Disclaimer: Shaman King doesn't belong to me. It belongs to H.T.!!
Author's Notes: Urrgh...lots of stuff going on for me right now. College aps, job hunting, getting my driver's license- -the list goes on. But I wrote a funny little one-shot fic for X/1999, so if you're into that series you can go read it once it's posted. Enough advertising! On with the story!
~***~ A Dream Come True?
Chapter Ten ~***~
"Here."
Anna held out two Tylenol-looking pills. Or whatever the Tylenol equivalent is in Japan. I popped them in my mouth and swallowed them dry.
Then I looked at my three "underlings". "So besides making sure I was okay- -which was really unnecessary- -why are you here?"
Mari sighed. "We didn't want you to worry, Lord Hao. But there's something you should know."
"After what I just went through? I'm ready for anything. Spill."
"There is that 'spill' term again," said Amidamaru with a puzzled look on his face. "What exactly does it mean?"
I sighed. "I'll explain later."
"There's been many demonic possessions around Osaka lately," Macchi explained. "It started with just a few random ones outside the city. But so far Mari and I have sensed twenty- -five of them in the city itself."
"Holy cheese...that many demons in just one area?"
"That's the catch," Mari continued. "Demons have individual energy signatures just as humans do. When we first sensed the demons possessing people, we realized they were all part of the same demon."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "A mass possession? Sounds unlikely."
"Not exactly," I replied. "I think I remember something...Hao- -er- -I experienced in my second lifetime. There was a demon that possessed about fifty people over a few months."
"What happened?"
"I was able to isolate the real demon from the dozens of other pieces. Once I defeated him all the possessions ended."
Anna glared at me. "Well obviously you didn't defeat him. By the sound of it he's back."
I stuck out my tongue at her. "Spoiled brat."
"Take cover!" shouted Yoh.
Anna stomped over to me. "If you've got the nerve to say that to me when I'm halfway across the room, then say it now!"
"Fine. Spoiled brat!"
Her eyes looked about ready to bug out of their sockets. Apparently before me nobody had ever had the guts to stand up to her like that. Then to my surprise she reached up and grabbed my hair!
"OWWW!!! Leggo, you crazy hell-demon!"
"Take it back!!"
"No way! No sense in taking it back if it's the truth!!"
"I SAID, take it BACK!!!"
"OW OW OW!!! Okay, okay!! Stop yanking already!"
"Leave Lord Hao alone!" all three underlings shouted.
"STAY OUTTA THIS!!!" Anna shot back.
All three paled.
"I'm sorry, okay?! Just let go of my hair! You're ripping off my scalp!"
She finally let go. "Now do you really want to incur my wrath again?"
"Not exactly."
"Good. Then let's put it this way." She leaned in close and whispered. "As long as you're in Hao's body you're under MY rules. Understand?"
'Like hell,' I thought. But I nodded anyway.
"So...what are we going to do, Lord Hao?" asked Macchi.
"What do you think?! We go to Osaka and nail this demon, of course!"
Mari stared at me. "Opacho was right...you really have changed. Why do you want to protect humans all of a sudden?"
I glared at her. Sure, I didn't want to ruin Hao's reputation for being an angsty and vengeful little jerk, so I thought up the best answer I could. "I'm not interested in saving the humans. I just want to settle an old score."
But at the same time I said that, I felt the cold lump in the bottom of my chest begin to move. Seemed that Hao's personality was in a rush to take me over... But I'm not one to give up so easily- -if that personality wanted my mind so much it could fight me for it.
~***~
We made the decision to head for Osaka in the morning. I was still tired from both Shiro's attack and the empathy overload, so I was glad for the rest. What came knocking at the door at six in the morning, though...
There was a lot of yelling going on at the time, but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up again around nine. Ignoring the extremely annoying laughter in the kitchen I went in and poured myself a cup of hot coffee that I requested Anna to make the night before, just so I could walk around without looking like a zombie.
"Hey, Hao!" an overly cheerful and obviously caffeine-buzzed voice shouted in English. "How ya doin'? Get it- -I said 'Hao, how ya doin'!! That's funny!"
I was now fully awake- -without the coffee's help. I turned around to see Chocolove cakling like a hyena at the counter, with a cup of coffee in his hand. I whirled around to glare at a VERY unhappy Anna. "You let HIM drink coffee?!"
She glared back. "I didn't think it would be this bad!"
"How could you NOT know?"
"What's happening, Lord Hao?"
I looked up at the tall blue-haired girl and pointed accusingly at Anna. "SHE let Chocolove have coffee!!"
Then I realized who I was talking to. "Kanna? Why are YOU here?"
She smiled. ""Macchi phoned me this morning. I'd be more than honored to help you."
