"Look to the left…to the right…" Pirika wiped a bead of nervous sweat down her forehead. She tiptoed quietly out of her room, down the stairs, and finally to the living room. Her eyes were set on the door. "Almost there…" she whispered to herself encouragingly. She knew that Ren would be waiting outside the garden for her, where they would rendezvous. He promised to whisk her off to a romantic picnic by the moonlit shores a mile away from here.
She jumped when she felt the lights go on. Horo was waiting at the corner, smirking.
"And just where do you think are you going, young lady?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
"U-Uh…I want something to drink…"
"The kitchen's that way," he said, pointing to the other side of the house.
She smiled uneasily. "I thought I heard something outside…I'm going to check on it."
"Something, huh?" Her brother smiled. "A something that goes by the name Ren Tao?"
"H-Huh? What gave you the idea that I'm looking for him?" She tried to ease the tension out of her voice.
"Pi-ri-ka, I am your onii-chan. I always know," he said through gritted teeth. "Now go up. You won't be going anywhere with that vertically-challenged shaman!"
"Onii-chan!!!"
"Up, NOW!"
Ren was waiting in the pagoda of the house when he suddenly heard footsteps. His heart started to beat excitedly, but he forced himself to look cool. He didn't want to give himself away too much to her.
He felt a figure sit beside him. He smirked. So she's playing my game too, huh?
His hand reached for her hands too, and brought them to his lips. They were hard and calloused, not how he remembered it. But heck, he remembered that she did the laundry this morning. Must be the effect of that.
He frowned when he smelled animal scent. Did Pirika play with Mic today?
He must know.
He suddenly turned to her, pushed her down the floor, and bent down at her, smiling sexily. "How about a warm-up kiss before our date?"
He suddenly heard the most annoying, most horrifying chortle he had ever heard in his entire life. It was worse than shrieking bats and nails scratched on the blackboard. It was…hell.
"Oh Ren, that would be super!" squealed Chocolove, giggling.
The next morning, Lyserg came into the breakfast table, a warm smile ready on his face. "Good morning, Ms. Pirika!"
The usually cheerful girl didn't even hear him. She was too busy glaring at her brother, who was calmly eating breakfast.
The dowser decided to try again. "Good morning, Chocolove!"
The clown was less genkier than usual, for he was busy nursing his black eye.
Ryu came from the kitchen, holding a pitcher of juice. Upon seeing the dowser, the man looked away, embarrassed. The Wooden Sword still couldn't believe that: a) Lyserg was male and b) He lost 100 bucks because of that.
Lyserg sighed. It was really strange when the dining room was as quiet as this.
Anna put her bowl down. "You guys are more boring than usual. Excuse me." She stood up and walked out of the dining room.
"This is all your fault!" cried Pirika, poking her brother with her chopsticks. "If you didn't interfere-"
"I sent your lover boy a proxy, didn't I?" Horo asked, smiling devilishly.
"Kusu yo!" muttered Ren.
"I told you that you can go out on dates, but you must have me for a chaperone. What's so difficult with that?" asked Horo Horo back.
Chocolove grinned. "Well, for one thing, they won't be able to make out anymore!"
Chocolove walked out to the coltsfoot field, sighing. "They have terrible sense of humor." He turned to his pet. "Come, Mic. You're the only one who can understand my comical genius…you and Nyorai…" He looked out at the clear blue skies. "I wonder how she's doing now…"
Nyorai woke up when sunlight streamed through the small openings of the iron bars of her window. She stretched her muscles, then noticed that she wasn't alone again in the dungeon.
Nichrome was seated by the iron grills of her cell door, playing solitaire. He looked up when he felt her gaze, then looked down back at his game.
She crawled towards him and peered at his cards. For a few moments, they were just like that until finally, he stacked the cards back into the deck.
"I-I'm sorry for bothering your game…" She was about to crawl back to her original position when she felt his hand grab hers. She paused, puzzled.
The boy won't look at her, but she noticed the faint colors on his cheeks that he was trying to hide desperately with his bowed head.
"Play with me," he said quietly.
She pointed to herself, asking if he was sure.
He nodded slowly.
She smiled happily. "OK. Let's play Go Fish!"
He nodded eagerly, but his head remained bowed.
It remained that way all throughout the game, his face graced by occasional smiles he failed to hide.
