I'm so glad you like it ^_^. I'm sorry these chapters are so short, they'll be longer in time (I hope...) _...anyway...thank you for your kind reviews. I may not even have the pairing I was thinking of...perhaps you (the reviewers) can tell me whether you like her with Yoh or not. Ya know what? I think I may just have it Yoh/Anna at the end of this and place Akina with one of the other guys. Ya know, Manta, Ren or HoroHoro. Which would you rather see with her if you'd rather have a Yoh/Anna ^_^;;? I'm really asking you guys, so please, by all means, place it in your reviews and let me know ^_^;;. Anyway...forgive me for the OOC-ness again and enjoy!

Waiting Only For You

By, Concetta Guido

Chapter 4

"Anna! She has no where to go!" Yoh shouted as he sat in front of the itako as she firmly stared at him. "Fine, but she has to work to earn her keep." Anna gave in, she hated seeing Yoh beg like he did. He was determined to keep this girl. She couldn't figure out why. She was drawing blanks. 'Why?' She thought to herself, over and over again. Yoh merely smiled in relief and bowed to her "Thank you, Anna, thank you." Anna didn't say anything, just stared at him, then answered as she normally did, "Don't expect me to do things like this often." Yoh nodded and watched her walk off. Anna wasn't going to show that this somewhat bothered her.



Akina watched the itako leave, then turned her attention to where her future lord awaited. "Yoh-sama?" She asked timidly. Yoh walked out to where she was and helped her to her feet. "Anna said you could stay, but…She's going to put you through hell."

"Hell? Why do you call it hell?" She curiously asked.

"You'll see," Yoh said before sighing some to the clueless girl.



~*~*~*~*~*~



"Lord Yoh doesn't seem pleased," Amidamaru shook his head. "What is wrong with him?" Izumi asked.

"Lord Yoh knows what is going to happen to Lady Akina. Though there is not much he can do about it.."

"Is it that bad?" Izumi asked.

"It's torture," The samurai spirit said and watched his master. "It is a shame, though." Amidamaru turned to Izumi. "My mistress has searched so hard for him, waiting for what felt like an eternity. And yet she has found him and he is engaged to another," Izumi gazed down upon the two, then looked down. "Once Lady Akina realizes it, she is going to be heartbroken."

"You cannot keep the truth from being revealed," Amidamaru said. Izumi nodded slowly. "Yes, I know…and I hate that. She had suffered so much, only to suffer again."

"The marriage was not arranged. Lord Yoh can still choose."

"Praise the Gods," Amidamaru nodded to that. "Praise them indeed."



~*~*~*~*~*~



"Come on, lemme show you to your room," Yoh said as he led her down a corridor.

"What kind of work shall I be completing?" Akina asked as she followed him.

"Cooking, cleaning, the work she has Manta do," Yoh listed.

"Poor Manta," Akina said, feeling sorry for the little soul, despite the fact she hadn't met him yet. Yoh slid open a door to an empty room with a rolled up futon in the corner. "I'm sorry this isn't much," He said apologetically.

"No! No! Don't worry about it!" Akina said, trying to pull him out of apologizing to her about something like that. "I love it, this is more I could have ever hoped for." Yoh smiled. "You haven't changed a bit," Yoh laughed.

"I haven't? You remembered?"

"Of course I remember!" Yoh cried out. "How could I not remember?" Akina merely flashed a small smile towards him. Yoh returned it and looked around the room. "Well…now you have more room." Recalling back to the space she had. Akina nodded.

"Shall I prepare dinner soon?" She asked. Yoh thought for a moment or two. "Uh, sure," Was the response she was given. Akina nodded, then walked out of the room. Amidamaru soon appeared at his lords side.

"Yoh-sama?" The spirit asked. Yoh picked his head up to look at him. "Hey Amidamaru."

"Is something wrong? Is something on your mind?"

"No, not really," Yoh said. Izumi appeared on the other side of Yoh, leaving the teen in between the two spirits. "So, this is the infamous Yoh-sama-"

"Infamous?" He heard himself ask. The spirit continued on what she was saying, "Akina-sama has been talking about." She finished.

"Talk about? Akina-chan talks about me?"

"Oh yes, quite often too. It helps soothe her nerves," The spirit said.

"Help soothe her nerves? What's been going on with her?"

"Oh you know, family troubles," She said.



There was a soft knock on the door before Yoh could ask what kind of family troubles. He casually walked to the door to see Manta standing, looking up at him. "What happened with the girl?" "Anna's cool with it, if that's what you mean," Yoh grinned one of his infamous playing around grins and stepped aside so Manta could enter. Manta looked around, wondering where she was at the moment to find out more about her. Though he knew it was rude, the question of why she was here wouldn't leave his mind. "And who is this?" A soft voice traveled through Manta's ears. He turned his head to her and stared at her. It was her. The girl from school.

"Akina, this is Manta," Manta heard Yoh introduce him for him.

"Ah, Manta-kun, it is a pleasure to meet you," She smiled and bowed, removing her apron for the moment, still in her school uniform of all outfits. Manta snapped out of his dazed look and stared up at her. "Why are you here?" Was the first question to come out of his mouth. He mentally slapped himself for being so rude. "I didn't mean-! What I meant was-!" Akina only covered her mouth, laughing in response. "You're not mad..?"

