone the way to Dobi Village, I can't." Yumi had her eyes closed as she spoke, fingers rubbing her temples as she spoke.
"Oh, well, I guess that would have been too easy. Besides, if sis knew anything then she just would have taken us to Dobi Village to begin with!" Yoh laughed as the group continued to speak around the campfire. 'How annoying, I know that there is something that is right on the tip of my mind that I'm trying to remember and it has to do with that song! There's something important about that song that I just don't understand! This is so frustrating!' the woman growled quietly to herself as she tried to make herself remember just what was so important about that freaking song. "It will come in time My Lady, please don't stress yourself about this." Ryoushiame spoke quietly as he appeared in his spirit ball form over his mistress's right shoulder. "I know 'Ame, it's just so frustrating to know that I don't remember everything that I've done in the past. I know that the King of Spirits had good reasons, I would have done the same thing if I was in his position, but I just can't help it." Yumi sighed as she laid back in the sand, intent on getting some sleep.
As the woman tried to go to sleep, the boys stayed up longer and tried to figure out if they were going the right way or not, referring to the black desert multiple times. 'Wasn't it the black dust?' Yumi was about to open her mouth to say something when Morty did it for her. What surprised the woman more was that all of the boys started laughing. "Wh…what are they laughing about?" Yumi deadpanned as she sat up and watched the laughing boys. The same boys shut up when Anna stomped over to their little campfire.
"This better not mean what I think it means." the dark tone that belonged to Anna sent chills up the boys' spines. "So we're lost?" the young girl spoke in a tone full of venom that sparked an argument among the group of boys.
"Not all hope is lost, don't you feel that?" Ryoushiame appeared next to his mistress as he spoke, silencing the boys. "The black dust, it will come later in the night." Bason sounded like he was in a trance. "Yes, and the blue cave is very close by." Amidamaru was the next to speak. "How do you know that?" Trey was the first to question, though Mayumi merely shook her head. "They hear the King of Spirits calling to them." the woman commented from her seat inside of her sleeping bag.
Now with everyone's attention on her, Yumi merely placed a soft expression on her face and looked to where the guardians were looking. "How long have you felt it sis?" Yoh asked, confused. "I just felt it when they mentioned it, like a sort of mental wall broke after years of waiting. I can hear the King of Spirits once more, we're very close to Dobi Village but we need to get our rest before moving on. I'll see you all in the morning." Yumi was about to lay back down when her little brother suddenly leapt into his sleeping bag next to her with a pleading look on his face. "Would you please sing for us Yumi? It's so much easier to sleep after you sing." the boy grinned as he spoke, making his sister smile as well. "Alright, but everyone needs to be in their sleeping bags before I start." Yumi spoke as the rest of the group hurried to get into their bags.
Taking a deep breath, Yumi began to sing a song that none in the group had heard her sing before. But it was very familiar to the woman.
It's like a storm
That cuts a path
It breaks your will
It feels like that
You think your lost
But you're not lost
On your own
You're not alone
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do
And you can't cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fights
I will hold you tight
And I won't let go
It hurts my heart
To see you cry
I know it's dark
In this part of life
Oh it finds us all
We're too small
To stop the rain
Oh but when it rains
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do
And you can't cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fights
I will hold you tight
And I won't you fall
Don't be afraid to fall
I'm right here to catch you
I won't let you down
It won't get you down
You're gonna make it
Yeah I know you can make it
Because I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do
And you can't cope
And I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fights
I will hold you tight
And I won't let go
Oh I'm gonna hold you
And I won't let go
Won't let you go
No I won't
By the time that she was half-way through the song, Yumi knew that the group was sound asleep, so she let her pent-up tears flow. She could clearly remember her first mother singing this exact song to put her and Asaha to sleep so many years ago. 'Then it was me who used this song to lull my brother to sleep after mother died. I can't believe that I forgot this song too.' Yumi used the back of her hand to dry her silent tears before laying back in her sleeping bag and falling into a dreamless sleep.
~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~
Mayumi woke well before the rest of the group the next morning and got up from her sleeping bag to stretch her limbs. After a moment of stretching, Yumi noticed the ruins that had appeared overnight, feeling the King of Spirits calling her to that place. 'It must be Dobi Village, but where is the Blue Cave?' the woman pondered as she wandered closer to the ruins, leaving her guardian, knapsack, and weapon behind. When she approached the old buildings, the female shaman closed her eyes, a familiar sense of comfort emitting from this place.'It's like I've finally come home after a long journey.' Yumi thought to herself as she softly touched one of the buildings with the palm of her right hand.