Just then, the door opened, Zinc making his presence known with his aura.
Nichrome paused, then looked up at his fellow priest. "What is it?" he asked.
"You're attaching yourself too much to that girl. What if the Master decides to dispose of her at this minute?" asked Zinc.
Nichrome said nothing, but he gathered the cards already. Zinc smiled at the boy priest approvingly, then left the dungeon.
"Ni…chrome," she whispered uncertainly.
His eyes, round and wide with surprise when he heard her call his name, went to her at once.
"I'm sorry. I got you into trouble," she said softly.
He looked back at the cards. "I…I don't mind," he said shyly. "I-It was…fun playing with you."
It was her first time to hear him utter something more than a sentence, and it touched something in her heart peculiarly.
"Thanks. I had a great time too," she told him truthfully.
He gave her no reply anymore when he hurriedly exited the dungeon.
Horo Horo was seated on the windowpane of his bedroom, looking out at the mountains. "Why can't I help but feel worried for her? I wonder…did something happen to her?"
At the back of his mind, he could still remember his dream – that he told her he loved her, and kissed her. She kissed him back, and told him that she too, loved him. It was so vivid, as if he could still feel the gentle, delightful pressure of her lips on his.
He kicked himself mentally. Why was he starting to lust yet again on the prophetess?
She's too nice to be the object of your puberty fantasies, damn you! he scolded himself.
Tamao woke up, staring at the now familiar ceiling of Horo Horo's room. She tried to focus her sight at her hands, on her ring to be specific, but her vision was still blurred.
"Tamao, child, are you feeling well now?" asked Obaasan worriedly.
"W-What happened?" she asked weakly.
"You were cooking lunch when you suddenly…collapsed." The old woman clasped the girl's lifeless hands. "What's wrong, dear child? Maybe I should call for Horo Horo already."
Her eyes widened. "P-Please don't!" she cried. "I do not want to be part of the things he is currently worrying about. I am fine!"
"This is the fourth time you fainted in two days!" said the woman. "I am very worried about you, child."
Tamao shook her head bravely. "My body is always weak. After some days, my strength will return."
The old woman didn't look convinced.
"Trust me. Now promise me you won't let Horo Horo know about those times I fainted." Her eyes were begging.
"But he deserves to know, child! He will be your husband."
"No he won't!" she blurted out, making Obaasan gasp. Tamao bit her lip, then found herself revealing to the woman the truth behind them and Horo. She hid nothing from the kind old lady, even the fact that she was a prophetess on the run for escaping the Asakura Court.
In the end, the old woman was crying. "I am very overwhelmed with everything you said – this old woman can only take so much."
"I'm sorry," she said, voice broken.
"But among all these, I only have one question, and I want you to answer it with all the honesty in your heart…do you really love Horo Horo?"
Without blinking, she said clearly, "I do."
"That's enough for me." With that, the old woman hugged her lovingly. She felt tears well up in her eyes too. Love for the same boy bonded them before, but now, she could feel that Obaasan had bonded with her too.
She was very, very happy.
Lyserg was about to go to the church when he saw Pirika seated by the steps of the house, grumbling. He smiled when he remembered Manta's explanation of everyone's strangeness over breakfast this morning – apparently, Horo Horo discovered the dating plans of Ren and Pirika so he decided to do something about it. He blocked Pirika, and he sent Choco to meet up with Ren.
Pirika looked up at him when he walked to her. She smiled weakly. "Sorry about my attitude in the breakfast table awhile ago," she apologized. "My brother is getting on my nerves already. He is so over-protective! How will I get to spend some time alone with Ren if he won't stop meddling with my life!"
He held out his hand to her. "Come. Let's go to the church and pray for the desire of your heart to come true. God will open the door for those who will patiently knock."
"Y-You think that with all the calls He get from the people all over the world, calls that are much more important than mine, He would still have time to hear me?" she asked cautiously.
He smiled warmly. "Of course. Dear God knows no fatigue."
She accepted his hand. "Thanks, Lyserg."
Jeanne seized the chance when Marco was engrossed in his theology book. She tiptoed towards the choir stand and waited for Lyserg.
Half an hour later, he did come. But he wasn't alone.
Jeanne bit her lip. A beautiful, blue-haired girl was with him.
She watched as the two sat down together and began to pray.
Whether she would admit it or not, jealousy was gnawing her heart already. She turned her back on the scene and shakily walked away.
