I do NOT own S.K. and its characters.

Warning: This somewhat follows the current S.K. sequel timeline. Please be aware that this contains references that may serve as spoilers to those who have not read it yet. Alright? Here we go.

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Chapter 1 - Paternal Advice

"What in the actual fu-!?"

This was not how the 14-year-old Asakura Hana planned to start his late morning as he made a not-so-discreet declaration of his waking presence to every inhabitant of his home.

Going back to a few moments earlier…

He gradually opened his eyes as the sound of birds chirping by his balcony reached his ears. An annoying ray of sunlight directly struck his face as if all of universe conspired to abruptly rouse him from his slumber. The perfect mix of warm and cool breeze made its way into his now illuminated room, brushing against the fine hairs on his skin.

The blonde groaned and tried to stir himself in bed by turning his head sideways only to be met by sharp pain in every corner of his physical being. He was disoriented and he figured that his health is currently not in the most optimal condition as an intense headache seeped in. He also noticed a few minor cuts and scratches around his limbs as he struggled to lift them.

After a few attempts of rolling out of his futon like a manic upside-down turtle, he managed to wriggle himself up but not after stopping with each movement to stabilise his gait. His eyes were displayed in slits as an attempt to filter the overwhelming light that only precipitated his headache. Hana then scrambled to find his way out of his room, stumbling around a few steps at the staircase then towards the kitchen; his throat desperate for some water.

That's when he landed upon a sight that will probably haunt him all his waking life.

That's when he blurted out his lovely morning cluster of curses.

He wasn't in the best mood, not that he usually ever is anyway, but witnessing his father and mother getting all lovey-dovey in front of him only made it worse.

Only one day has gone past. ONE DAY since his folks came back to their home after so many years, from God knows where, doing God knows what, and now they're shamelessly all over each other in the kitchen like a pair of wild bunnies.

The ruckus has caused all other parties namely: Tamao and Ryu, to rush towards the area of incident but not before Yoh and Anna have tried to redeem their composure—the male brunette turning around to face the cupboards looking at the ceiling while whistling with his hands on his hips, and the female blonde suddenly grabbing and sipping from her cup of tea to cover her stoic but blush-ridden face.

Hana's eyes did not dare to blink. His mouth left agape for so long, he was almost sure he swallowed a mosquito that was fluttering nearby. The breakfast was already prepared in the adjoining dining table and after his shock-fuelled scream filled the entire house, his aching body landed on a dining floor cushion next to his feet.

"Hana boy! What happened!?" Ryu broke the silence while barging in from the back kitchen door.

"What's going on!?" followed by Tamao, who ran in from the living room.

Thankfully, the other youngsters, who are members of the so-called 'Team Hao', were still dozing off in the make-shift rooms at the living area accompanied by their guardian ghosts. They, too, had some sort of physical injuries and so it was sort of a blessing being unaware of all the ruckus that was stirring up in the kitchen-dining area. Alumi was nowhere to be found.

The young blonde shifted his gaze disbelievingly and couldn't help but notice that Ryu and Tamao had some bruises and bandaged cuts on their exposed limbs.

What the heck happened yesterday?

More silence has passed when none of the room occupants was willing to utter a single word until Yoh decided to break the ice.

"Uhm- sorry, Hana. Your mother and I were probably just too used to being alone together all this time that we got, well, too carried away. We- we didn't mean to offend you," he spoke with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of his head. Anna rolled her eyes.

"Wasn't asking for a goddamn stupid explanation!" Hana immediately countered. Seeing his father's nonchalant demeanour fuelled his irritation.

"Asakura Hana, will you stop sweari—"

"Language, please."

Tamao exclaimed but caught herself in mid-sentence realising she spoke at the same time as Anna. The pink-haired woman quickly shot a repentant look towards their okami, and the blonde woman simply glanced back with a brief nod then closed her eyes as she raised her left thumb and forefinger to massage the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, this is pathetic! I don't think I'd be needing two moms to tell me, NO, order me, with whatever the hell I should or should not be saying," Hana lashed out, now shifting his piercing gaze towards his real mother; his sour mood overwhelmed his inhibitions to maintain respect. "So, why don't you just return to wherever you were all this time and go back to prioritising other people except for your own son?" he added, but almost immediately regretting it upon seeing her placid face.

This verbal attack earned a scandalized gasp from Tamao, while it was Ryu's turn to hang his mouth open, deciding it was probably wise to keep his silence at this point.

Anna's eyes remained closed upon hearing her son's insolent tirade, but she definitely felt his heated stare towards her. His actions were annoying, but she also couldn't help but marvel at how Hana has clearly inherited her acid tongue. Her passive face made it hard for anyone to read what she was thinking at the time.

Someone is sooo going to get his ass kicked.

The young mother produced a cunning smile then suddenly shot her eyes open, giving her son an equally, if not more, deadly stare.

Amber clashing with amber.

Hana felt his confidence drop to zero as he unconsciously gulped. He watched his mother's mouth opened in slow motion, about to say something when…

"Alright, get up," Yoh mumbled. Anna's eyes whipped towards her husband who was standing next to her. She noticed his dangerously low tone coupled by a grim facial expression as his hair shadowed his eyes.