"No, of course not," She smiled. "I haven't a reason to be angry." Manta raised an eyebrow. She was a complete opposite of Anna.



"Manta-kun, why not stay for dinner?" Akina asked. She would have liked to know Yoh's friends better. Manta looked up at Yoh for an approval. "Sure, why not?" Yoh smiled in response.

"You holding up your end of the deal?" Anna asked. Akina turned to Anna and bowed. "I thank you for allowing me to stay."

"You should thank Yoh, he was the one determined to keep you in the first place, though I can't understand why," She said coldly. Akina frowned a little and picked herself up from her bow. "I thank you, Yoh-sama," She said, her gaze lowered. Yoh frowned a bit himself and nodded to her, then watched her walk back to the kitchen to finish up their meal.

"I think she was sensitive…" Manta commented.

"I don't care. She's going to have to toughen up," Anna said. "She's entering the tournament also."

"SHE'S WHAT?!" Both Yoh and Manta shouted.

"Lower your voices," Anna said. "I said she's fighting in the tournament. The Okumichi family is a long line of fine shamans…that's why her training will be twice as hard.

"Don't you think that's overdoing it?" Yoh asked. Anna shook her head. "A weak shaman like her needs it."

"Milady cannot slack off," Izumi chimed in, agreeing with Anna. Amidamaru nodded, "Lord Yoh, you cannot slack off either."

"I know, I know, what I'm worried about is whether she can handle it or not."

"She will when I'm through with her, she'll be a whole lot better than she is now. However, if she doesn't -which I doubt- she'll just have to go home."

"But…lets just say she was disowned, what then?" Yoh asked as though afraid of what the reply would be. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked? No, he had to know. For Akina's sake.

"Well, then it'll just be too bad for her," Anna said. Yoh sighed, he was afraid of that. Anna noticed this and said one last, somewhat comforting comment, "As I said, I doubt she'll fail my training. I don't think you have anything to worry about." And with that, without another word said, she walked out of the room, leaving both Yoh and Manta speechless.

"What just happened?" Manta asked.

"I think Anna just tried to comfort me," Yoh said, as though in disbelief.

"Should we worry?" Manta asked.

"I dunno," Yoh said, mouth agape.

"Knock it off!!" Anna shouted from the other room, which caused Yoh to shut his opened mouth instantaneously.



Akina walked into the room, taking the oven mitts off. "Dinner's ready.." She said, having overheard some of the conversation, though she wasn't going to bring it up, her face clearly showed it troubled her. Yoh nodded to her, as well as Manta and went into the dining room, taking their seats on the floor. "Is Oden fine?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's just fine," Yoh flashed her a grin. Her heart warmed at his grin. It was so full of life, so comforting. "Maybe you should take a hot bath after this," Yoh suggested. "After I clean the kitchen," She said, taking a seat across from Yoh and waited until the other two began eating to begin eating herself. Anna walked in, smelling the aroma of the pot and took her seat beside Yoh and took her helping.

"This isn't bad…" Anna commented as she had a taste. "Though it could use a little work." Akina nodded.

"I shall try harder next time, Anna-san," Akina responded.

"You better," Anna said harshly, the comments were gone. She was back to being herself. Akina went onto finishing a bowl of rice.



Manta then remembered something. She never answered his question. "Why are you here?" The question was brought up once again. Akina looked up at Manta.

"I am here because of a promise made by our family…made by us."

"Promise? What kind of promise?"

"We were promised to be wed."

"Who?"

"Yoh-sama and I." The piece of food slipped out of Anna'a chopsticks onto the table as she stared in disbelief. "That can't be!" She yelled in outrage. "Yoh is MY fiancee!" Now, it was Akina's turn to be shocked. Anna leaned over towards Akina. "He is MY fiancee."

"B-But our families.." The sound of a slap could then be heard as Anna's palm came in contact with her cheek. "You really are clueless, aren't you?! You marriage ended when you moved! You aren't tied with Asakura family anymore!" Akina merely stared up at her.

"Perhaps not with our families…but Yoh and I will always have a tie! According to the family, your marriage was merely a promise. So, your "engagement" isn't official either! Yoh-sama will just have to choose!"

"There's nothing to choose! I WILL be the first Shaman Lady!"

"Power shouldn't have anything to do with love!"

"Love?! What a dreamers notion!" Anna yelled, though within her heart she knew that wasn't true. Manta and Yoh watched the two go back and forth. It was going to get ugly if someone didn't stop the two soon.

"Should one of us stop them…?" Manta asked.

"As much as we would love to, there's no sense getting into a fight…especially between two girls," Yoh said, watching Akina get another slap from Anna, he winced as her palm came in contact with her cheek. 'Poor Akina…' Yoh thought to himself.

"Th-That good for nothing little brat!" Izumi hollered. Anna looked up at Izumi and fingered the beads that were strewn on her neck. "I'll send you to the heavens if you don't stay out of this! Your little mistress has to be taught a lesson about where she stands!" Anna said. Akina grew enraged as she gave Anna one good slap, then left the room.



"I guess that ended that…" Manta commented.

"Shut up Shorty," Anna snapped as she placed her palm to her cheek. "She's not getting away with this…I'll make sure of that." And with that, she walked out of the room as well. Yoh sighed. He had to do something and fast before Anna really did try to harm Akina.

"What are you going to do now?" Manta asked.

"I don't know…I really don't know…."