~*~*~

Ah, thank you so much for those wonderful reviews! It meant a lot for me! ^_^ I feel so happy! *Grins* I felt so loved...-_-; Thanx...For a first ManKin fic, I guess I did fairly weel for the first chapter...It never really crossed my mind that this kind of plot is used for the first time! Wai! I'm so cool....*Sweatdrop* err, sorry, I exagerated. ^___^ But anyways thank you so much!

I want to thank Bratty-san, for the wonderful link. Ah! Without it I would still be very clueless...So all hail Bratty! *hails* And also thank you to da*mouse...wai! I love your fics...and your site! Whhaa! Wonderful...! Also to Jess-chan! Ah! your e-mail...thank you so much Kababayan! Also, thank you so much to all the others who reviews! Kabayan! Moonwind! ^__^

A little ramble: Ah, I know that it seemed highly unlikely that anna would have an older brother...but still...it would be kinda cool wouldn't it? So, please dont give me reviews saying that it would be unlikely that she has a older brother. This is fictious right? So, umm, yeah, in my fic Anna has a older brother...^_^. I find it cool...^_^ So, there!-_-; gomen.

~*~*~

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King. I only own this humble plot...^_^

~*~*~

			Chapter 2 "Faded Memories"

~Flashback~

"She's an itako!" yelled the man angrily, pointing a finger accusingly at the 3-year old blonde girl. "An itako!"

"It can't be!" cried an older woman, pulling her 5-year old son to her side protectively.

Both parents watched in shock as their young daughter giggled softly and played with the spirit of a child. Oblivious to the reactions of her parents, she said some incoherent words and another child spirit appeared before them. Together the two child spirits giggled and flew around the giggling blonde.

"Dishonor!"

The cry of the father caused the two child spirits to stop their flying and stare in shock as the older Shaman pulled out two magic papers and threw them. Immediately both spirits disappeared. The young girl broke down crying as she watched the spirits' souls perish.

There was a loud slap of flesh that rang in the air, quickly followed by a loud wail of pain.

The young girl lay on the floor sobbing loudly as the father towered over her, hand still in the air ready to strike once again. Thunder and lightning screamed outside the home, making the windows shake loudly. Muffled cries could be heard from the mother as she fell to her knees and hugged her older son and watched her husband scream at the young girl.

"Dishonor!" he repeated more loudly this time, grabbing the girl by the neck of her kimono and pulling her to her feet. He eyed her vehemently in disgust.

"O-otou-san..."

Another slap rang through the air and lightning struck outside, illuminating the whole room. And another loud wail of pain escaped the young girl's lips. "t-tou-san..."

Ignoring the child's red tear stained face, the elder Shaman showed no mercy to his child. Kneeling down on the floor to the child's level, her grabbed her by her shoulders roughly and ignored her cries of pain. "You are supposed to be a miko...like your mother!" he yelled, shaking her roughly like a rag doll. "You have dishonored our family name!"

It was rare to see the father enraged and angered at his youngest child. It was always Touya who would get scolded for doing mishief and wreaking several ornaments in the shrine, along with his samurai spirit Kagetsu. However, the young girl showed signs of being an itako...something the father not other never expected. Touya watched in horror as his father began to slap his sister prefusively. He felt his mother shudder and he instictively hugged her tighter, causing her to let out another loud sob.

"T-t-tou-san...o-onegai...s-stop..." cried out the young girl in pain as another slap came to her face.

"Hoshiro, perhaps there is still a way..." whispered the mother in between sobs while still hugging her son.

The father's eyes narrowed down into slits and threw the sobbing child onto the wooden floor of their shrine. His breathing was labored and stared down at his youngest child in disgust. "She was supposed to be a great miko like you, Yume! All of the women in our families were great mikos! She brings dishonor to our family!" he spat out angrily. Hearing the girl's loud cries of pain, his glare intensified. "Once she shows signs of an itako...she will be an itako...disgusting."

The mother gasped loudly and began to sob uncontrollably. Lightning flashed outside the window, as the father moved to the side of the room and pulled out a long black whip. Touya's eyes widened. "Tou-san..."

The young girl pulled her bruised face off the ground and watched in sheer horror as her father pulled out the whip from its usual hiding place. Her eyes widened in fear as he approached her and grabbed her by the neck of her kimono. "Tou-san..." she cried.