Apparently, she was no one special in his life anymore.
Lyserg stiffened. Pirika noticed it immediately. "Lyserg?"
The dowser shook his head. "N-Nothing."
Why is it that I felt Jeanne's presence, just like yesterday?
Anna arrived home after her training with Amidamaru and found Horo Horo seated by the window, looking out at the mountains…again.
"If you're worried, why don't you go to her?" she asked all of a sudden.
He perked up. "A-Anna?"
"You want to see Tamao badly. Why don't you do what your heart wants you to do?" she asked.
He tried to grin. "N-No, I'm not thinking of her. I-It's just that…"
Anna sighed. "Her name is written all over your goofy face, Horo Horo."
He touched his face at once. "It is?"
She shoved her hand to his face. "Talk to my hand!" With that, she and a sheepish Amidamaru continued to the kitchen.
Horo slowly smiled. "Maybe I should pay her a visit…I mean, my folks might miss me already…and I just want to check if they're treating her well."
Ren shut the kitchen door after hearing Horo's monologue. He smirked at the itako. "Not bad. I should give you the Oscar for your acting."
Anna shrugged. "Now pay up."
Ren handed her twenty bucks. "With Horo away, I can finally take Pirika out on a date! Thank the stars!"
"I'll be taking my vacation for two days, but I'll be leaving Anna in charge. Questions?" asked Horo Horo as he slung the snowboard on his shoulder that night.
"Don't you want to wait until tomorrow morning to travel?" asked Manta, concerned. "It's dangerous to go out at night."
"Ah, I have traveled back and forth the islands at night. This won't be any different."
Pirika stomped her foot on the ground. "You're always leaving! Don't you even care if your little sister will miss you?"
He messed her hair fondly. "I'll be back soon. I'm leaving Manta in charge of you, if ever someone tries to take advantage of you."
Ren rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath.
As Horo's figure was slowly swallowed by the darkness, Pirika suddenly hugged Ren. "Yay!!! Free at last!!!"
Manta could only smile at the lovebirds. He knew that no word of forbidding could ever stop the two. And who was he to get in the way of destiny?
Anna narrowed her eyes at everyone. "You heard Horo Horo – I'm in charge of all of you. Thus you must do everything I say." She turned to Ryu. "You can start by cooking dinner already. I want a chocolate cake for dessert, understood?"
Ryu immediately saluted.
She turned to Ren and Pirika. "The two of you. Before you go to your romantic escapade, clean the living room first."
"Wha-"
She turned to Lyserg and Chocolove. "Wash the dishes."
The dowser and the clown nodded.
She turned to Manta. "And you…clean my room."
The midget sighed as everyone looked at him sympathetically. That was the most daunting task among all the itako's orders.
"H-Hey, where are you going?" asked Ren.
She glared at him. "I'm the boss, so obey me first before you ask." With that, Anna left the house, leaving everyone sighing.
"I think I just met the mistress of the devil," said Ren, rolling his eyes.
They then heard knocks on the door.
"We have a guest?" asked Manta, looking at the clock.
"That can't be Anna," said the Tao. "The concept of knocking is too advanced for her mind."
"Maybe one of her shaman husband applicants," said Lyserg, opening the door. He blinked. "Good evening. What can we do for you?"
"Hai! Where is Anna?"
Behind him, Ren made his way to the door. "Look, you can just come back tomorrow to apply. She's not here right-" He froze when he saw who the guest was. Lyserg opened the door wider, on the other hand.
Everyone gaped openly at the grinning guest.
Anna was sitting by the tree where she used to train Yoh, Amidamaru sitting with her.
"It's been four days…where is he?" she asked.
"Ms. Anna, I know Master Yoh. If he says that he'll come back after four days, he will, come hail or high waters," said the power spirit reassuringly. "Don't worry about him."
"Worry?" Her eyes narrowed. "I'm angry!"
The spirit sweatdropped.
She tucked her knees as she gazed at the pretty fireflies around her, giving off small glows in the blinding darkness. "I'm mad at him for not even thinking about the people waiting for him." She played with the grass underneath her feet. "That idiot, that dense micro-brained idiot," she muttered.
Amidamaru suddenly sensed something. He smiled at the unaware mistress, then quietly moved away.
