I woke up late this morning, so I don't know if I'll be able to type this chapter properly. I'll make it up next time, and I'll wake up earlier. ^^
Shilva and Yoh sat down on a booth in a restaurant that afternoon. They decided to eat before going into the Izumo forest.
"I've heard of the legendary destroyer, Asakura Hao," said Shilva, pausing in between bites. "He was to be the shaman king five hundred years ago, only he turned out to be the omen of the world. He was rejected by the Great Spirits for his impure heart, so he vowed revenge. He promised to come back after five hundred years."
"And this is the year he promised to come back?" asked Yoh. The priest nodded. The future shaman king clenched his fists. "But what I don't understand is why he had to involve Anna too."
Shilva shrugged. "He may be one powerful figure, but he's still a human with needs and wants. Perhaps, your fiancée caught his fancy." The priest turned grave. "You have to be aware though, that Hao was already powerful five hundred years ago. What more now that it is five hundred years later?"
"Everything will work itself out," decided Yoh.
"And you have your friends to help you out," said a very familiar voice.
Yoh blinked, and the next thing he knew, Horo Horo and Ryu joined the booth.
"Wow, chocolate sundae! My favorite!" gushed Horo Horo, reaching for Shilva's ice cream.
"Hey!" complained the priest. "I'm not exactly done with that yet."
"You're a priest, right? Then you should know the value of charity." Horo proceeded to eat the dessert.
Ryu saluted at Yoh. "Like how bread and butter never part, how spoon is always with a fork, and how footlong sandwiches are linked to catsup, I will be by the side of the shaman king, my Master Yoh."
"I second that!" agreed Horo, then continued eating.
"T-Thanks." Yoh then noticed the boy with the pointed hair standing by their booth awkwardly.
Horo sighed. "Oh yeah, that's Ren Tao the Carabao. Wave to the shaman king, Rennie boy."
"Why you-" Ren took out his spear.
Yoh stood up. "Hi, Ren Tao….the Carabao?"
"It's Ren Tao, no more, no less," said the boy grumpily.
"He said that he's going to join us," said Ryu.
"I didn't say I would join you!" said Ren defensively. "I would just travel with you people to see Asakura Hao for myself."
"Why?" asked Shilva.
"Because I want to defeat him," said Ren. "And what do you care?"
The Asakura held out his hand. "No matter what your reason is, I am still glad to meet a new friend. I'm Asakura Yoh."
"I know who you are," growled the Tao. "My clan is your archenemy."
"I'm befriending you, not your clan," said Yoh, grinning. "Here, sit with us."
"No need. I'll just stand here," said Ren stubbornly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"OK then, you'll act as our bodyguard," said Horo, smirking.
"That's it!" Ren took out his spear again and was about to lunge on Horo when Kororo appeared, frowning.
Ren froze.
Horo smirked some more.
Ren stepped back, scowling.
"What's up with that?" asked Yoh.
Ryu answered for the two. "Pirika."
"Huh?"
Ryu began to narrate the scene in the house that morning.
"I want you two to become the best of friends," ordered Pirika over breakfast.
Ren nodded meekly, but Horo was dismayed.
"Me? Befriend that poor excuse for a compassionate human being?" Horo crossed his arms in front of his chest stubbornly. "No way José!"
"I'll re-launch the trainings Ms. Anna used to give you!"
Horo choked. He coughed. "Actually, I can be a really friendly person. In fact, I love meeting new people, sharing meaningful insights with them…"
"You can use a companion when I send you out," said Kino, joining them. She glanced at Ren, who paused uncertainly. Kino smiled at him, and he looked relieved. He bowed politely. She nodded and turned to the Ainu boy again. "You and Ryu will go after Yoh and secure him in his battles, do you understand?"
"Yup!" He grinned at Ryu, who was standing by the doorway, listening.
Kino turned to Ren. "You look like a strong fighter, young man."
Pirika nodded vehemently. "Oh yes! Ren is really cool! He can beat up an entire gang within minutes!"
The boy's eyes widened. He then blushed profusely. "Um…"
"I can do that in one minute!" said Horo immediately.
Ren turned to Horo. "I can do that in half a minute if I want to!"
"A quarter of a minute!" said Horo.
"Half of a quarter!" said Ren.
"Quarter of a quarter!"
"Quarter of a quarter of a quarter!"
"Stop it!!!" screamed Pirika. The two boys immediately settled down.
