Thanks once again for the reviews! You are all great! And now...
Chapter 8- To Wish
The shogun sat down tucking his knees beneath him just as a strike of lightning lit the sky. There was a small smirk on his lips that went unseen in the quiet and dark room that spelled out victory.
He had won. He always got what he wanted in the end somehow. Maybe he didn't get Harusame but at least he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had power. He had the power to end a life with a flick of the wrist or a nod of the head... the way he ordered for Mosuke's death and even Amidamaru's.
Suddenly the small man became angry. There was still one person who had gone against him and destroyed his plan.
"Yoh..." he said angrily.
Yoh had survived his wrath and was probably the only person who ever had. By some off-chance he lived through the bite of the blade and was rescued by a samurai.
Yes... rescued by a samurai. It almost made him sick to think about. Yoh had been alive that whole time and he had even been living in the house of one of his servants. Yoh went against his word and that was not tolerable.
'Yoh had better be dead.'
-
Yoh slipped unnoticed into the quiet house of his previous master. The guards still had not returned for some unknown reason and the ones who guarded the house had been sent off as well. They had all been used to bring down Amidamaru.
Yoh suddenly felt sick as the name crossed his mind. For a moment, he wanted to leave this dreadful place he had escaped not so long ago and find solace in the arms of the silver-haired samurai. But... it was no longer possible...
He was dead after all.
Yoh stepped quietly through the halls making no sound at all. Kinen was gripped tightly in his right hand; so hard that his knuckles were white. He turned one of the many corners; absent-mindedly swerving to miss the small vase he knew sat there... and stopped. He realized something horrible... he knew the place by heart. He still remembered every twist and turn and hidden room and exit. Even the furnishings were fresh in his mind.
If he turned the next corner and entered the first room on the right, he knew without a doubt that the shogun would be there. He was always there; especially after he had ordered someone's death. He rounded the corner and paused as he saw the room. The flicker of candlelight whipped out the door and back in as if unsure of what to do.
Yoh squeezed his eyes shut trying to block out the painful memories, but it didn't help. The familiar scent of incense engulfed him and he was taken back once more...
/Why do you resist, child? You belong to me, do you not comprehend that?/
/Human beings can't be owned!/
/Well, you're not a human being. You're a slave, and a useless one at that. You'll never be anything more than I make you./
/You're wrong!/
/Am I? Look around you Yoh, this is your prison...and I am your master. Say it./
/...Never./
/Tsk tsk, Yoh. You must really want punished... alri-/
/No! I'll say it! Just don't hurt me! This... is my prison, and you are my... m-my master.../
/Very good, Yoh./
Yoh ran a hand over his face and held back the tears in his eyes. The shogun had owned him back then. His body wasn't even his own... it belonged to that- that monster!
As Yoh slipped undetected into the room, he felt as though the shogun would hear his heart beating in his chest. Just as he had predicted, the small man sat quietly in the center of the room kneeling. Yoh noticed the smug smile of his lips and almost wanted to scream at him for taking away everything he had ever cared for, but instead he remained quiet. He wanted to be fair about this; play the game the shogun wanted to play.
"Sir... I believe you wanted to see me."
The shogun was startled and turned quickly toward Yoh. "Well, well, well... if it isn't little Yoh, back again. To whom do I owe the pleasure?" He put on an evil smirk.
Yoh drew Kinen and held it shakily in his hands, "I've come to kill you."
The shogun shook his head while smiling. "Yoh, you still haven't learned." He got to his feet while picking up a nearby sword, "I wasn't expecting you... but no matter..." he drew the sword. "You know, Yoh, you should've died all those many days ago... but on the contrary, here you are standing before me today. It just goes to show that you shouldn't send others to get he job done for you. I'll give you one last chance, Yoh. If you surrender now, I might take pity on you and let you live here again..."
Yoh frowned and shook his head, "You killed them all. My family, my friends,...and Amidamaru," he stood up straight and focused an angry glare on the small man. "I'll never forgive you for that!"
The next moment was a blur. Yoh rushed forward with Kinen in an attempt to strike the shogun, but the small man surprised him and brought his own sword up to block it.
"Yoh, did you think someone such as myself would not also be skilled in the way of the sword? You were foolish to challenge me!" He thrust his blade forward almost catching Yoh on the shoulder, but Yoh quickly maneuvered out of the way.
What Yoh didn't have in skill, he made up for in agility. Being small gave him an advantage, but the shogun was small too, but also old. The clanking of steel on steel continued for a little while until both of them began to feel fatigue creeping up on them.