"Punishment..." growled the father as he slowly pulled the young girl towards a spare room.

The mother let out a loud cry and fell to the ground sobbing loudly as the doors of the room slid shut. Touya stood in the middle of the room staring at the doors in disbelief. Soon loud whipping sounds could be heard throughout the shrine followed by loud screams of pain as thunder would strike. His black eyes widened in horror.

"Anna!"

~

Asakura Kino eyed the silent blonde girl with interest. No emotions, no feelings, no nothing. Just pain and a void of darkness was all that filled the girl's startling coal black eyes. A cold aura surrounded the 5 year old.

"What do you want?"

"To be strong," answered Anna simply.

Kino stared at the young girl, "You already are strong," she commented. "Why are you here?"

"I have been disowned,"

Kino's eyes widened slightly however no other emotions appeared on the old woman's face. Nodding her head in understanding. "An itako must keep emotions in check,"

There was no change of facial expression on the young girl's face and she stared at the old woman cooly. "I can do that,"

Once again nodding her head in understanding, the old woman turned around and walked inside the old temple. "Follow me,"

~

"You are by far the most greatest student I have ever taught," commented Kino wisely, staring at her student.

The 10-year old itako stood silently in the middle of the huge courtyard and held her prayerbeads. An emotionless mask was etched on her face as she watched her sensei. "thank you,"

The young girl's words seemed as cold as the wind as they echoed through the night. Over the 5 years of training and teaching the young girl to be a powerful itako, she never did change her icy demeanor. Kino eyed the girl wearily. Anna's bitterness would cause her own downfall. She would be perfect at the task at hand.

"I want you to be my grandson's fiancée" her words were blunt and simple.

The girl raised an delicate eyebrow while placing her beads back around her neck. "May I asky for what reason?"

Kino nodded, "My husband is training him. Yoh does not show any interests in his training. He is a lazy kid who does practically nothing but listen to his music. My husband lost his patience with the boy,"

Anna nodded, "Of course,"

"You have been fully trained to be an itako. Your powers surpass even those much older than I am. I am greatly astounded by your abilities. You have proven yourself and to everybody that you are powerful..." said Kino, as darkness slowly creeped around them. "There is nothing more I can teach you. The rest you must learn on your own."

Anna watched her sensei silently. Not one trace of emotion flickered across her face. "I see"

"You would be perfect for my grandson. You possess no emotions that would hinder you. The pain and coldness in your heart would be a great asset in making my grandson the next Shaman King." said her sensei, again talking about the engagement. "You feel nothing for others and you see yourself much more greater than the others. Your mask hides everything that has been built up inside you for over the years. If you continue that way...you will fall sooner or later,"

"..." Thunder boomed in the background and dark clouds of rain loomed over them.

"Even though you learned everything perfectly from me. Even though you did everything a hundered times better than expected. Even though you could be at times more powerful than myself. I see that you sill did not learn one thing from me." Kino eyed her student wearily.

"..." The first raindrops fell onto the ground.

"To feel again," whispered Kino finally. The lightning flashed accross the sky and the rain pelted down on the two of them, drenching them immediately.

"I came here to prove myself," answered Anna finally. "I did not come here to rekindle feelings that would only cause a hard life. Feelings only hinder one to greatness,"

Thunder boomed once more and lightning flashed nearby. Kino watched her student bow in respect at her before swiftly disappearing into the safety of the temple. Standing alone in the temple's courtyard, drenched and cold, she eyed the door that her sudent disappeared through. "Anger and pain feeds off your powers. It will cause your strengths to weaken and you will lose everything."

~

The train station was completely empty by the time that Kino and Anna arrived. They were most likely the only people that would board the train that night. An eerie silence filled the station as student and teacher silently awaited the arrival of the train.

"About the engagement," said Kino turning to Anna. "It is not real,"

Anna nodded in understanding. "Of course,"

"You will only serve as a tool for all of us. Consider this as a great honor that you are helping out the whole Asakura clan. You shall only serve as to make Yoh train hard for the Shaman Fight." said Kino, eyeing her student. Upon receiving no protest she continued, "Yoh will learn to work hard now, since he would have you as his fiancée."

Anna nodded, understanding her position in the whole situation. Though one thing still was not clear to her. "Why me?"