Pirika sighed. "I don't want you two to fight. Both of you are important to me," she said softly.
The two looked embarrassed.
"Sorry," mumbled Ren.
"Me too," said Horo. "Really sorry."
"Really, really sorry," said Ren, glaring at him.
"Really, really, REALLY sorry," said Horo, eyes on Ren again.
"OK, OK, break it up, you two!" said Pirika, holding out her arms in a time-out position. "If you two don't stop bickering…I'll…I'll cry!"
The two shut up.
She turned to Ren. "I want you to come with my brother. I know how mentally-challenged he is at times, and I know how sensible you are. Would that be ok to you?"
Ren nodded. "If that is what you want."
She turned to her brother next. "And I want you to take care of Ren, and I want you to expose him to as many friends as possible."
Horo sighed. "I'm sure that even Ms. Anna has more friends than this guy."
"What did you say?!!" demanded Ren, not knowing who that Anna was, but felt that that the boy was making fun of him.
"Stop it!" begged Pirika, sniffling.
"This is all your fault!" hissed Ren, inching towards Pirika to comfort her.
Horo slammed his snowboard on Ren. "Don't you dare touch my sister!"
"Waaaahhh!!!!!" hollered Pirika, nearly shattering the eardrums of the people within her ten mile radius.
Yoh nodded. "So that's what happened."
Ryu looked at Koloro. "If the two starts fighting again, Koloro would cry, and Pirika would hear it, then she would cry too."
Ren was muttering profanities under his breath while Horo Horo seemed to become more cheerful in eating the remaining sundae.
Shilva turned to Yoh, sighing. "You have such interesting friends."
"Yeah!" agreed the future shaman king, grinning.
"I'm going to go to the town square later," said Shilva. "I'm picking up the oracle bell."
"The oracle bell?" repeated everyone.
"The oracle bell," nodded the priest.
"Oh…the oracle bell," said Horo Horo, nodding.
"Do you know what is that?" asked Yoh, turning to Horo.
"Of course not."
The priest sweatdropped. At least he could count on one thing: he would never be bored around them.
Zinc and Anna were walking in the market, the former looking at the grocery list. "Ms. Anna?" said the priest.
Anna shrugged. "I know you don't respect me, so you can omit the courtesy title."
"It's good that you're aware," said the priest in a low voice. "I know you're manipulating Hao-sama because he's fond of you."
"It's not your business."
"It is," said the priest harshly. "Hao-sama is our pillar of strength. You're also degrading us when you're controlling him."
Silence.
"I don't know what kind of witchcraft you used on Hao-sama, but I caution you: be very careful. Don't let us catch you doing mischief, or all hell will break loose."
Anna smirked. "Didn't I tell you before? I am hell. Everyone else says so." She looked at him mockingly. "Good luck with the groceries." She walked away.
"Where are you going, Ms. Anna?"
She didn't answer him.
Jeanne was wiping the statues of saints in the church when Lyserg appeared. He instantly bowed. "Jeanne-sama."
"How was your trip?" she asked in her usual soft-spoken way.
"I met Asakura Yoh already, and he will really surprise you. H-He is not like Hao."
Jeanne nodded. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
Lyserg couldn't help but smile. The leader of the mighty X-Laws could be mistaken anytime as a shy, graceful young wife, with her tender smiles and perpetually subdued voice. "He is a laidback boy, and he hardly fits the character of the Destroyer. World domination is the last thing in his mind. That is what I inferred after talking to the people who are living with him."
"Have you talked to him personally?"
"He is sick with fever."
"I see." Jeanne went to the tabernacle and pulled out a small jar of menthol camphor. "Why don't you bring this to him?"
He accepted it. "Yes, Jeanne-sama." He was puzzled. The X-Laws target both Hao and Yoh, so why would Jeanne give medicine to the latter?
She read his mind. "First and foremost, before being the leader of X-Laws, I am a nun. Helping those in need is my vow."
He nodded.
"Go to him, and stay with him until he gets well. You can then ask him to go with you here. I want to talk to him."
"Yes, Jeanne-sama." He then looked down. "Ah…there's one more thing…"
She looked at him expectantly.
He brought a white rose out of his coat and handed it to her shyly.
"Shall I offer this to the statue of St. Therese or to St. Lucy?" she asked.
He cleared his throat. "A-Actually…" His voice rose barely above a whisper. "…this is for you."
