That night, Pirika couldn't sleep, no matter how she try. She stole a glance at her brother who was already sleeping peacefully. Sighing, she decided to take a walk outside.
She wasn't surprised anymore when she saw Ren practicing his oversoul in the garden again. She merely sat down on the grass, her knees tucked, as she watched him in all his perspiring glory.
Fortunately, he still hadn't noticed her. His concentration was on his furyoku.
She took the opportunity to gaze at him, taking in his wild emerald eyes that contrasted with his pale skin glowing as the platinum moonlight bathed him, his dark blue hair that danced with the wind as he moved agilely.
Her heart began to race.
Iie, this can't be! No, I refuse to consider that absurdity! She stood up, trembling violently. That caught the boy's attention. He turned to her, his vintage smirk on his face.
"An uninvited audience," he said. "I should have known that you can't stay away from me."
She turned away, grateful that the darkness could hide the colors in her cheeks.
It is absurd. I cannot – I do *not* have a crush on him!
Yoh had just performed his routine night push-ups, and now, as he prepared to turn the lights off, Anna suddenly spoke up.
"You may use the other side of the bed," she said, not facing him.
"H-Huh?"
"It's large enough to accommodate both of us," she continued.
He rubbed his cheek. "Are you sure? I mean…"
"Look, do you want a bed or not?"
"Coming!" He hurriedly turned the light off and laid himself carefully on the bed. He noticed the pillows in between them.
"If you dare cross that boundary, I'll flagellate you upside down."
"Hai! Good night, Anna."
"Good night," she mumbled. She still couldn't figure out how she came to the decision to let her bodyguard sleep in the same bed she was using. She glanced at him, then turned to her other side again.
He was able to sleep with no problem. Why should I have trouble sleeping too? It's not like we're doing anything wrong.
She shut her eyes. Maybe if she willed herself to think of nothing else but nothing, she would eventually fall asleep.
She then heard the peaceful rhythmic breathing of her bedmate. She sighed and clamped her pillow on her head.
It's going to be a long, long night.
"Good morning!!! Rise and shine, everyone!!!" greeted Horo Horo the next morning, hitting the covers of the pots together like cymbals.
Pirika opened her eyes at once. If her brother woke up ahead of them, then that could only mean…
"Mashed potatoes for breakfast!!!" She giddily jumped down the stairs.
Yoh woke up too, yawning. He tried to stretch, but realized that something was weighing his arms down. He also didn't feel the usual aching back because of the cold floor. Therefore….
He jolted awake when he saw that he was sleeping on Anna's bed, and the girl was lying against his chest! Her hand was lying comfortably against his naked chest bared by his unbuttoned shirt. Her soft, golden hair was tickling his neck, and her soft, creamy skin was next to him.
His face freaked out. He had to get out of this position before she wakes up! He remembered her warning of upside-down torture. He knew she was only capable of doing that, and perhaps, even more.
Dakedo, she feels nice.
He shook his head vehemently. What was he thinking? Was Horo Horo's pervertedness that contagious?
I'll do twenty extra push-ups today to apologize to her.
With that, he carefully untangled himself from her. He heard her moan protestingly, and it was all he could do not to go back to bed with her.
Yoh, have shame on yourself! You should not use her as an outlet for your pervertedness! She doesn't know what she was doing because she's asleep, and you aren't. Besides, she's not just any girl…she's…she's…
…she's capable of homicide.
He gazed at her tenderly. Maybe a few more moments of looking at her beautifully serene face would not hurt…
But then, her eyes opened.
"Anna, it hurts! Please, my neck hurts!!!" Yoh pleaded while the girl calmly sipped her tea. She had made him do a headstand an hour ago as everyone gaped at him. Ren couldn't believe that he was letting her do this to him. He couldn't believe himself either, but ever since he met her, obedience had suddenly become part of his life. Her rule was that of the military's – obey first before you ask. However, if you dare ask her…
…he didn't think he would live long enough to find out.
Anna glared at him. "Shut up. I'm meditating."
"Anna…" he begged.