"Yoh," she whispered almost only audible to his ears and he took a swift side glance towards his wife, indicating that he had every intention of taking care of the situation. The awkward atmosphere made the air so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Huh?" Hana uttered confusedly as his attention got unexpectedly divided.

"I said…" the young father carried on while slowly straightening his posture fastening both hands in his pockets, "get up." In a swift motion, Yoh was suddenly standing behind Hana. He used his right hand to yank him up from the floor by grabbing him at the back of his neck.

Everyone's eyes were probably wide as saucers by now except for the brunette who maintained a poker face.

"Wha-what are you doing!?" the blonde teenager shrieked dumbfoundedly at the sudden contact. His hands frantically reached to grab his father's wrist in a futile attempt to release his firm grip. "Let go of me!" he added.

The brunette continued with his actions ignoring all complaints. He literally dragged Hana out of the room and from everyone else's sight until the teenager's wild protests and trashing about can no longer be felt.

Anna continued to stare at the spot where two of the most important people in her life were standing just seconds ago.

Her lips then curved into a knowing smile.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The father and son duo reached the hallways almost near the entrance of their inn. Hana finally succeeded in freeing himself but not without a loud thud. He ended on his knees after Yoh had purposely let him go to land on the hard wooden floor making him wince in discomfort.

After dedicating a few seconds to digest his shock, Hana retaliated, "what the hell was that for!?"

Silence.

He wasn't sure if his father heard him. Heck, he wasn't sure if he was even listening at all. The blonde observed the brunette staring at the sliding door in front of them with cloudy eyes and a gloomy facade. Hana did not even notice that they were looming over the entrance of a tiny room until now.

"You," Yoh paused. The boy heard him but did not make an effort to look up, "You made a vow to protect something, too, right?" he added in a calm manner, not taking his eyes off from the door. His sudden declaration gained the younger one's attention by shooting him an inquisitive look.

Hana did not reply because first, he did not fully understand the context of his father's question, and second, he simply did not know how to answer.

The adult reached for the door in front of them and briskly slid it wide open.

The young shaman's knees remained frozen on the ground. His pupils dilated to its maximum limit as pure disbelief and horror enveloped his senses after witnessing the scene before him. He wasn't sure if the only thing that he heard at that time was his stomach hurling, or his throat involuntarily swallowing a significant amount of his saliva or the copious amount of air he managed to inhale in a staggered gasp.

Revealed before Hana's wavering composure, Alumi lying unconsciously wrapped in a futon that was carefully arranged to make her comfortable as much as possible. She appeared to be in some type of pain due to her eyes were shut tightly, her pale lips slightly opened, and her chest heaved with strenuous breaths under her yukata. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and her delicate hair was strewn around the sides of her head. The most distinctive detail was a bandaged wound across her left shoulder and chest which only missed her heart by a few centimetres, and the slight staining of blood on the surface of the gauze indicated that it must be a deep injury. The room smelled of disinfectant and some medical supplies were neatly arranged at the corner.

"Alumi," murmured Hana who finally found the strength to speak. His breathing was starting to get laboured as if the oxygen was being sucked out from the atmosphere at that very moment whilst he tried his hardest to process the image in front of him.

Is this for real? How is this possible?

After a few minutes of searching his brain for answers, unexpected images of hazy black and white raced through his now confused mind. There he was, shrouded in a malicious dark aura, standing amid all his injured teammates, Ryu and Tamao in the background with slightly disengaged oversouls, and Alumi directly in front of him holding a shattered oversoul pistol; the one she used to free him from his demons. Her eyes displayed an unmistakable terror as a sharp extension of the dark aura was piercing through her chest. He tried to reach for her wanting to defend her, but he felt the immense feeling of hate, rage and sorrow hauling him towards the darkness that seemed to emanate from his own being.

"So tell me, Hana…" the blonde was pulled back to reality as Yoh began, "how does it feel seeing someone you wanted to protect become this broken?" he paused to look at his son then continued, "Have you ever seen somethingyou cherish hurt so badly in front of you but could not do anyhing about it?"

He waited for a reaction, but none came "…because I have," he followed.

The young father sighed and shifted his gaze towards a distant object in the room then decided to carry on, "In my case, I suppose that that someone had more experience quietly lamenting over me in a hospital bed throughout the years," he snickered. "However, witnessing that same person cry her eyes out almost every night because she believed that she was the worst mother, seeing her like that while I held her helplessly in my arms every time, I—" he trailed off with more silence filling the air. "Then, witnessing that same person and the precious baby she held in her arms after being mercilessly killed right before my eyes…" he shut his eyes. He could not continue his words as the haunting memories started to flood his mind. He unconsciously recalled the most painful scenario of his wife and son's mutilated bodies, lying devoid of life on the cold, hard, dirt, while he breathed his last. He forced his eyes open in an attempt to escape the trauma.