Anna hadn't noticed that the samurai spirit has left her. "If Yoh doesn't come back tomorrow, I won't wait for him anymore. I'll find myself a new bodyguard – one whom I know won't break promises and would be sensitive enough to my feelings."
"Don't do that, Anna."
The itako's eyes widened. She turned around, and from the darkness emerged Yoh, smiling at her with his familiar boyish grin. He was illuminated by the fire glows, making him almost unreal in her sight. But when he sat down beside her and felt his skin next to her, she could feel it in her heart that Yoh was already here beside her, for real.
"I'm sorry for taking so long – I ensured that I had squeezed out every ounce of my furyoku. I wanted not to be a better fighter, but the best fighter, only the best." He turned to her, smiling uncertainly. "I want to protect you ably, I want to become a worthy bodyguard. Most of all, I want to take care of you."
Her heart suddenly jumped.
He turned to the grass by his feet. "I-I'm sorry for being blunt. I guess I was just tired from the travel. I came straight from the training."
"Yoh?"
He looked up. "Hai?"
"I thought you visited Karimu?" she asked softly.
His eyes widened in panic. "A-Ah…" He suddenly turned to her, bowing repeatedly. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry for lying!"
She watched him for a few moments, taking in his familiar voice, his familiar aura that grew stronger but still spoke of gentleness, his familiar face. Her heart flooded with warmth. He was back, finally. Really, really back.
He noticed that she was gazing at him speechlessly already. "Anna?"
She shook her head slowly. "Nothing."
He grinned, then suddenly, his eyes lidded heavily. "Sleepy…"
"Yoh? Hey- oh!" Anna froze when an unconscious Yoh fell on her chest. She inspected his face and realized that he must have traveled from a really long journey. His face suddenly matured, and grew haggard, but he was no less cute. She smiled and leaned on the bark of the tree, careful not to wake the boy up. She would just let this stunt pass – after all, he did come back.
She found herself hugging the boy's head quietly, smiling happily. "I'm glad you did."
"So how many plates should I set tonight?" asked Lyserg.
Ren counted the people in the house." Excluding me and Pirika…let's see…four."
"But what about Ms. Anna and her bodyguard?"
"Ah, I think they'll skip dinner," smiled Manta.
tsuzuku
:: omake ::
~ In a Career Orientation Seminar Syao-chan Conducted ~
Yoh: Wow, so many jobs to choose from! I wonder what I'll be when I grow up.
Anna: You'll become my husband, that's what you'll be, idiot.
Yoh: Is that a job?
Anna: You'll be a part-time shaman king too.
Yoh: Uh, ok, if you say so.
Anna: And an owner of an onsen resort that I'll manage.
Yoh: Er-
Anna: And at the same time you'll be-
Hao: *points to a picture* I'll be a fireman!
*everyone sweatdrops*
Manta: When I grow up, I'll be an MVP in NBA!
*everyone's face darkens*
Lyserg: *squeal* I'll be a porn star!
*everyone goes o.o*
Lyserg: Why, what's the matter? I can be versatile in male and women roles! Plus the pay is good!
Ryu: When I grow up, I'll be Lyserg's leading man in his movies! *drool drool*
Anna: I hope you both don't grow up then.
Mikihisa: When I grow up, I'll join the G-Force! **
Hao: No offense, daddykins, but you're way too old for sentai***
Ren: *loudly* When I grow up, I'll be taller than all of you!
*everyone snickers*
Horo: Told you he had unsung issues with his height.
Yoh: What's your dream, Horo Horo?
Horo: Oh, I'm not like you ambitious people. I am very simple-minded. I just want to be a plain and simple multi-billionaire with a hundred hectare compound of coltsfoot and a chain of malls, fastfood chains, resorts, golf courses, subdivisions, and part ownership of Microsoft.
Jeanne: *hands clasped* I want to be Avril Lavaigne when I grow up! I want to star in my own MTV! I want a kickass necktie too!
Tamao: Cool! We can do a collaboration! I want to be Alanis Morisette!
Marco: *very nervous* Er, Mistress Jeanne…
Jeanne: *scowling* What the f*ck do you want? Can't you see I'm discussing my career here?
Marco: I thought we're going to Taiwan and audition for the dramas there! I thought we're going to cream the Dao-Sian Cai love team?
Jeanne: *dismissively* I changed my mind.