Unlike Amidamaru and Mosuke who were skilled swordsman who trained every day and were used to the toil and strain of fighting, Yoh was young and not as strong or used to the amount of energy needed to fight against one skilled like the shogun.
The shogun was the same. Even though he had training and was skilled, he was older in age and his body struggled to exert force. There were many times when he thought Yoh would beat him but he always turned the tide in the end.
And then... something very interesting happened...
Yoh turned around very quickly after dodging a deathly strike and struck the shogun on the arm. The old man faltered slightly, stepped back quickly, and scowled. "Well, I didn't think you had it in you."
Yoh brought the sword up, about to make the final strike.
The old man smirked, "Oh well, I suppose I'm to die here. It seems there were many surprises today..."
Yoh paused, "Surprises?"
The shogun wanted to laugh; anything to preoccupy Yoh. He was almost out of energy and if he didn't act fast, Yoh might actually kill him. He needed some way to turn things around. "Yes, surprises. You see...I originally hired Amidamaru and Mosuke a long time ago, while you lived here, and they were good workers but they had to be let go..." The best he could do was tell Yoh a lie, and so he did. "And then you ran away and were nowhere to be found, so I told Amidamaru and Mosuke that if they killed you I'd rehire them. I suppose maybe they were trying to get you to trust them while you were there... and... waiting for the right time to strike..."
Yoh paused, "That's... not true..."
"Oh come now, Yoh. What are the odds of them "finding" you out there and taking you in and then suddenly getting hired by me, hmm?"
Yoh thought about it for a moment, suddenly feeling slightly dazed. What if it was true? The shogun did hire Amidamaru and Mosuke after they found him, but- "Why'd they take care of me then? It doesn't make sense." By now he was angry. How could he accuse them of such a thing?
"They needed to gain your trust? I don't know. It's hard to know what was going though their minds back then. They might have wanted to sell you themselves."
Yoh was shocked. It couldn't really be true... right? It was absurd! He loved Amidamaru, and Amidamaru loved him, and he was... dead...
Yoh wavered slightly feeling overwhelmed, and the shogun took this time to act. In one quick movement, he jabbed his sword forward-
But Yoh blocked. In an angry fury Yoh brought Kinen around to strike the final blow... but stopped. Kinen slipped slowly from his fingers and fell silently to the ground. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Yoh glanced down and noticed that half of the shogun's sword had disappeared in his side. Dark red liquid trickled from the wound. The shogun withdrew it in a slick swipe and, as though the sword had been the support keeping Yoh standing,... he fell.
Spinning.
His head was spinning and it wouldn't stop. Yoh opened his eyes and the world was spinning too. Everything seemed to mix together until finally it slowed and Yoh could see again.
The shogun stood triumphantly with a conniving grin on his face. "Yoh, you can never win against me. You will always be locked up here, even after your death. This is your prison, and I am your master. Say it, Yoh, and I'll grant you a quick painless death."
Yoh closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. "Never." He couldn't move. He had no energy left. It was as if he was a car that had run out of gas and left to sit on the side of the road. His wound throbbed, his head ached, and for a moment, Yoh wanted to die.
"Still persistent, even in the end... just like Amidamaru. He never worked for me before, Yoh; that was just a ploy to help bring about your end, and you played into it. Amidamaru loved you, and now he's dead."
Dead.
Yoh's mind echoed the word over and over, louder and louder. Dead, dead, dead! Death couldn't be undone... it couldn't be taken back or changed, it couldn't be stopped. Death was invincible. Maybe Yoh would die soon and finally find peace; that's all he had to hope for.
It was all he had left.
The shogun raised his sword, "I'll enjoy killing you Yoh... just like my men enjoyed killing Mosuke and...," he chuckled, "Amidamaru."
That struck something inside of Yoh. He remembered the kindness, the friendship, the love. He remembered the hill, the rain, the blood. His mother, father, friend, and lover; all killed by this wicked person.
As if by some miraculous gaining of strength, Yoh grasped onto Kinen and thrust it deep into the shogun's chest. The shogun looked surprised at first, than his expression showed that of pain. Yoh pulled the sword out and watched as the old man fell to the ground, coughing at first, and then, finally, was silent.
Yoh was dazzled. It was over. He had finally done what he had come to do. No more people would die by the shogun's hand. Yoh's spirit was finally free. "I'm so sorry... Amidamaru..." Tears streamed down his face and he fell to his knees. His hands went out and caught himself, but it wasn't enough. Once more he was on the ground.