Kino stopped doing what ever she was attengin to and eyed her student. She contemplated on what to answer. The truth. "Because you have no feelings..." The answer was simple, yet it puzzeled her why her student did not know.

"Of course," whispered Anna with her usual cool expression.

"I know you would show no mercy nor pity to Yoh when it comes to train him. You would show him what his tasks are. I know only you possess those abilities to 'tame' my grandson." said Kino thoughtfully. She cleared her throat slightly and stared at her student. "Also, I want my grandson to fall in love,"

Anna's eyes narrowed down into slits and she eyed her sensei skeptically. "What?"

Kino nodded her head thoughfully and stared straight ahead, looking at particularly nothing. "I know Yoh would easily accept the fact that he is betrothed. I know he will respect you and follow everything you will say. But when the time comes, I do want to have him fall in love on his own." she said. In the far background, a trains whistle could be heard. "That's why I have arranged everything to be a false engagement. Thus, when the time comes that Yoh is finally the strong Shaman he should be, I want you to leave." Her instructions and plans were simple, a sure thing that nothing would go wrong. "After you leave, it will open the door of opportunity and give him the chance to find his suitable partner in life."

Anna once again nodded her head in unerstanding. "I see,"

The train slowly entered the train station and stopped before the two. As the door opened, allowing them to enter, Kino turned around one last time and stared at her student with a serious expression. "Bare in mind, everything is false. So don't fall in love with him,"

~

13-year old Kyouyama Anna watched as her 'fiancée' disappeared around the corner for his daily 50 km. jog with his friend Manta. Everything was turning out smoothly. Kino-sensei was right, Yoh did follow everything she said. It would be no time at all before he would be Shaman King and she would leave. Something she wished would never happen....

"What do you want?" she asked as she sat down on the porch. She stared blankly at the empty courtyard and waited for the addressed to appear. A young teen stepped out from behind the shadows of the oak tree, accompanied by his power spirit.

15-year old Kyouyama Touya smiled sadly at his sister and bowed in greeting. "Imouto,"

His spirit Kagetsu too bowed in greeting and offered her a small smile, "Anna-san,"

Eyeing her brother wearily she meerly nodded in response. It has been years since she last saw him. 8 years to be exact, and still he was the only family member who never looked at her differently, aside from their grandfather. "Onii-san,"

"It's been a while, ne?" commented Touya, with a thoughtful expression. "May I sit?"

"Hai," Anna moved slightly to the right giving him some space next to her on the portch. She watched him remove the samurai sword around his waist and place it next to him as he sat down next to her. Both shared a minute or so of silence, staring at the empty courtyard.

"So, he's your fiancée hmmm?" asked Touya, still staring at the courtyard.

"Hai, but for not long," answered Anna, a soft breeze began to play with her hair. "He wont need me later,"

"Ah, I see," mumbled Touya, nodding his head in understanding. "So he's strong,"

"Hai, he gets it from his friends," said Anna.

"I wont be joining the Shaman Fight,"

Anna stared at her brother for a second before nodding in understanding. "I understand,"

Silence once again dropped onto them as both were quite busy staring at particularly nothing. Kagetsu silently hovered nearby, staring at the whole situation. A soft wind played with their hair as both remained silent.

"They are dead," whispered Touya.

Anna nodded her head in understanding. "I know, I felt them leave," she murmured.

"I'm sorry," whispered Touya sadly, bowing his head. "For all the pain they caused. If only..."

"Iie," mumbled Anna. "Otousan and Okasan did what they did. There is nothing you could've done. We were just children back then. Even so, if you could've done anything it wouldn't have changed the fact that I am an itako. A strong, powefrul itako. I was disowned because of who I am. I accept their decision."

"You changed so much, tou-chan," commented Touya.

"Perhaps,"

"Yoh is coming back," informed Kagetsu, staring at the siblings.

Anna stood up and eyed her brother, "You should go,"

Nodding in agreement, Touya quickly picked up his sword and reattached it to his belt. Turning to his sister, "Ojisan moved back into the temple. He's taking care of me now. He sends you his greetings. He would have come...but, his back is not what it used to be," he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

Anna nodded, "Give him my greetings then," she said.

"Are you going to pay respects to Tou-san and Ka-san?" asked Touya.