Hana was dumbstruck. All he understood was that seeing his fiancée like this and hearing about how his mother also suffered all these years gave him an inexplicable pang in his heart. It was all too much. He felt himself desperately fighting his tears back, but his vision started to blur anyway. His now clenched fists turning white as he battled to contain his emotions.

"Do you know what happened? What caused her to be—like this?" he asked, his voice almost breaking.

"Does it matter?" his father countered.

Silence.

"Because I'll tell you what, we won't be able to change that fact that she was hurt. And you won't be able to deny that it happened because you let the darkness drown your heart even for a short moment."

A lone tear escaped Hana's eye. He blinked and rapidly threw the back of his left hand onto his face to wipe it off.

A few more painful seconds have passed in complete silence.

"But the good thing is, it isn't the end of the world. We can move on, cut the chain of hatred and suffering and try to make-up for the mistake," his father beamed him the most innocent smile which he was famous for.

The teenager blinked repeatedly as he shifted his sight towards the brunette, stunned with his sudden change of mood. His father's duality baffled him. Was this the man everybody talked highly about?

"You don't deserve my mother." Hana stated as a matter-of-factly.

He did not know much about his real mom yet. Heck, he was only accustomed to hearing those tell-tales about her from other people. The usual fabled stories about the most brazen, shrewd, and talented woman anyone has ever encountered. However, he felt like he needed that kind of audacity just to hurt his father's pride because he did not understand how his attitude could jump from pure angst to optimism in a split-second.

"You're right. I don't," the adult countered with a grin, "but since fate brought us together, I became the luckiest man alive. Throughout the years, I have made countless stupid decisions, even failed to fulfil my promise of becoming the Shaman King and give her the comfortable life she always deserved…" he paused for the nth time, "still, she stood her ground supporting me, not leaving my side, and now we have you," he directed at his son with a warm smile.

"It's funny how we both agreed to shift our dreams into something else in a snap of a finger once your mother and I learned of your existence back then. Eventually, I realised that nothing else matters and that everything will be worth it as long as I get to see her most genuine smile aimed at me at the end of the day," Yoh finished, biting his lip trying to hide his cheesy smirk.

At this point, Hana was not even sure if father's words were still directed at him. This was all getting too much. He never imagined that a heart-to-heart talk, let alone their first serious one, would consume so much energy than it should. His dad was starting to look like a heated jelly just by talking about his mother and it made him cringe. His head still throbbed to no end, but they managed to survive up to this moment without drawing their swords against each other.

It was a good start, was it not? He scoffed.

After seeing his son's discomfort, Yoh attempted to conclude the talk. "Sorry for being rough earlier, but then again, I'm not entirely sorry. I just couldn't bear to see your mother getting disrespected like that," he grinned. "Besides, I think I saved you from almost being murdered out there," he chuckled nervously.

Hana raised his eyebrow. It seemed like the 'murder' part was not entirely a lie.

He gently glanced at Alumi's now serene face before standing up and turning his back against the other two. The analgesics must have worked their magic already now that she seemed calm and settled. He wanted to be there for her, to comfort her, but he would not give his idiotic father the enjoyment of witnessing his soft side.

Not today.

"Hana…" the brunette stopped the blonde in his tracks and his son turned his head slightly to give him an inquisitive look.

"I know you're angry, towards me especially, and I can understand if what you wanted all your life was to fight me thinking that it can make the hate disappear. I get it. I will not try to justify my actions that led to abandonment of my duties as a parent.I don't mind us facing that moment someday where you can charge your rage at me all you want but until then…" Yoh looked straight into Hana's eyes sincerely, pleadingly, "I'd like to ask for your help in protecting your mother, too, if there comes a time that I could not."

This made the young one blush like crazy. His eyes widened and lips hanged open at the thought. How dare he ask such a favour from him? Did he even know how much of a nutjobAlumi already is? On top of that, he wanted to add his mother on the watchlist. Was he crazy?

May his uncle help him.

Hana snapped himself out from disbelief and regained his composure in an effort to look cool before he replied, "Hmph! Stop saying nonsense. Just do your job and I'll do mine. If you fail my mom, I'll never forgive you." Then he turned away and left in triumph, proud for having the last words to their conversation.

Yoh blinked at his son's display of passive aggressiveness. Although this time, he was sure he saw a genuine smile on Hana's lips before he left. He sighed then flashed a contented face.

He really is Anna's son.

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A/N: Hmm? HAPPY FATHER'S DAY (from down under)! What better way to celebrate this occasion by throwing in some YoHana angst while talking about love and life, no? Hoho!

What do you think? I have always believed that a 'father-and-son' talk would surface in the future of The Super Star but it's talking too long so I thought, fine, I'll do it myself. LOL! I have to admit though, writing Yoh in a serious 'fatherly' angle was a challenge. We always loved him for his most care-free persona, but I always believed that he can be such an autocrat, too, especially with kids.

Also, this time, I will go for a TRILOGY. Promise, we'll have more *cough* romance in the next chapters especially for our OTP shippers. I have something planned already. Just gotta arrange them in my preoccupied and random head. Huehue! Don't forget to show me some love.

Thanks for reading!