I had to redo this chapter all over again because of unexpected brown-out, causing me to be unable to put the chapter into my diskette so I can upload it in another internet café. *sigh* Thanks for the corrections on the ages. ^^ I'll keep that in mind in the next fic. ^__^
On to the ficcie!
Zinc's eyes burned in fury as he watched Anna nod and Hao's face light up.
That scheming witch, manipulating our revered leader again. I won't let you get away with what you just did. You will pay dearly.
With that, he brought out his oracle bell.
"Hey, you're a priest, right," said Chocolove to Shilva. "I'll tell you a joke about priests!"
The priest sweatdropped. "I-I would rather not hear it."
Chocolove couldn't be stopped. "It's about two Catholic priests. They're talking about the church' rule on celibacy. One priest said, 'Hey, when do you think will the pope erase the vow of celibacy among us?'. His fellow priest, shrugging, said, 'Probably when all our children have grown up!'" He looked at them hopefully.
Everyone just looked at him, blinking.
The joker did not lose heart. "OK, how about another joke? This time, it's about an American, a Japanese, and a Chinese-"
Ren's spear quickly found its way threateningly to the comedian's chest. "Don't you even dare make fun of the Chinese peopole."
Ryu sighed. "I thought you had the worst sense of humor, Horo Horo, but this guy beats you hands down."
"Gee thanks," sighed Horo back, rolling his eyes. "Hey, did you guys see Master Yoh already? He wasn't with us last night."
Amidamaru suddenly appeared. "You mean Yoh-dono has not returned yet since last night?"
Manta looked concerned. "I wonder where he want."
Horo waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that fellow. He can take care of himself."
Suddenly their oracle bells rang simultaneously.
Horo frowned. "Don't tell me Tamao texted us all?"
Pirika hovered behind the shoulders of Ren and gasped when she saw the message, along with Chocolove, Shilva, and Ryu.
"Why? What's wrong?" asked Horo and Manta. The former read the message.
Asakura Hao is marrying Kyouyama Anna today at the foot of the holy mountain just beyond the Izumo forest.
"Damn," cursed the Ainu under his breath. "Was Master Yoh taking his oracle bell along?"
The silence gave him the answer he most feared.
Lyserg jumped down from the cart where he and Jeanne rode on after they stepped down from the train. He then turned to the nun – who didn't look like a nun anymore. Gone was her ridiculously oversized trenchcoat – she was wearing a light blue dress that he only sees at times peeking beneath the hem of her nun habit. He decided to let her keep the hat though, because he knew that someone like her who was enclosed in an almost sunless existence in the convent might not like the extreme heat of the outside world.
Jeanne gathered the hem of her skirt, then looked at Lyserg. He nodded and opened his arms to catch her. She jumped gracefully down, and she was caught expertly by the dowser. In the split second intimate closeness between the, Lyserg was able to take in the flowery scent of the nun's hair tickling him lightly.
The farmer winked at them. "You two be careful. I reckon that the young lad there can take care of you, pretty miss, but the Asakura clan…they're not the people you should mess with at all."
She nodded gratefully. "Thank you for allowing us to hitchhike up to this point."
"My pleasure!" He tipped the rim of his hat up before riding away. "You two look lovely together!"
Jeanne blinked, while behind her, Lyserg felt his jaw drop as his face turned several shades of scarlet.
The cart was long gone, but the two were still standing there. She turned to the dowser suddenly. "Lyserg-oh!" Her eyes widened when she saw how colorful his face was. "Are you ok? Are you running a fever?" She reached out and touched his forehead.
Her skin sent thousands of shivers up and down his spine. He panickedly bowed. "I'm so sorry, Jeanne-sama!"
"For what?" she asked, forehead creased.
"N-Nothing! I-I mean…" He turned to the suitcases. "Let's go. We still have a long way to walk."
She tried to reach for her suitcase, but he held it out of reach. "Don't worry about your baggage. You just concentrate on walking, Jeanne-sama."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!" he squeaked, only too glad to hide his flushed face behind the bulky luggage.
Unfortunately, his vision was hindered by the bags too. He didn't notice a stone on his path – well, he did, but by that time, he had already stumbled to the ground, and the suitcases flew open, clothes spilling all over the ground.
"Oh dear!" Jeanne knelt down and began to repack the spilled clothes.
"I'm sorry!" he said, quickly kneeling beside the nun. He had more clothes scattered on the ground, but he opted to help her first. He reached for a small piece of pink cloth, thinking it was a hanky. He tried to fold it on his lap, but then realized that he was holding something triangular in shape, and it even had a lace ribbon on it.
Jeanne looked on. "Lyserg," she said quietly. "That's my underwear."
"Aaahh!!!" He panickedly tossed the cloth into her suitcase. "I-I'm so sorry, Jeanne-sama!"
She giggled quietly.
"J-Jeanne…sama?" Good heavens, when will his stupid antics ever end? And in front of his Jeanne-sama?
"I can take care of my things. You better handle yours," she suggested.
"R-Right." He proceeded to pack his own clothes back. He couldn't help himself though when he suddenly wanted to look at her. He stole a glance at her and saw that she was smiling to herself, cheeks slightly pink. His heart ached peculiarly.
Had our circumstances been different…He shook his head vehemently. What was he thinking, crushing on the young, pious leader of the X Laws?
Dakedo, she is so cute…His thoughts were interrupted when his oracle bell rang. He frowned when he read the message.
"What is it, Lyserg?" she asked.
"Hao is…marrying
Yoh's fiancée." He didn't know what to make out of the news. "What is
happening?"