Memories flashed through Mayumi's head, and she found herself unable to move as she was forced to remember events that she realized she had never wanted to witness again. After it was over the woman sank to her knees, her right arm now fully supporting her as she leaned against the building. She had just witnessed Asaha try to create his Shaman Only world one thousand years ago, then the Asakura Family killing him in front of her, and finally being killed herself with the same spear that had killed her younger brother. There was one part of the memory that had surprised her, though. She had fought for her brother's life, and she had felt like she wanted him to succeed. 'Did…did I want a Shaman Only World too? How…how is that even possible! I don't want to kill humans…but did I back then?' the woman broke down and cried to herself in the early morning hours, horrified that this could very well be the truth.
After about five minutes, Ryoushiame found his mistress and sat on her shoulder until she stopped her crying. "What is it Yumi? Why were you crying?" the gryphon questioned softly, almost not wanting to ask the question. "'Ame, did I want a Shaman Only World one thousand years ago? Was I in agreement with Asaha? With Zeke?" Yumi's voice was quite, so much so that Ryoushiame had to strain to hear his mistress's voice. "Absolutely not! You didn't want your little brother to die, you wanted to try and talk him out of it. You wanted to die with Asaha and join him in the next life so you asked the Asakura Family to kill you with the same weapon that they used against your brother." the male gryphon eased Mayumi's fears as he calmly spoke to her, making her visibly relax. "Now come, the others are starting to wake up and it would be best if you were there when they did." Ryoushiame nudged the woman into a standing position as he spoke. "Thanks Ryoushiame, I don't know what I'd do without you." Yumi smiled as she made sure there was no evidence that she had been crying before walking out of the ruins.
Not a second after she and her guardian returned to camp did the rest of the group begin to wake up, the boys coming to their senses second only to Anna. "Morning sleepyheads. Rise and shine!" Yumi snickered as the guys rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. "Morning Yumi...what's up?" Yoh opened his eyes and gazed at his sister. "I don't think we have to worry about the Black Dust anymore." the woman's words took an immediate effect, waking the rest of the group up instantly. "Before you ask, take a look over there." Yumi turned her back to the group and pointed to the ruins, a gasp emitting from the guys as they saw them.
"I did not notice this last night in the dark." Rio was the first to react, for the first time in a while his voice was calm and quiet. "What is this dude?" Trey spoke next in his usual manner. "It's a ruin." Joco's serious voice made Yumi's eyebrow raise. "I can see that it's a ruin but what is it doing HERE!" Trey's reactions to the other boy's comments were always amusing. "How should I know? Whatever ruins do, it's, it's ruining!" Joco made an attempt to make a joke but it merely backfired in his face. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" the ice shaman proceeded to hit the "comedian's" face with a closed fist. The rest of the group ignored the jokesters and walked inside of the ruins without further comments.
As they walked through the worn down buildings, Yumi got the same feeling that she had before, and this time she refrained from touching anything but the ground. While she wanted to regain her memories, the woman did not what to take the chance of recalling the same memory she had not long before. It took the group about ten minutes to get to the bottom of the stairs where they found a flat area with water near the back. "That's interesting." Yumi murmured to herself as she walked up to the water and knelt by the edge. "What is it sis?" Yoh walked up next to his sister and peered into the water as well. "I can't see the bottom and yet the water is crystal clear, something tells me that this is more than it appears to be." the woman responded, the guardian spirits all appearing at her words. "I would offer to go and check it out, but water isn't exactly my preferred environment." Ryoushiame spoke, seeming to glare at the water.
It ended up being Amidamaru, Bason, and Tokagero who went to check out the small lake. Though the gryphon wanted to accompany them, him being underwater wasn't exactly something that would be a good thing. It took the three guardian ghosts about fifteen minutes to get back to the surface. When the samurai informed the group of how deep the water was and that he believed Anna, Morty, Tamara, and Yumi couldn't make the swim, the eldest woman all but smacked him. "I can make it just fine Amidamaru. Just because Ryoushiame can't swim doesn't mean that I can't either." Yumi glared at the ghost, causing him to hide behind Yoh. No one had the courage to question the woman further as the group of shaman entered the water.
~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~
Yumi gasped as she broke the surface of the water, pulling Rio and Lenny up for air by the backs of their shirts. That was the longest time that she had ever been under the water without being able to come up for air. And she wasn't about to go do it again.
After the group was able to fully recover from their length of time under the water they began walking down the tunnel before them.