Amidamaru suddenly appeared beside him. "Master Yoh, you're doing fine! You look so good…um, when you're in an upside down position…"
"Thanks, Amidamaru."
"Headstand becomes you."
"Thanks so much for cheering me up."
Tamao paused from her meal when she saw Horo looking at her hand. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away.
Pirika smiled. "I hope you don't mind, Onii-chan, but I lent her my ring."
He nodded slowly, then looked back at his meal, not commenting.
Tamao's gaze followed him worriedly.
"Tamao," called Ren suddenly. "I heard that you are being chased by the Asakura palace guards."
She nodded slowly. "They're going to take me back to Master Hao…he needs me to predict what shall take place in the future before the descent of the Great Spirit."
"You can predict?" asked the Tao. "Will you do a prediction on me? I'm looking for a wife."
"Why don't you try the Classified Ads?" asked Pirika sarcastically.
"Wanted: Perfect Wife." Ren smirked. "Nice idea."
Anna straightened. "An ad…Wanted: Perfect Husband, Must be a Shaman King…"
Yoh blinked.
"That's it!" Anna nodded to herself. "I will publish an ad looking for a husband!"
Everyone's eyes widened.
"Are you serious?" spat Horo. "Who would take your ad seriously? Anyone can come here and say that he will be the shaman king someday. What will you do then?"
"Then Yoh will test him," said Anna, turning to her bodyguard. "If that applicant will really be the shaman king someday, he must be able to defeat Yoh first."
"But Anna, what you are looking for is a husband, not some clerk in an office," reasoned Yoh. "If you really intend to marry, why don't you use your heart to choose…"
"Love does not exist in my world, Yoh," she said, sighing. "What I have is an imitation of love, and I'm quite happy with it, thank you." She stood up. "Get up. We have to go to the newspaper office and have an ad for that."
Yoh's relief was short-lived. He stopped from rubbing his strained neck muscles and gaped at her.
"Are you really serious? You're going to run an ad for a husband?" he squeaked. He could just imagine what kind of men would he battle with to test Anna's suitors.
"Yes."
"Anna, please reconsider!" he begged. "Love does not happen that way."
"No." She shrugged. "Whoever said anything about love, anyway? I thought I told you that love is unreal." She glared at him. "Why don't you just admit that you are afraid to fight my would-be suitors?"
"Er…" He rubbed his cheek sheepishly.
Ren smirked. "That's fine by me. I get to fight with Yoh, and I can take home an able wife to my family."
Pirika's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're applying too!"
The Tao laughed vexingly. "Why? Will you stop me?"
"Of course not!" Her face flushed. "I don't care what you do! You can go to hell for all I care!" She bit on her food furiously.
Horo sighed. "Really now, Anna, isn't that selfish of you? You're going to put Yoh's life at stake for your caprices."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "For my what?" she asked calmly, but razor sharpness filled the edge of her voice.
"N-Nothing!" The Ainu groaned. The girl sure was scary!
"Here, let me predict your fate," said Tamao. "Maybe it can help you reconsider."
Sighing, Anna showed the girl her palm. The prophetess took the coin of her board, placed it on her palm, then placed it on her board again. Suddenly, the coin came to life, furiously spelling out something.
Yoh looked on curiously.
"You will fall in love with the laughing wind – you may not be able to hold him, but you feel him. You may not see him yet, but he is there," said the pink-haired girl. "The wind and the fire shall be drawn to you, and one thousand years shall perish in an instant."
"Didn't it say anything about the person being a shaman king?" she asked impatiently.
Tamao shrugged.
"What about me?" asked Yoh.
"Give me your hand." Just like what she did with Anna, she used his force to make her coin move.
"Beware of the fire. Do not come to close, lest you shall burn as well."
"Obviously," said Anna sarcastically.
"You might carry the flame yourself, so beware," finished Tamao.
"I'm not afraid," said Yoh confidently. "I don't play with matchsticks anymore."
"I'm afraid that the flame is a personification of something else, Master Yoh," said the prophetess slowly. "I have already predicted the fate of someone sealed with a flame too…" Her voice trailed off. In broken speech, she told them about Hao, whom she predicted as the Fire.