"We better hurry then," said the nun. He nodded in agreement.
Tamao stifled a gasp. Faust had just read to the entire Asakura clan the news from the oracle bell.
Kino merely sipped her tea calmly. "I had seen this coming. Hao is really interested with her. He wouldn't just give the Super Notes on Shamanic Powers so easily without him benefiting from it."
Yohmei sighed. "I wonder what happened to Yoh."
"What was Ms. Anna thinking?" wailed the maid. "Doesn't she believe that Master Yoh can defeat Hao and become the shaman king? Is being the wife of a shaman king, regardless who that person is, the only thing important to her?"
Kino put down her cup. "Anna believes in Yoh, even more than any of us. She must have a reason for agreeing to do that."
Yohmei stood up. "Faust, can you do me a favor?"
The doctor nodded politely.
"Please walk this way," said the grandfather, standing up and putting his hands behind his back. He limped towards the sacred altar room of the house.
Faust stood up and crossed his hands behind his back too and limped out of the room too.
Tamao sweatdropped.
"Damn!" cursed Yoh, punching the bark of the tree with his bare fist. The portion of the tree turned into fine dust at once. He didn't care whether blood was running down freely from his wounded fist. His mind was in a turmoil.
This morning when he woke up, he was expecting to see Anna beside him. Instead, he was awakened by the ringing of the oracle bell, revealing the news.
"I don't understand…why did Anna leave…just when I was about to tell her…how much she means to me…how I will strive to be the shaman king just for her…" He blinked back a tear. "Damn, what am I doing? Crying will accomplish me nothing!" He punched the tree beside him repeatedly. "Damn, damn, damn!!! I will not forgive you, Hao. Of all the things you can take from me, why her?" He looked up at the holy mountain.
He could feel his chest wanting to explode.
"Hao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled in burning wrath.
Horo Horo and the gang heard Yoh's shout.
"Uh-oh," sighed Chocolove.
"He knows already," said Ren, exhaling deeply.
"I've never heard Master Yoh sound so mad…" whispered Pirika.
"Let's go," said Horo, taking his snowboard. He turned to the wide-eyed girl. "Go back home and tell the Master and Mistress Asakura about this."
"I'm coming with you!" said the girl determinedly.
"No, Pirika," said Horo. "It's too dangerous!"
"I'm coming with you!" she screeched in her high-pitched voice. She began to stomp her feet on the ground. "I'm coming with you! I'm coming with you! I'M COMING WITH YOU!!!"
Horo looked at the others for help, but no one wanted to help him calm down his hyper sister.
"Be quiet, Pirika!" boomed Ren, stepping towards her.
She paused. "R-Ren?"
"Do what your brother says. He's right. The place we're going to is too dangerous. Once we step in there, both he and I would lose the power to protect you, because we are even uncertain about protecting our own selves."
Pirika wept loudly. "B-But…but…"
He knelt before her, his face less harsh. "Go home and help Tamao prepare a victory feast for us."
"A victory feast?" she echoed.
He nodded. "Yup. We'll need that when we celebrate. When we come back, both Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyouyama will be with us, and I'm sure Yoh and your brother would be hungry as a horse."
Her eyes widened. "I'm scared…" she murmured. "What if no one comes back for the victory party?" She was scared of not seeing any of them again, especially him and her brother. That was why she didn't want to part them from her sight.
"We will, I promise," said Ren. "I love dumplings. I would like it very much if you cook some for me."
"I'm a good cook," she said slowly.
"That's right," agreed Horo Horo, kneeling beside Ren. "Dumplings are a favorite of your onii-chan too, right?"
She nodded eagerly. "Yes! Especially when dipped into peanut butter!"
Behind them, everyone stuck their tongue out. "Yuck!!!"
Horo narrowed his eyes at them. "I happen to have a diverse culinary taste."
"So prepare lots of dumplings for us, ok?" said Ren, smiling, smoothing her hair.
She nodded tearfully.
"And Ren and I will have a dumpling eating contest." Horo messed her hair fondly.
Ren glared at Horo. "Hey! What are you doing to Pirika?"
"Hah! You're not exactly a hair salon expert so stop snapping! " yelled Horo back.
Pirika's eyes shook. This will be all over soon, and we'll have that victory feast, where Ms. Anna and Master Yoh would have a scolding session again, and onii-chan and Ryu are fighting over the last piece of shrimp, and Tamao would be hitting my brother with her spoon. Onii-chan would tease her, then I would laugh…
She looked at the arguing Horo and Ren. And Ren would join us up too. This will be all over soon.
She suddenly threw herself to both boys, hugging them. "Take care on your way! Both of you must come back safe, ok?"
Horo grinned. "Sure, sis."
Ren smiled. "Yes, Pirika."
Yohmei handed Faust a sword. "Bring this to my grandson. Make sure that this not fall to the enemy's hands."
The doctor bowed.
Hao handed Anna a box.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Open it, so you would know," he said, smiling.
She did, and the beautiful pale pink off-shoulder gown she saw in the wedding shop was revealed. Her eyes shook when she saw petals of cherryblossoms overflowed from the box.
Hao seemed to enjoy the look on her face. "You will wear this later."
She nodded. It would had been her happiest day…
…if her groom would be Asakura Yoh.
She looked at Hao, then smiled timidly. Maybe if she pretended to see him as Yoh, she would be happy.
In the end, she decided that Hao was too kind to be treated that way. Placing Yoh's personality on him was not right.
Besides, he would make me happy. Yoh would be happy.
That's what matters.
Tsuzuku
Gomen for the shortness of the chapter. I'm late already for Com Prog. Screw those electric companies!