~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~SK~
'This just keeps getting better and better.' Yumi thought bitterly to herself as the group stopped walking. "Somebody explain something to me! If we've been going the right way, then why is this a dead end!" Trey screamed angrily as he pointed at the rock wall in front of them. "Maybe it's an illusion. Trey, why don't you run at it at full force and see if you pass through?" Lenny commented dryly, though Yumi could tell that he was getting annoyed as well. "Maybe we missed a side tunnel?" the woman automatically threw out Faust's suggestion, there were no side tunnels. "Lets go back." Trey sounded disappointed as the group turned around.
Only to be faced with another dead end.
"Somebody took the tunnel away!" Rio's words were so stupid, if Yumi hadn't been shell-shocked she would have smacked him. In that instant, Amidamaru and Ryoushiame appeared by their shamans. "It's here." the spirits spoke at the same time, making everyone raise their eyebrows. "What's here?" Yoh questioned just before a voice rang through the small space.
Yumi was unable to comprehend what the voice, or the King of Spirits, was saying, for suddenly the group was surrounded by a blinding white light.
In the next instant all of them were standing on the edge of a grassy cliff overlooking a vast forest, and a large white pillar of moving light.
Then the light blinded them.
'Just great.' was the only thing on Yumi's mind as she shielded her eyes from the bright light emitting from the King of Spirits.
Night: There you have it~ And now for another bonus part of the crack side story, this one was so much fun to type~
"This place is huge!" a certain blue haired shaman was staring in awe at the buildings of Tokyo, having never seen anything like them in his lifetime. "Kori, this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime! I can't wait to sell these trinkets and win the Shaman Tournament at the same time so that I can turn the world into a giant swamp filled with lily pads!" Trey Racer proclaimed to his spirit guardian, who merely sweat-dropped as she followed him towards the city.
Five minutes later, the boy was walking through the city acting like a kid in a candy store. Taking in everything at once, the blue haired shaman noticed other spirits, shaman, men, women, and children of all ages. Once he stopped in front of a window, Trey saw multiple TV screens with his face on them. Amazed at the fact that there were 'people' who looked just like him in this city, Trey failed to realize that it was merely a video feed. "What do you know Kori! There are people just like me even here!" Trey exclaimed before seeing something out of the corner of his eye.
Turning to see what it was that caught his eye, the blue haired boy stopped in his tracks, for there stood the girl of his dreams. Short, dirty blonde hair, piercing eyes, and a short black dress, complete with a red bandana and sandals, the girl whose name was unknown to Trey but known to others as Anna was beyond captivating for the Aniu.
So much so, that the poor boy burst out into song.
[[Trey]]
Whatever you do
I'll do it too
Show me everything and tell me how
'You know' means something
And yet nothing to me
Oh I can see there's so much to learn
It's all so close
And yet so far
I see myself as people see me
Oh I just know there's something bigger out there
I wanna know
Can you show me
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more
Please show me
Something familiar about these strangers like me
As he continues to sing, Trey follows Anna like a stalker. People are beginning to stare but neither of them seem to notice.
Every gesture
Every move that she makes
Makes me feel like never before
Why do I have
This growing needs to be beside her
Oh these emotions I never knew
Of some other world beyond this place
Above the tree and all the clouds
Oh I see before me a new horizon
I wanna know
Can you show me
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more
Please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me
Finally gathering his nerve, Trey begins to approach the still unsuspecting Anna.
Come lean out and see my world
Where there's beauty beyond your dreams
Can you feel the things I feel
Right now
With you
Take my hand
There's a world I need to know, oh, oh woah
Trey takes Anna's hand as he continues to sing, startling her.
I wanna know
Can you show me
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more
Please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me
I wanna know.
As he finishes singing, Trey is kneeling in front of Anna, who looks to be very annoyed and pissed off.
"And just what the heck do you think you're trying to pull you lousy stalker!" Anna screeched as she tossed Trey into a poll.
"I am an engaged woman, and the next time you even think about touching me I will do much worse than tossing you into a pole!" the girl gave a small 'humph' before continuing on her way, leaving Trey laying by the pole, unconscious.
The boy later woke up three hours later in the hospital with a concussion, and he never remembered why.
Night: -is laughing her butt off-
Trey: What the hell man! Why would I do something like that! More importantly if I did why would Anna hit me! -goes off into his corner to cry-
Night: -doesn't bother to console the ice shaman and continues to laugh-
Zeke: Make sure to review and let Night know what you think~
Yumi: The Songs in this chapter are:
Won't Let Go - Rascal Flatts
Strangers Like Me - Tarzan