Anna shrugged, "Someday perhaps,"

"I missed you Imotou," whispered Touya as he readied himself to jump up to the rooftop. "See you soon," he said lastly, offering his sister one last smile before jumping onto the roof top and quickly jumping to the next.

"See you soon Anna-san," said Kagetsu, as he followed his master and dematerialized.

Anna watched her brother jump from one rooftop to another, until he was out of sight. "I missed you too, Onii-chan..."

~End of Flashback~

Standing at the far end in the backyard of her old home, Anna stared blankly at the two graves of her parents. Dressed only in her sleeping robes, the cold wind made her shiver slightly. To her everything seemed to have passed by like a whirlwind. Only bits and pieces of her past remained.

"I see you kept your promise,"

Anna did not turn to the new comer, instead she just stared blankly at the two graves of her parents. "You should be asleep by now Ojisan,"

The old man chuckled softly and stood next to his granddaughter, he too stared at the graves. "Ah, I could say the same thing to you. You arrived just hours ago, I know the train ride must be tiring." Kyouyama Hosho smiled knowingly at Anna. "I know that everything is still hard to deal with,"

"It's nice that nothing has changed," mumbled Anna, ignoring her grandfather's last comment. "You still speak of nonsense,"

Hosho chuckled heartily, "Ah, yes. And I see that you have changed into a strong young woman."

"I am an itako."

"Of which I am very proud of," praised Hosho, pointing his finger in the air. "You have proven to everybody that you are strong. That you can do it on your own. I am happy,"

Anna nodded in understanding. "Only you and Touya believed in me," she commented. She stared at the graves of her parents for a moment before switching to stare down at her silent ojisan.

"Ah, your parents just thought too much of the family honor. It was very foolish of them to disown you. Something over which I am still very much disappointed of them," said the old man, a frown played on his lips. He looked up at her and and shurgged his shoulders, "So what if the apple fell farther away from the tree than expected?"

"..."

He watched his grandchild remain silent. The emotionless mask, that he was told of by her brother, appeared on her face. It was quite startling for him to see his grandchild possess such a pained aura. He could feel her heavy heart. "The task that Kino-san gave you,"

"It was nothing," said Anna briskly.

Sighing softly, the old man turned around ready to head back inside. "Of course," he said. A cold wind passed by them. "It is better that both of us should get some sleep. It is already very late," he announced, looking up at the dark sky and seeing the full moon.

Anna ignored her grandfather but instead simply stared at the full moon. Remembering the times Yoh had invited her star gazing at the porch back in Tokyo. At the thought of Yoh, her throat seemed to tighten. 'Yoh...Gomen Nasai' she thought bitterly. Without her knowledge, a single tear slid down her cheek.

Hosho smiled softly at Anna. "I know it's hard to move on with life, if you left your heart in Tokyo..." he said knowlingly and then slipped into the old house before Anna could react.

Anna watched her grandfather leave. She was sure that he was once again talking randomly absurd things. Shaking her head, she stared back up at the moon.

'It's funny what you did to me Asakura Yoh. First you saved me from my own darkness and once again lead me to the light. Then you taught me how live again and let everything from the past go. And now that you are a part of my past...I have to let you go...'

Several more tears rolled down her cheeks. She made no move to wipe them away.'But I dont want to...but I must...'

Turning from the graves, she silently walked back to into the house. Just before she was about to enter the home, for one final time that night she turned around and looked up at the moon.

'I miss you Yoh...'

And with that, the young Itako went inside the home. Letting her past go with a very heavy heart.

~*~*~

^___^ That's it! Chapter 2! *sniff* I can't believe I wrote that! whaa! It's so sad...*sniff* I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter!

If ever I wrote a certain Japanese term wrong...please correct me! Like otousan...is it writen that way or otou-san? *_*? Lol, Kindly help me out a little...Ano, I am right with Ojisan right? It means grandfather? Right?

Anyway! Thank you all for reading! I am off to do my home-torture...er...assignment...*sigh* Gotta go!

By the way...I still need to clarify the age thing for schools. Are the seniors 18 or 17 years old???

About Hao...I have one vote for him to come back and one voite for him to not come back! So...what do you guys want? Come or not? That's the question...So, please mention it in your review!

PLease review! I thank everyody who reviewed the last chapter! 19 reviews...wow! Thank you so much! I can't believe I did so well! So please review! I am open to ideas! Thank you everybody!

Ja ne!

Elisabeth