But since they were inside a church, his whisper echoed loudly inside the church.
Her eyes widened, then she smiled. "Thank you for the thoughtfulness."
Suddenly, he wanted to get out of the place. "E-Excuse me…"
He nearly jumped when he pushed the church door. Marco was waiting outside, looking grim.
"You do know that she is the leader of this group," he began.
Lyserg nodded meekly.
"Take your sinful eyes off her. There are a lot of women outside these doors. Do not touch Jeanne-sama." With that, Marco left.
Anna was walking aimlessly in the town square when she noticed a boy wailing at the corner of the market place as people passed by him, ignoring his antics. Having nothing to do, she drew closer to him.
A small, almost African-looking person was speaking, beside him an empty can labeled "Will Make You Laugh for a Penny".
"People, what do you think will happen when a cow crosses in the middle of an earthquake?" he asked.
No one answered. People just passed in front of him, ignoring him.
The boy was unfazed. "We'll have a milkshake, get it?" He laughed hysterically at his own joke, hoping his laughter would start other people to laugh too.
No one did.
"Really lame," smirked one passerby who bothered to linger for a second in front of the boy.
The boy's eyes lit up. "T-Then I'll think of another joke!" He waved at the passerby who was rolling his eyes. "Thanks for the tip!"
He froze when he heard a coin drop in his can. He slowly turned to his left and found a poker-faced blonde girl standing in front of him, arms crossed.
"Y-You liked my joke?" asked the boy hopefully.
Anna shook her head.
The boy's face fell. He took the coin she dropped in his can and returned it to her. "I cannot accept this then."
She was puzzled. "You want a penny, right? You look like you haven't eaten for days. You will need that penny to nourish yourself."
"True," agreed the boy. "But I want your laughter more than this penny. Thank you again, but I have to refuse."
She looked at him with grudging admiration. "You better rest first. Your spirit is growing worried."
The boy was stunned. "Y-You can see…"
"I'm an itako," she explained. "Come with me."
"But my performance-"
"Your audience would have to wait," she said.
"Oh, alright."
The itako and the comedian ended up by the fountain in the town square. The boy, who introduced himself as Chocolove, proceeded to eat his sandwich hungrily. Anna bit on hers delicately.
"Thank you again, Ms. Anna," said Chocolove gratefully.
Anna nodded, then looked down at her feet. His spirit, the jaguar, was lying by them comfortably.
"Mic likes you," said Chocolove, delighted. He noticed her small smile as she petted the spirit. "You know, smiles like yours should be captured."
Anna turned to him.
"When I first looked at you, I thought you were a person who had abandoned her smile already. But right now…" He beamed. "I realized how wrong I am."
She stiffened.
Chocolove looked up at the sky. "People like you are my inspiration in wanting to become a comedian. I want to tell everyone that only laughter can save the world wrapped by superficialities like money and power, and that laughter is life." He turned to her. "What are the things that can make you laugh?"
She was speechless. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember. But all of a sudden, she remembered her first meeting with Yoh in the brook. Her mouth curved slightly.
Chocolove grinned. "Whatever is it that causing you to smile like that is truly worth my admiration."
"Am I that bad?" she asked softly.
He grinned sheepishly. "Tell you what, if you laugh at my joke, then I won't say you are that bad, ok?"
She nodded.
"My story is about a boy named Lazy John. Lazy John lives to be lazy. He spends his everyday life under a tree, looking up at the sky, playing tunes in his walkman, then eventually, falling asleep. He would wake up at night to only fall asleep again."
"One day, he finds an apple hanging by a tree. He was too lazy to reach for it, so he decided to lie down directly under the tree and just wait for the fruit to fall down on him all by itself. He waited on it to fall for six days and five nights, but on the seventh day, just as it was about to fall, a wind blew on it, and the apple was thrown some feet away from the dismayed Lazy John. He was too lazy to get up and pick up the fallen fruit, so he decided to stay under the same spot and wait for a new fruit to sprout…" Chocolove stopped talking when he heard a soft giggle. He turned to his lone audience and was pleasantly shocked to see Anna giggling quietly. He watched her for a few more moments, stunned.
But then, the girl's eyes began to well up with tears. Soon she was sobbing quietly. "Yoh…" she whispered, voice tight.
The boy was instantly apologetic. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry."
