Disclaimer: Hiroyuki Takei created Shaman King. Therefore, he has
copyrights to it! I don't!
Author's Notes: If you're reading this right now Cyndi, HA HA HA!!! To quote Crank Yankers, "The names have not been changed. Screw the innocent!" Not that she's really innocent...she really IS all those things! Especially the wannabe Goth thing, it's pathetic.
~***~ A Dream Come True?
Chapter Fifteen ~***~
After Kazeko opened the door we all headed in. She was standing there with the most smug look on her face that I have ever seen. Then the look disappeared as a dark shadow floated up from the miko's body. The miko collapsed to the floor.
Meanwhile the shadow remained hovering in midair. It quickly took form as a really ugly-looking old hag. "I am the true Kazeko!" she screeched. "Fight me and die, Asakura Hao!"
The real Hao smirked. "You're looking at the wrong person, then. Don't you mean him?" He pointed at me.
I realized what he was getting at. Kazeko already knew that I wasn't Hao! It was true- -she'd been staring at Hao (in my body) the whole time! How could she know?
"Aww, hell," I said, dismissing the thought. I materialized a bit of fire in my hand and I pulled an arrow shape out of it. The rest of the flame became the bow. "Phoenix- -"
"Wait!" Anna shouted. "Not yet!"
To my surprise Kazeko repossessed the miko's body. "Do you really want to harm an innocent woman?" she sneered.
"AAAAAARRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!! What is this, Oracle of Ages?!!"
Yoh shrugged. "Guess so."
I rolled my eyes and focused my bow into a long whip, then turned it to the earth element. "Hee hee...move over, Kurama."
"Who's Kurama?" asked Horo.
"Never mind."
I rushed at Kazeko, but she teleported to my left. Hell, I beat Oracle of Ages a year ago- -I knew how to deal with this hag. I lashed my whip at her before she could weave her own spell. She was knocked out of the miko's body and reverted to physical form. I changed my whip to a fiery sword and ran at her.
I got about three good slices in before Kazeko went back to shadow form and possessed the miko. This went on for about fifteen minutes before I started getting tired. At that point I was lucky to get even one slice in.
As Kazeko possessed the miko again I leaned on the sword so I could catch my breath. That smug laughter she was giving me wasn't helping my temper, either.
"Give it up, fool," she mocked. "You're nothing compared to my power. Even weakened, I am victorious."
She came closer. "And now my end of the bargain is fulfilled."
"I knew it."
Hao came up right behind Kazeko and jammed two fingers into her neck. "Now that you can't move, perhaps we can get some answers out of you. Yoh?"
While Ren and Horo helped me up, Yoh (integrated with Amidamaru) held his sword to Kazeko's throat. Hao released her and turned to face her directly. "You're in league with someone on this. There was a wind strong enough to push me to the ground and hit my head on a rock at the same time Mira hit her own head. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she hissed.
"I think you do," Hao replied. "You'd better tell us what you know about this whole thing. Otherwise I'm sure my brother would be happy to end your worthless existence."
Yoh pushed his sword against Kazeko's neck.
"All right!" she screeched. "She said her name was Midori! We agreed to dispatch each other's enemy for each other. By switching them, it made the job that much easier."
"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "Midori?! That's that bitch of a traitor Cyndi's nickname!"
Hao smirked. "So you see, we were both deceived. And you sure picked out one hell of a time to switch us, too. I've had to deal with all sorts of crap lately."
I gave him a big silly grin. "It wouldn't happen to include a certain little red fairy, would it?"
"Shut up."
Both Ren and I started laughing. Even Horo started in. "So did you think you were dying or something?!"
Hao glared at him. "I'm not THAT much of an idiot. Now shut up!"
While we were distracted Kazeko saw her opportunity. She entered shadow form and came right at me- -I guess she was going to possess me. But that's when the Soul of Fire opened its big mouth and...
"Eeeeww," I commented. "He ATE her."
Hao grinned. "Good boy."
I glared at him. "C'mon, Hao! He's not a dog for God's sake."
Since I was still exhausted from my fight with Kazeko Ren and Horo helped me out of the chamber. Mari, Macchi and Kanna helped out the miko. As soon as we all stepped out the door the labyrinth faded back into the shrine.
'Thank God for small favors," I whispered, and fell unconscious.
~***~
I opened my eyes groggily. My entire head felt like I'd gotten a hangover- -without the pleasure of getting drunk first. Not that I've ever been drunk. I was at a grocery store and someone dropped a 150 proof bottle of bourbon. Just breathing the smell in gave me a hangover...
Anyway, where I was sleeping was so warm and comfortable that I just snuggled in and tried to go back to sleep. That's when I heard the click of a camera going off. At first I didn't think anything of it- -that is, until I heard Horo laughing.
"Shut up and let me sleep!" I shouted in unison with my "pillow".
Another big double take...
I looked up to realize that I'd been sleeping with my head on the chest of an equally asleep Ren! And Horo had just taken a picture of it!
