Disclaimer: If Shaman King were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics.

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Note: I think you know the rap by now. This is the last chapter…you've waited for it, and now it's here! Enjoy!

Chapter 14 – Renewal and a New Beginning

"How are you feeling, Kimi?"

Kimi Usui opened her eyes slowly, and as her vision became clearer, she saw Keiko Asakura standing next to her. Jumping with a start, she started rapidly blinking and words started spilling out of her mouth. "Oh, dear, Ms. Keiko! Horokeu…Pirka…how are they? Where are they? Oh, please, it was nothing…nothing happened between me and Mickey! Oh! I mean Mikihisa! I mean…Mr. Asakura!"

"Calm down, Kimi!" Keiko laughed. "First of all, your children are fine. They're worried sick outside. In fact, all the children are worried sick outside. They only let me in first. Second of all, Mickey explained everything to me…" Keiko chuckled a little. "Well…I admit I was wrong. I was stupid and I overreacted. I'm sorry, Kimi. It was my fault all this happened."

"Don't apologize!" Kimi cried. "It was my fault! I should never have kept anything from you! I'm a rotten friend and I deserved this! I deserved this!"

"No, please, Kimi, it was not your fault. You were only trying to help me and Mickey…"

"It was my fault and I deserved it," Kimi said strictly. "If not for being a bad friend, then for drinking and breaking my sobriety. For that, I take the blame."

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have fired you. Then you wouldn't have drank."

"It was my fault that I was keeping secrets from you. I should have been less…suspicious…no, that's not what I meant!"

"Stop!" Keiko threw her hands in the air and Kimi skidded to a stop. Keiko looked so serious for a moment that Kimi was momentarily mute, before her friend suddenly started laughing. "We both have something to blame for this accident, are you happy? Just consider it done." Keiko smiled and Kimi stared at her before breaking out in laughter. "You're right, Ms. Keiko!"

"Call me Keiko. And Mickey doesn't mind if you use his nickname…me either."

Kimi smiled a bright radiant ray of light.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Could be better," Kimi said, looking down at her IVs. "I look horrible. Horo's going to kill me for being so irresponsible and un-parentlike. Oh no…"

"You're worrying about what your boy's going to do to you?" Keiko laughed. "Talk about a child / parent switch!"

Kimi laughed too. "Yeah well, now thanks to me, we only have one source of steady income…"

"Oh, I was meaning to talk to you about that…let's pretend this didn't happen, shall we?" Keiko put her finger over her mouth, in the 'sh' position. "I didn't…ah…get the paperwork done, so even now, you're still a member of the firm. Let's keep it between us, alright?"

Kimi's eyes widened. "So I'm still employed?"

"Yes."

"And we're still friends?"

"Yes."

Kimi couldn't help but tear up. "Ms…I mean, Keiko…thank you so much!"

Hao leaned against the entryway into the hospital, next to his father. He was watching his utouto, who was in the gift shop with his current (but not yet public) person of interest. Already, Lyserg and Yoh were deciding which flowers to pick out for Kimi. They were going to visit her after Horo and Pirka went to check on their mother. They looked so cute together, Hao decided. It was worth it trying his best to set them up.

"Your brother looks like he's in a good mood," Mikihisa commented.

"He is," Hao said shortly, shrugging.

"I thought you were interested in that Lisa person."

"Lyserg. And I was," Hao said, shrugging again. "But it's worth it just to see him smile, right?"

"Who?"

"Both. Either. Whatever." Hao smiled.

Mikihisa shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if you were really the product of my raising. Sometimes you're like an angel."

"Yeah. Besides, if you and Keiko are getting back together, me and Yoh could share him."

"I take back everything good I said about you."

Hao laughed.

"I like daisies. I think they say 'Get well soon'."

"Roses look cooler."

"Roses symbolize love, Yoh. Get your flowers right." Lyserg rolled his eyes.

"Sorry I don't roll around in flowers every day," Yoh mocked.

"Yeah, I buy a plot of land and plant flowers all over it," Lyserg said, picking out some daisies. "Then when they bloom, I roll around in them all night and that's why I smell so good."

"Can I join you tonight?" Yoh asked slyly.

Lyserg turned around, an amused look on his face. "Yoh, you have such a dirty mind."