Marco: Waaaaah!!!! *tries to shoot himself with the angel pistol but discovers it has no bullets*
Jeanne: *mutters* What a loser. He tried to seduce me, he failed. He tried to seduce Lyserg, he failed. He tried to kill himself, he failed. Marco no baka.
Chocolove: When I grow up, I'll be a serious drama actor!
Everyone: X.X
Shilva: And I'll join the F4!
Yoh: Fantasy 4ever?
Shilva: Furyoku 4never. ^^ *looks at Karimu, Zinc, and Nichrome* Oh baby, baby, baby…my baby, baby…
Hao: I think I change my mind. I'm not going to be a fireman anymore.
Anna: *eyes narrowed* Because you just realized that it contradicts your powers?
Hao: No. The yellow coat is ugly.
Yoh: What will you be then, aniki?
Hao: When I grow up, I'll locate Hiroyuki Takei and ask him to redo Shaman King. This time, I'll be in your place and you get to hang out with Opacho. *smiles at Anna* I want to feel what it's like to have her for my fiancée.
Mikihisa: Heeey, I want to be a lead star too! I wanna be a shaman king too!
Hao: Daddykins, I reckon that you stick with the G-Force.
Mikihisa: Aaw… *trudges out of the scene sadly*
Amidamaru: As for me, I want to be part of Rurouni Kenshin! I have a crush on that dark-haired swordswoman…
Bason * evil grin*: Shishio?
Amidamaru: Is Shishio her name? *trudges off to RK, calling Shishio's name. Minutes later, the sound of someone being burned alive is heard*
Ren: Really mean, Bason.
Bason: You teach me well, young master Ren.
Faust: Won't anyone ask what my dream is? *flaps arms eagerly*
*Faust is ignored*
Faust: I feel so unloved…*goes back to dissecting cadavers*
*Syao stares at the bickering Mankin characters, then sighed*
Syao: I knew I should have made the Shaman x Shaman omake instead. *pets Matamune*
Matamune: Thanks for reincarnating me.
Syao: *shrug* I did promise Hao last chapter that I'll bring you back to life. *stands up* Oh well, I better get started on brainstorming for Promises. ^~^ *glomps on Brownie and Shirayuki-hime*
---
**- G Force is um…animated sentai.
*** Sentai is not what u r thinking of, perverted one. Sentai is "task force"…think Power Rangers. ^^
***
I forgot to say my thanks to the overwhelming support you guys gave me regarding the flame I received. Ur words of encouragements really inspired me to continue writing ^^.
Let me share the letter I received from the same one who sent me the flame…
"…I don't know why you won't even cuss me for what I said, but after reading your email, you made me feel a bit guilty. Maybe you don't make fics the way I expect you to do, but you are freaking nice, so I emailed you back. Maybe you're not really dumb after all (for an Asian), but I still don't take back what I said on your couples. But I wish you didn't have to post the flame in your chapter…it's like you can't defend yourself from me and you still need to find other [companions] to defend yourself. I'm sure you'll post this up too in your chapter, so I ask that you post my address up too in your chapter, just to let your Asian friends know that I'm not scared of them. About the crap on animes being Asian…anime evolved from Western ideas. The creator of Astroboy, also your God of Anime, got his ideas from our Walt Disney, idiots!"
so sorry though but I refuse to comment anymore. I have already said what I needed to say to her in the email. If she can't see things my way, I can do nothing about it. However, I can't post her email address here – I don't want to magnify the issue. ^^
On the Astroboy thingie, I believe Osamu Tezuka (did I get the name right?) did get the anime idea from Walt Disney, but then, he didn't copy it – he innovated it. If we refer to the case of the philosophers Aristotle and Plato, we know that the former is a student of the latter, but now we think of the two's teachings as distinct. Same way with animes – Tezuka used the raw idea of moving pictures to create his own fabric of animation, and now we see Western and Japanese animation as distinct too. If we go back further in history, American animation also came from some other sources too, as far as the hieroglyphics of Egypt and even as far as the primitive cave drawings that tell stories of how Neanderthal men used to live. The universal art of storytelling through moving images cannot be claimed by any country as one's "own" because every person in this world, irregardless of nationality, has the power to do that.
Oh and one more thing…thanks for avidly reading my fic! You won't be able to know about me posting your email up in chap 15 if you don't read my fic regularly. ^^
***