"GIMME THAT CAMERA!!!" we both shouted, and proceeded to chase Horo around the Asakura living room.
Author's Notes: If you're reading this right now Cyndi, HA HA HA!!! To quote Crank Yankers, "The names have not been changed. Screw the innocent!" Not that she's really innocent...she really IS all those things! Especially the wannabe Goth thing, it's pathetic.
~***~ A Dream Come True?
Chapter Fifteen ~***~
After Kazeko opened the door we all headed in. She was standing there with the most smug look on her face that I have ever seen. Then the look disappeared as a dark shadow floated up from the miko's body. The miko collapsed to the floor.
Meanwhile the shadow remained hovering in midair. It quickly took form as a really ugly-looking old hag. "I am the true Kazeko!" she screeched. "Fight me and die, Asakura Hao!"
The real Hao smirked. "You're looking at the wrong person, then. Don't you mean him?" He pointed at me.
I realized what he was getting at. Kazeko already knew that I wasn't Hao! It was true- -she'd been staring at Hao (in my body) the whole time! How could she know?
"Aww, hell," I said, dismissing the thought. I materialized a bit of fire in my hand and I pulled an arrow shape out of it. The rest of the flame became the bow. "Phoenix- -"
"Wait!" Anna shouted. "Not yet!"
To my surprise Kazeko repossessed the miko's body. "Do you really want to harm an innocent woman?" she sneered.
"AAAAAARRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!! What is this, Oracle of Ages?!!"
Yoh shrugged. "Guess so."
I rolled my eyes and focused my bow into a long whip, then turned it to the earth element. "Hee hee...move over, Kurama."
"Who's Kurama?" asked Horo.
"Never mind."
I rushed at Kazeko, but she teleported to my left. Hell, I beat Oracle of Ages a year ago- -I knew how to deal with this hag. I lashed my whip at her before she could weave her own spell. She was knocked out of the miko's body and reverted to physical form. I changed my whip to a fiery sword and ran at her.
I got about three good slices in before Kazeko went back to shadow form and possessed the miko. This went on for about fifteen minutes before I started getting tired. At that point I was lucky to get even one slice in.
As Kazeko possessed the miko again I leaned on the sword so I could catch my breath. That smug laughter she was giving me wasn't helping my temper, either.
"Give it up, fool," she mocked. "You're nothing compared to my power. Even weakened, I am victorious."
She came closer. "And now my end of the bargain is fulfilled."
"I knew it."
Hao came up right behind Kazeko and jammed two fingers into her neck. "Now that you can't move, perhaps we can get some answers out of you. Yoh?"
While Ren and Horo helped me up, Yoh (integrated with Amidamaru) held his sword to Kazeko's throat. Hao released her and turned to face her directly. "You're in league with someone on this. There was a wind strong enough to push me to the ground and hit my head on a rock at the same time Mira hit her own head. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she hissed.
"I think you do," Hao replied. "You'd better tell us what you know about this whole thing. Otherwise I'm sure my brother would be happy to end your worthless existence."
Yoh pushed his sword against Kazeko's neck.
"All right!" she screeched. "She said her name was Midori! We agreed to dispatch each other's enemy for each other. By switching them, it made the job that much easier."
"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "Midori?! That's that bitch of a traitor Cyndi's nickname!"
Hao smirked. "So you see, we were both deceived. And you sure picked out one hell of a time to switch us, too. I've had to deal with all sorts of crap lately."
I gave him a big silly grin. "It wouldn't happen to include a certain little red fairy, would it?"
"Shut up."
Both Ren and I started laughing. Even Horo started in. "So did you think you were dying or something?!"
Hao glared at him. "I'm not THAT much of an idiot. Now shut up!"
While we were distracted Kazeko saw her opportunity. She entered shadow form and came right at me- -I guess she was going to possess me. But that's when the Soul of Fire opened its big mouth and...
"Eeeeww," I commented. "He ATE her."
Hao grinned. "Good boy."
I glared at him. "C'mon, Hao! He's not a dog for God's sake."
Since I was still exhausted from my fight with Kazeko Ren and Horo helped me out of the chamber. Mari, Macchi and Kanna helped out the miko. As soon as we all stepped out the door the labyrinth faded back into the shrine.
'Thank God for small favors," I whispered, and fell unconscious.
~***~
I opened my eyes groggily. My entire head felt like I'd gotten a hangover- -without the pleasure of getting drunk first. Not that I've ever been drunk. I was at a grocery store and someone dropped a 150 proof bottle of bourbon. Just breathing the smell in gave me a hangover...
Anyway, where I was sleeping was so warm and comfortable that I just snuggled in and tried to go back to sleep. That's when I heard the click of a camera going off. At first I didn't think anything of it- -that is, until I heard Horo laughing.
"Shut up and let me sleep!" I shouted in unison with my "pillow".
Another big double take...
I looked up to realize that I'd been sleeping with my head on the chest of an equally asleep Ren! And Horo had just taken a picture of it!
"GIMME THAT CAMERA!!!" we both shouted, and proceeded to chase Horo around the Asakura living room.