I rolled my eyes and looked away. "Demented fangirls."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Author's Notes: Urrgh...lots of stuff going on for me right now. College aps, job hunting, getting my driver's license- -the list goes on. But I wrote a funny little one-shot fic for X/1999, so if you're into that series you can go read it once it's posted. Enough advertising! On with the story!
~***~ A Dream Come True?
Chapter Ten ~***~
"Here."
Anna held out two Tylenol-looking pills. Or whatever the Tylenol equivalent is in Japan. I popped them in my mouth and swallowed them dry.
Then I looked at my three "underlings". "So besides making sure I was okay- -which was really unnecessary- -why are you here?"
Mari sighed. "We didn't want you to worry, Lord Hao. But there's something you should know."
"After what I just went through? I'm ready for anything. Spill."
"There is that 'spill' term again," said Amidamaru with a puzzled look on his face. "What exactly does it mean?"
I sighed. "I'll explain later."
"There's been many demonic possessions around Osaka lately," Macchi explained. "It started with just a few random ones outside the city. But so far Mari and I have sensed twenty- -five of them in the city itself."
"Holy cheese...that many demons in just one area?"
"That's the catch," Mari continued. "Demons have individual energy signatures just as humans do. When we first sensed the demons possessing people, we realized they were all part of the same demon."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "A mass possession? Sounds unlikely."
"Not exactly," I replied. "I think I remember something...Hao- -er- -I experienced in my second lifetime. There was a demon that possessed about fifty people over a few months."
"What happened?"
"I was able to isolate the real demon from the dozens of other pieces. Once I defeated him all the possessions ended."
Anna glared at me. "Well obviously you didn't defeat him. By the sound of it he's back."
I stuck out my tongue at her. "Spoiled brat."
"Take cover!" shouted Yoh.
Anna stomped over to me. "If you've got the nerve to say that to me when I'm halfway across the room, then say it now!"
"Fine. Spoiled brat!"
Her eyes looked about ready to bug out of their sockets. Apparently before me nobody had ever had the guts to stand up to her like that. Then to my surprise she reached up and grabbed my hair!
"OWWW!!! Leggo, you crazy hell-demon!"
"Take it back!!"
"No way! No sense in taking it back if it's the truth!!"
"I SAID, take it BACK!!!"
"OW OW OW!!! Okay, okay!! Stop yanking already!"
"Leave Lord Hao alone!" all three underlings shouted.
"STAY OUTTA THIS!!!" Anna shot back.
All three paled.
"I'm sorry, okay?! Just let go of my hair! You're ripping off my scalp!"
She finally let go. "Now do you really want to incur my wrath again?"
"Not exactly."
"Good. Then let's put it this way." She leaned in close and whispered. "As long as you're in Hao's body you're under MY rules. Understand?"
'Like hell,' I thought. But I nodded anyway.
"So...what are we going to do, Lord Hao?" asked Macchi.
"What do you think?! We go to Osaka and nail this demon, of course!"
Mari stared at me. "Opacho was right...you really have changed. Why do you want to protect humans all of a sudden?"
I glared at her. Sure, I didn't want to ruin Hao's reputation for being an angsty and vengeful little jerk, so I thought up the best answer I could. "I'm not interested in saving the humans. I just want to settle an old score."
But at the same time I said that, I felt the cold lump in the bottom of my chest begin to move. Seemed that Hao's personality was in a rush to take me over... But I'm not one to give up so easily- -if that personality wanted my mind so much it could fight me for it.
~***~
We made the decision to head for Osaka in the morning. I was still tired from both Shiro's attack and the empathy overload, so I was glad for the rest. What came knocking at the door at six in the morning, though...
There was a lot of yelling going on at the time, but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up again around nine. Ignoring the extremely annoying laughter in the kitchen I went in and poured myself a cup of hot coffee that I requested Anna to make the night before, just so I could walk around without looking like a zombie.
"Hey, Hao!" an overly cheerful and obviously caffeine-buzzed voice shouted in English. "How ya doin'? Get it- -I said 'Hao, how ya doin'!! That's funny!"
I was now fully awake- -without the coffee's help. I turned around to see Chocolove cakling like a hyena at the counter, with a cup of coffee in his hand. I whirled around to glare at a VERY unhappy Anna. "You let HIM drink coffee?!"
She glared back. "I didn't think it would be this bad!"
"How could you NOT know?"
"What's happening, Lord Hao?"
I looked up at the tall blue-haired girl and pointed accusingly at Anna. "SHE let Chocolove have coffee!!"
Then I realized who I was talking to. "Kanna? Why are YOU here?"
She smiled. ""Macchi phoned me this morning. I'd be more than honored to help you."
I rolled my eyes and looked away. "Demented fangirls."
"What?"
"Nothing."