Yoh could almost feel the blood leaving his body, as if his life was leaving with it. He tried to fight the fatigue that came over him but was unsuccessful. He brought out his hands and in a weak effort tried to drag himself away. It took all his strength to get barely two feet. He stopped on the steps of an altar and finally gave up. He knew he couldn't win. Death was immortal after all.
In his blurring vision was a golden statue of Tagatha sitting nobly and proud. He had a calm look on his face, but in that calmness was a touch of compassion, and suddenly, Yoh wasn't so afraid to die.
"This is all my fault." With his last dying he breath, he whispered, "I wish Amidamaru and Mosuke forget all about me..."
And then... he died.
When Yoh opened his eyes he felt like he had just woken up from a good night's rest. He felt wonderful, full of energy, and alive. When he looked closer at his surroundings though, he knew something was strange. Bright white was all that could be seen in all directions. Was he still sleeping, perhaps?
"Yoh..."
Yoh almost jumped at the voice. It sounded like... "Amidamaru?"
And then, before Yoh's eyes, a form began to take shape, then color was added and before long Yoh stood in awe of whom he faced.
"It's... it's you. But how?" he asked.
The figure shook his head, letting the brilliant silver strands flow from side to side. "No, Yoh, I am not him." He took a step closer, "I am Tagatha."
Yoh was confused, "but then why-"
"I needed to take on a form that wouldn't alarm you; one you were used to. Yoh, I am here in regards to the wish you made before passing away."
You closed his eyes and smiled sadly, "Then I am dead."
"Yes. Yoh, you must think this over clearly. Do you really want them to forget about you?"
"I don't want them to remember the one who caused this all to happen. If they had never met me, they'd probably be alive and happy right now."
Tagatha shook his head once more, "There's no way of knowing that."
"But all's been said and done. They're dead."
"That's true, but they're not letting go..."
"Excuse me?"
"Amidamaru and Mosuke's spirits will remain here on Earth, long after their bodies are gone."
Yoh blinked, "But why?"
"Amidamaru made an oath to Mosuke, as did Mosuke to Amidamaru. Those vows are still with them, even after death. They still believe that they must go through with it. Their work is not yet complete. Until Amidamaru meets Mosuke on that hill, and Mosuke delivers the sword, their spirits will remain on Earth." He smiled sadly, "And, they both have one other important thing keeping them there as well."
Yoh let out a deep breath as if he knew what was coming, "And what would that be?"
"You. Amidamaru made a promise to always protect you, as did Mosuke... but... I am here to grant you your wish. Only you can decide what that is. Your spirit would've remained on Earth as well, had you been killed by the shogun and he survived instead because your hatred and thirst for revenge would be keeping you here. But, you defeated him and you made no vows to either Mosuke or Amidamaru. Your spirit is free. The choice is yours, Yoh. What is your wish?"
Yoh ran a hand over his face, ignoring the lump that had formed in his throat. "I don't want them to stay here because of me... but I don't want to live without them either. Please let them forget all about me and let me... forget about them as well. That is my wish."
Tagatha nodded. "It will be done." He took his place in front of Yoh. "It will be as if you never existed from now on. The least I can do is ensure that you will be reborn one day and hopefully, somehow, your paths will cross." He leaned down and sealed the promise with a kiss.
Yoh opened his eyes quickly and looked around. All around him, strange artifacts and old pictures and statues sat placed around in different areas of a room. 'The museum...' he remembered.
Iris placed a tiny hand on Yoh's. "That is what happened. It is why you didn't remember and why you and Amidamaru were destined to meet. Do you understand?"
Yoh blinked, "That was me back then? I still can't believe it, but it all makes sense..."
Iris looked to the see-through ghost, "And you, Amidamaru, do you understand?"
Amidamaru, whose eyes were closed, nodded. "I do."
Iris bowed, "Very well then. I know this must be a lot to take in right now, so I will leave you two alone to reflect. Farewell..." and with that said, she disappeared.
Yoh and Amidamaru were silent. They were afraid to say anything, but at the same time, didn't know what to say. How do you respond to something like that?
Yoh was deeply saddened. He felt as though he needed to do something, anything to change the past. "I'm... so sorry, Amidamaru."
Amidamaru shook his head, "Yoh, please don't say that. You have no reason to be sorry for what happened. It wasn't your fault then, and it's not your fault now."