She stood up and rubbed her eyes shamefully. "I better go." She moved too quickly and her bandanna around her neck loosened. It fell down to the ground.
"Hey wait!" Chocolove stood up, but stumbled. When he got up, Anna was gone. Only her scarlet bandanna remained.
"So this is the oracle bell," said Yoh as he peered at it. "What does it do?"
They were in the town square already, and Shilva was talking to his fellow priest.
"Does it ring?" asked Horo, snickering.
"Yes, it does," said Shilva, sighing. "This is like a pager. We can contact each other in case we get separated."
"This would be handy," said Yoh, trying it on.
On the other side of the stall, Anna was looking at the oracle bells too. She was partly hidden from view because of the priest. She touched them, and tried to imagine that if she was still with the Asakuras, she would surely buy one and force Yoh to wear it so she can track him wherever he goes. How she wished she could see him again. She wanted to see him try the oracle bell on.
She shook her head. No need making herself suffer. She wouldn't see Yoh again anyway. She turned her back and hurried away, just as the vendor turned to his back.
"That's funny," said the priest.
"Huh?" asked Yoh.
"I thought I sensed that there's someone checking out my wares behind me." The priest sighed.
"You're getting paranoid," sighed Shilva, who was putting the oracle bell on Ryu.
Soon, Yoh and the gang were walking out of the town square when they noticed a guy squawking by the fountain area. Some people are watching him.
Shilva sighed. "I often see him here, trying to earn money by making people laugh. The thing is, no one is laughing at his jokes."
The crowd watching the boy erupted into laughter.
"You were saying?" said Horo, smirking.
"He must be good," said Yoh. "I'm going to watch!"
"But-" Shilva sighed.
"Me too!" said Horo Horo.
Ryu ran towards the crowd. "Me too! Wherever Master Yoh is, I'll follow."
Ren muttered and followed them too.
The priest sighed, then followed them too.
"So Lazy John waited for the new apple to sprout, and it took him another year before he could finally eat!" finished Chocolove as the audience clapped. He wanted to cry at that very moment. The girl he met awhile ago must be a fairy who touched him and blessed him! People are starting to like his jokes!
"That was great!" He heard a boy say. "Master Yoh, maybe Lazy John is your lost relative or something!"
"Yeah!" agreed the boy with earphones on both sides of his head. He was still clapping enthusiastically.
"Yoh?" said Chocolove suddenly, silencing the crowd.
The earphoned-boy paused. "Yes, why?"
"Y-You…you are Yoh!" whispered Chocolove, eyes sparkling.
"Y-Yes…I am Yoh!" whispered Yoh, nodding, as if the secret of the size of the universe was unlocked.
Horo Horo rolled his eyes as he stopped Ren from stabbing Yoh with his spear. "Easy. Master Yoh will always be like that. Get used to it."
"@#$%…" was all Ren could mutter.
"You are Ms. Anna's Lazy John!" cried Chocolove, hugging him
Yoh froze. "Anna?"
Anna was in the forest again, playing a soft, melancholic music with the leaf. Hao watched her thoughtfully.
"You…cried," he said at last.
She didn't reply. She continued playing.
Hao's heart was breaking with the sadness of her music. He clenched his fists. "STOP IT!!!"
She was startled, and she dropped the leaf on the ground. It was the first time that he raised his voice on her.
"Forget him already! I am here!" he said angrily. "And I won't make you cry the way he's doing to you."
"I'm crying with my free will," she said quietly. "Leave Yoh out of this."
"Forgive me," he said, calming down. "I just don't like seeing you sad."
"Don't look at me then."
Hao felt his mouth twitch. He stood up and sat down beside her, then clasped her hands. "You are bad for my health. You can make me change my mood so quickly without a valid reason. You can make me mad, but you can make me laugh. You can irritate me at times, but you can make me so happy most of the time."
Anna looked at him and was startled when for the first time ever, she saw his eyes open with emotions – a turmoil of confusion, amusement…and fear? And…love?
It couldn't be. Dakedo…
"And I want you to know that…" His head laid itself on her shoulder. "…you are so dear to me, Anna."
Tsuzuku
Waaah!!! I'm late again for Mickey Mouse' class! He's going to drop me already, I know he will! Computer Programming is 3 units! Waaah! Next time, I'll wake up earlier so I would be able to type earlier too.
BTW, Lazy John is based on our own folktale of the immortal Juan Tamad, just in case you guys want to know.