"The flame may roar, but beware of the gentle, laughing wind. It may be strong enough to blow you out," she said. "I predicted to him that once, and he didn't like it."
"I wonder why," mused Yoh.
"Hah!" Anna stood up. "Those are just maybes. In the end, it will still be all up to me whether I find the shaman king husband I want or not." She raised her fists. "And I will find him, even if I have to pay the classified ads space monthly!"
"Maybe the shaman king is too busy reading the entertainment section in his morning papers, and he doesn't hear you," suggested Horo.
"He's the shaman king. He knows everything." End of conversation. Anna was dragging with her both Yoh and Amidamaru already.
"You intend to make Ms. Anna your wife?" asked Pirika again after the three left, and Horo and Tamao were in the kitchen sink, washing plates.
Ren nodded. "Father wants strong women in the family."
"I see."
He smirked. "Jealous?"
She threw her spoon at him, and he caught it with ease. "I hate you!" she screamed. She got up from the table and marched away.
The boy smirked some more. Oh, his day would never be complete without hearing those three words from her.
The next day, every male shaman had their eyes focused on the miniscule ad placed discreetly on the bottom-right section of today's classified ads.
"Hmmm…"
"Chocolove, you don't mean to say that you're taking that advertisement seriously!" said Nyorai when she saw her best friend looking at the ad.
He grinned at her. "Why not? I can be the shaman king someday!"
Her eyes saddened. "But to be her husband…why do you have to do that part too?"
"What? Why do I have a wart too?" he kidded.
She giggled, and his heart lightened. It was only Nyorai whom he could start laughing with his jokes.
He rolled the newspaper ad under his arm. "Mic, let's go!"
She gasped. "Y-You're leaving?! Already?!"
"Yup!" He waved at her. "I'll be back soon, and I'll introduce to you my wife."
She ran after him. "W-Wait, Chocolove!"
"Yeah?"
"I-If you don't get chosen to be the husband…" She beamed at him. "…you can always come back here. I-I'll find you your wife. I-I know someone who's madly in love with you."
For a moment, he couldn't speak. He couldn't even think of a joke to crack. But then, he propped his head against his arms. "Is that someone you're talking about Spot?" he asked, referring to her Dalmatian puppy. "Because if that is so…"
"Iie!" she cried.
He grinned, then pinched her cheeks fondly. "I'm off!"
"Take care!" she said, waving her hand as he rode Mic away. She sighed. "You are so dense, Choco."
"Young master Manta, we found something that might interest you," said the butler politely.
Oyamada Manta reached for the paper. "Wanted: Perfect Husband, Must Be a Shaman King." He rubbed his head. "So?"
"Aren't you looking for a wife to share all the wealth your parents passed down to you?" asked his butler,
"Well, he's looking for a shaman king…"
"You still believe those shaman tales at this age?"
Manta looked at the ad again.
"Besides, all women love wealth and fine life."
"Then why don't I just find another woman then?" asked the young heir.
"Because I know that your grandfather will improve of this girl. She must be quite a character to have the guts to publish something like this." The man smiled at the ad.
"You really think she'll be good for me?"
His trusty butler nodded.
"OK then, let's go."
Faust VIII smiled at the ad. "So someone's looking for a shaman husband, huh? Someone to keep me company. Someone who shall be the flesh and blood of my poor Eliza…" He smiled blissfully. "I will see that woman."
Hao was riding along town, disguised in a beggar's cloak, when he saw a newsboy selling papers. He bought one and browsed through the news. He was about to throw it away- the news were all just rubbish anyway- when he saw some men laughing at some kind of news item.
"Do you believe the audacity of that woman?" asked one of the men. "Using the classified ads to search for her man?"
"Yeah! And a shaman king at that!"
More boisterous laughter.
Hao looked at the classified ads, and there it was. A small boxed ad searching for a perfect husband that must be a shaman king.
Despite himself, curiosity perked within him.
He checked the address, then smiled. At least he had a side quest to busy himself with. Shilva and Karimu would have to wait – his minions would take care of them.
tsuzuku