Hao smiled as he watched Amiko. Finally, she was his. The golden-
haired wisp of a child, with all of her amazing shamanic gifts- all his. He
would create an endless line of heirs through her, when she was old enough
to wed him. Three more years, he reminded himself. Three more years.
"Hao-sama, Hao-sama!" Mari called, careening into the room. "Mari heard someone at the door!"
"Who?" Hao inquired, his voice calm. "It's most likely just another reporter."
"No, no, not reporter! It is-"
Mari was interrupted by a boy running in. His dark eyes snapped and crackled in anger. "Where is she, Hao?" he demanded. "Where is Anna?"
Hao grinned. "There isn't an Anna here, Yoh-kun," he said. "This is my fiancée, Amiko. Would you like to say hello to Amiko?"
Amiko looked at him and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Yoh-kun," she said.
"Anna," he whispered.
*****
He knew who she is. It was his Anna, it had to be. She just looked so sweet and peaceful, smiling at him. Smiling?
"I'm sorry, my name is not Anna," she was saying. "My name is Amiko Kurogasa."
Yoh fell to his knees beside her. "No, no, no," he pleaded, taking her hands in both of his and kissing them. "Your name is Anna Kyoyama. You're my fiancée. You've been training me for the shaman tournament. My grandmother raised you after your parents died. All of our friends have been looking for you- Ren and Pilika and HoroHoro and Jun and Manta- all of us."
Anna pried her hands out of his grasp. "I'm very sorry, but I am not Anna," she said politely. "Hao-kun, please explain to him."
"No. Anna, you're coming home with me," Yoh insisted. He tried to help her up, but she cried out. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong, Anna? Are you hurt?"
"She can't move her legs, Yoh," Hao said. "She's paralyzed from the waist down."
Yoh stroked her cheek. "Oh, Anna, I didn't know," he whispered.
Anna wrenched away from him. "Hao, he's scaring me," she said, holding out her hand to him.
"I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Hao said, coming to her side. "I'll have him taken out." Yoh's heart ached as Anna wrapped her arms around Hao's neck and buried her face in his chest.
"Wait! Hao, I'll make a deal with you," Yoh said.
"A deal?" Hao repeated. "I'm listening."
"I want you to let me take Anna home for three days," Yoh said, his fists clenched. "And if, in three days, she still believes she is Amiko Kurogasa, then...then I will l-let her return t-to you."
"This is an oath, ototo," Hao said. "You must swear to follow through."
"I swear it upon the graves of my ancestors," Yoh promised.
"Then take her," Hao said. "You have three days."
"Hao, I don't understand," Anna said. "Why are you letting me go with this...this crazed boy?"
"Because he has a very persuasive manner," Hao said. "Be careful with him, Amiko. Be very careful."
Author's Note: The plot thickens!! *bwahahaha* This story is surprisingly well liked!! Thank you very much for your reviews!!! And please continue reviewing, so I'll finish the story!!!
"Hao-sama, Hao-sama!" Mari called, careening into the room. "Mari heard someone at the door!"
"Who?" Hao inquired, his voice calm. "It's most likely just another reporter."
"No, no, not reporter! It is-"
Mari was interrupted by a boy running in. His dark eyes snapped and crackled in anger. "Where is she, Hao?" he demanded. "Where is Anna?"
Hao grinned. "There isn't an Anna here, Yoh-kun," he said. "This is my fiancée, Amiko. Would you like to say hello to Amiko?"
Amiko looked at him and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Yoh-kun," she said.
"Anna," he whispered.
*****
He knew who she is. It was his Anna, it had to be. She just looked so sweet and peaceful, smiling at him. Smiling?
"I'm sorry, my name is not Anna," she was saying. "My name is Amiko Kurogasa."
Yoh fell to his knees beside her. "No, no, no," he pleaded, taking her hands in both of his and kissing them. "Your name is Anna Kyoyama. You're my fiancée. You've been training me for the shaman tournament. My grandmother raised you after your parents died. All of our friends have been looking for you- Ren and Pilika and HoroHoro and Jun and Manta- all of us."
Anna pried her hands out of his grasp. "I'm very sorry, but I am not Anna," she said politely. "Hao-kun, please explain to him."
"No. Anna, you're coming home with me," Yoh insisted. He tried to help her up, but she cried out. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong, Anna? Are you hurt?"
"She can't move her legs, Yoh," Hao said. "She's paralyzed from the waist down."
Yoh stroked her cheek. "Oh, Anna, I didn't know," he whispered.
Anna wrenched away from him. "Hao, he's scaring me," she said, holding out her hand to him.
"I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Hao said, coming to her side. "I'll have him taken out." Yoh's heart ached as Anna wrapped her arms around Hao's neck and buried her face in his chest.
"Wait! Hao, I'll make a deal with you," Yoh said.
"A deal?" Hao repeated. "I'm listening."
"I want you to let me take Anna home for three days," Yoh said, his fists clenched. "And if, in three days, she still believes she is Amiko Kurogasa, then...then I will l-let her return t-to you."
"This is an oath, ototo," Hao said. "You must swear to follow through."
"I swear it upon the graves of my ancestors," Yoh promised.
"Then take her," Hao said. "You have three days."
"Hao, I don't understand," Anna said. "Why are you letting me go with this...this crazed boy?"
"Because he has a very persuasive manner," Hao said. "Be careful with him, Amiko. Be very careful."
Author's Note: The plot thickens!! *bwahahaha* This story is surprisingly well liked!! Thank you very much for your reviews!!! And please continue reviewing, so I'll finish the story!!!