Title: Shaman Christmas
Author: Yoh Asakura
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or the characters in Shaman King, or any part of Shaman King. It belongs rightfully to the full possession and creativity of Hiroyuki Takei.
Character's Involved: Yoh, Anna, Manta, Amidamaru, ( Horohoro and Ren in later chapters )
Warnings: OOC-ness, and scary Anna...
Chapter Three: The Book That Called To Him


In the checkout aisle, Manta hurriedly placed all of their chosen items onto the conveyor belt. Then he rushed to the far end of the line, awaiting the total and bags. Yoh yawned as he stared emotionlessly at the different types of magazines which littered the sidelines at the checkout. Nothing really appealed to his interests. Until, of course, his uncurious eyes fell apon a book entitled: A Fiancee's First Christmas. At first Yoh shuddered at the thought of how that was actually quite similar in likeness to his own life. Then, curiousity finally sparked, and the shaman lifted the book from the rack to see what the author had to say about such an unknown title. [ A Fiancee's First Christmas -- The writings of a man who shared and celebrated the first Christmas together with his fiancee. All seemed fine, until a horror occured and a mysterious death took place .. his own. ] Yoh was mildly amused, he flipped over the book to check the price and found that.. there wasn't a price. 'It's free?' wondered Yoh, then he checked the rack where he'd found it.. this book was the only one of it's kind there. There wasn't even the author's name on the book. But, thinking it was something to read while he waited for Anna's hair to be done, which he assumed was still taking place, he held on to it. Manta waved frantically toward Yoh, who was still standing in the checkout aisle with nothing to buy and holding up an immense line of angry customers. Yoh blinked at Manta, then smiled and strode to his friend. "Well, let's go back to Miyuki Shouniyah's." he smiled, he'd screwed up the store's name, but Manta understood. Shaking his head, he proceeded to lead Yoh towards the small half restaurant type place in the store. "Listen, Yoh.." he began, Yoh focused his short attention span on his short companion. "You can't go back to Miyukah Shouniyo's.. Anna wanted to be alone, and we need to continue planning for her surprise party." he shot a forced grin up at his shaman friend. "Well, alright.. but what if Anna is done early?" Manta fumbled, "Are you kidding, Yoh?! Anna takes forever when she gets her hair done!! Even if the hairdressers ARE finished, she will complain to have it redid until she has everything JUST RIGHT!!" he sighed, Yoh smiled, "Oh yeah, she does take forever .. that's why I brought this book." he held up the book and Manta blinked in disbelief. "How did you get that book when Anna has your wallet!?!" his voice rode on the edges of panic and hysteria. Yoh blinked a few times giving pause to the situation. "Oh, no no.." he smiled hugely, "..this book is free!" Manta smacked his self in the forehead. "YOH!! THAT BOOK CAN'T BE FREE!!!!! IT'S HUGE! IT'S PAPERBACK!!! IT WAS FOUND IN THE CHECKOUT AISLE!!!" Yoh's headphones flew from his head and right through Amidamaru's face from the force of Manta's screaming. The ghost blinked a few times. "Calm down, Lord Manta -- I think this book is a Phantom's Book." Yoh was the slightest bit intrigued as he turned to face Amidamaru. "..Phantom's book?" The samurai calmly explained, "Yes, Lord Yoh .. Allow me to explain, I have known quite a few of these Phantom Book authors.. You see; sometimes when a person dies of a tragic death, he or she finds someone going through something similar and assumes the same will happen to that individual, and sometimes they are right. They leave a journal form of a book, explaining their own life's situations, what happened to cause the tragety, how they personally felt throughout it.. even the experience of devastation the person had felt. They want to pass it on, to show the one with the most similarities the pain and the mistakes. A Phantom's Book. They leave no trace of identity, no publisher's address.. they only want to show you what they think will happen to you as it has happened to them. They fear their own deaths, their own trageties so much that it is all they can permit themselves to think about. They write in Phantom Books to express their pain, and they wish to show it
to the living one that they believe need to hear it. Do you understand, Lord Yoh?
That the ghost who wrote that book was showing it to you for a reason.. he believes what happened to him, will indeed happen to you." Yoh stared at Amidamaru, surprised that the ghost would know so much about this type of ghost. Being a shaman, Yoh thought he would know about this, but oh well, Amidamaru said he'd met ghosts like it before, he probably heard the facts from the other ghost. "Hm, so *that's* what a Phantom's Book is all about.." Manta was on the verge of tears. "Oh, Amidamaru, that's so sad!! No wonder no one was suspicious about Yoh walking out without buying it. They couldn't see it. So, what is the book about, Yoh?" Then he became more fear-stricken, "What tragety does the ghost think will happen to you!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!?!" Yoh was then a bit astonished, and held the book up to show Amidamaru. "I did think it was kinda' strange that there was no price or anything.." Amidamaru nodded, "Yes, that's definately a Phantom's Book.. and it seems that the ghost thinks you will die and lose your fiancee before your first Christmas together." As simply as this sounded when the samurai ghost explained it, Manta couldn't help but freak out completely. "WHAT!!! YOH MIGHT DIE!!!?!" Yoh scratched his chin in thought, "Yes, well, I might..But I should find this ghost and settle his restless soul." Amidamaru shook his head. "Like I first said, Lord Yoh, I have met with these Phantom Book authors, they do not want to believe they can be helped, they do not choose to listen, they only want to share the truths from their own trageties.. they want nothing more than for the individual most like them to grieve as they have done, and possibly change their life like they could not have done." Yoh nodded, "True as that is, Amidamaru, I still believe that by channeling this ghost I can assist him in overcoming his trageties' past." Manta sighed, "But weren't you listening, Yoh? The ghost would already be saved just by having someone close in resemblance to his own life be able to know the story and prevent it from happening to them. The ghost doesn't need or want anything more than that!!" Yoh sighed, "Well that may be what the ghost figures, but I think he might need more than that.. something to settle his soul for good." Amidamaru knew when to stop and also understood that his manipulating would not be heeded this time around, though he did have a piece of advice. "Lord Yoh, I think it may be in your best interest if you were to read that book and try to prevent the horrible tragety that may befall you and Lady Anna." Yoh nodded and gulped, clutching the book firmly within his grasp. "Right. But I need a place to read this.."


*End Chapter Three*

[[ Okay, now I'll start writing as soon as I get around to it.. hehe. Don't worry, I'll try and get a new chapter up in atleast a day or two. Check back if you're interested -- and don't forget, reviews are always appreciated. If you have the time, let me know what you think.. n_n ]]