"Clean it up for me," Yoh said, leaning down for another kiss. Before he could get what he wanted through, Lyserg held up a daisy, causing Yoh to kiss the flower.

"Hey!" Yoh protested, wiping pollen off his mouth. Lyserg laughed.

"You want too much too soon!" Lyserg said, waving the flower in the air. "I'll let you have me if you wait."

"You make me want to jump you when you say things like that."

Lyserg chuckled. "Exactly."

Horo sat on the roof of the hospital, with Ren next to him. Oddly, they had managed to sneak out without anyone noticing. Horo had reprimanded his mother in front of Pirka, who was just hugging her mother with tears of joy. Kimi had apologized over and over until her son had relented. Laughing, his mother looked at him with warm eyes.

"Oh, Horokeu, I'm so very sorry."

"Don't ever ever drink again, you hear me?!"

"Okay. Okay! I mean it!" Kimi giggled as Pirka sobbed in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry to the both of you. It was all my fault. I stop. I promise."

"Okay," Horo said, backing off slowly.

"Also…please don't blame Keiko. It wasn't her fault. And even if it was," she said, seeing Horo's mouth open again, "let's not talk about it. It's been done…nothing you can say can undo it. It's for the better." Kimi gave him a wide smile before tending to her daughter.

"Nice day," Ren said offhandedly.

"Uh huh." Horo closed his eyes and let the wind take over. It was okay now. Everything was good. His mother was okay. Their family was back on its feet and they were already taking rapid steps toward the future. Yoh had forgiven him.

"Um…Yoh?" Horo paused as he saw Yoh and Lyserg in the waiting room, sitting rather close to each other and talking to each other in quiet tones. Yoh had looked up and walked over to him. "What's wrong, Horo? Your mom's okay, right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She'll make a complete recovery."

"Oh, thank goodness." Yoh let out a sigh of relief. "So what's wrong?"

"Um…about what I said…I didn't mean to call Lyserg a slut…I'm sorry."

Yoh looked at him. "I know you didn't. It's okay. I forgive you. Nothing happened, alright? Everything's fine now, and let's keep it that way."

Horo smiled to himself. Yoh and Lyserg made a completely cute couple. He had been wondering since Yoh had been wasted and blurted out how he felt when the two would actually get together. So two parts of his life was totally peachy great.

Mmm…peaches.

That aside, Keiko had come up to him to apologize, but he had just shook her off. It wasn't her fault. If her mother said it wasn't, then it wasn't.

Besides, she was just fighting for love, wasn't she? And that was about what all of them were fighting for. No one had been severely hurt and it had been a major wakeup call. No harm done.

Feeling oddly free, Horo stretched and flopped back onto his back, staring up at the darkening sky. The clouds floating above them flickered gently in the dying light.

"Ren, I've been a jerk," he murmured.

"Damn right," Ren said. Horo laughed.

"I can't wait until this all blows over. God, it's already lagging way too long." Horo closed his eyes, listening to the call of birds faintly. "Ren, today's been long."

"Hmm." Ren leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. "Tell me about it."

Horo sighed. "Everyone's together, have you noticed?"

"Yeah."

"Makes me feel lonely."

"What do you think that makes me feel, idiot? Joyously carefree?" Ren asked sarcastically.

"Do you still like Yoh?"

"I haven't begun to consider you yet, if that's what you were wondering."

"Will you?"

Ren was silent. "Maybe."

Horo opened his eyes again. Today had been a terrible day, but he had gotten through it in one piece. And today, he'd do the same. They all would. They would stumble a few times, but they'd all get up again and try and try again.

And maybe, one of those tomorrows, he'd wake up and face the day with Ren by his side. Maybe, just maybe.

Horo smiled lazily, already waiting for the sun to rise again.

The end…and the beginning of another part…

End note: Cheers to the reprints of Shaman King! Soon we will have our ending we're waiting for! If you haven't read that far, please try to. Thank you all for reading this far. Your reviews have encouraged me along the way. Hopefully, the sequel will be out soon, but the fast updates might now be as fast next time because I've only had ideas up to chapter four. Again, thank you for reading and please support me by reading my other fanfics and reviewing them so I can get better!

End note 2 TheFlyingGazeebo: I apologize again. I know you hate kimi. But I apologize deeply. And I apologize ahead of time because she actually has a part in the sequel although it's not big. But keep reading. And I apologize again.

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