"But...I feel like I should be sorry."
"...So do I, Yoh." Amidamaru felt horrible. He remembered everything as if it had happened yesterday, and along with the memories... came the feelings.
Amidamaru turned to look at Yoh, but stopped. Yoh's attire had changed. Before him sat the Yoh from all those years ago.
"Hello, Amidamaru," Yoh greeted him happily. "It's so good to finally see you again."
"...Yoh..." Amidamaru was shocked.
"Yes, it's me. I hope you always remember your promise to me..."
"But you're-"
"I live on, inside of Yoh. We are the same, you know? So please, never leave my side, watch over me always."
Amidamaru looked down, "But what if... Yoh doesn't feel the same?"
Yoh laughed sweetly, "Yoh is me, and I am Yoh. It is impossible for us to have different feelings... understand?"
Amidamaru smiled and nodded, "I do..."
Yoh brushed his soft fingers over Amidamaru's eyes, "This isn't really goodbye, more like hello...Besides, hellos are always better."
"Yes... they are."
When Amidamaru looked at Yoh once more, he was back to "normal".
"Yoh, you'd better get another guardian ghost..." Amidamaru said.
Yoh turned toward him quickly, "but why?!"
"Because...I've fallen in love with you."
Yoh closed his eyes and smiled, "You'd better get another shaman then."
In a small flash of violet light, Iris returned smiling. "Well, my work here is complete. I must say adieu."
Yoh waved, "Bye Iris."
Amidamaru nodded.
Iris tilted her head and looked at Yoh for a moment. "You're not that different after all. Goodbye."
She was gone.
Outside, nothing much had changed. It was as if no time at all had gone by. The sky was still mixing with oranges and purples bringing about a magnificent sunset.
Amidamaru placed a ghostly hand over Yoh's. "Will you watch the sun set with me?"
Yoh looked at his hand and smiled, "I'd love to."
And they did, and when it was over Amidamaru leaned down and placed a feather-like kiss on Yoh's lips and it didn't matter that Yoh was alive and Amidamaru was dead. All that really mattered was that they were together.
The dark of night spread out like a veil and covered the sky, bringing with it bright sparkling lights that dotted its surface.
Amidamaru was about to get up, "Let's get some rest."
But Yoh tugged on his shirt, "Wait... won't you stay and watch the stars with me?"
Amidamaru blinked, then nodded, "Of course I will..."
The End
Man, I love happy endings. That's it. I was originally going to break this into two chapters but that would've been impossible. Sorry for the wait, but you don't have to wait any more.
Please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter or just the story in general. I love to hear people's comments. It helps me.
Thanks VERY MUCH to those who read and those who reviewed. I appreciate it greatly.
AmethystRoze
Chapter 8- To Wish
The shogun sat down tucking his knees beneath him just as a strike of lightning lit the sky. There was a small smirk on his lips that went unseen in the quiet and dark room that spelled out victory.
He had won. He always got what he wanted in the end somehow. Maybe he didn't get Harusame but at least he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had power. He had the power to end a life with a flick of the wrist or a nod of the head... the way he ordered for Mosuke's death and even Amidamaru's.
Suddenly the small man became angry. There was still one person who had gone against him and destroyed his plan.
"Yoh..." he said angrily.
Yoh had survived his wrath and was probably the only person who ever had. By some off-chance he lived through the bite of the blade and was rescued by a samurai.
Yes... rescued by a samurai. It almost made him sick to think about. Yoh had been alive that whole time and he had even been living in the house of one of his servants. Yoh went against his word and that was not tolerable.
'Yoh had better be dead.'
-
Yoh slipped unnoticed into the quiet house of his previous master. The guards still had not returned for some unknown reason and the ones who guarded the house had been sent off as well. They had all been used to bring down Amidamaru.
Yoh suddenly felt sick as the name crossed his mind. For a moment, he wanted to leave this dreadful place he had escaped not so long ago and find solace in the arms of the silver-haired samurai. But... it was no longer possible...
He was dead after all.
Yoh stepped quietly through the halls making no sound at all. Kinen was gripped tightly in his right hand; so hard that his knuckles were white. He turned one of the many corners; absent-mindedly swerving to miss the small vase he knew sat there... and stopped. He realized something horrible... he knew the place by heart. He still remembered every twist and turn and hidden room and exit. Even the furnishings were fresh in his mind.
If he turned the next corner and entered the first room on the right, he knew without a doubt that the shogun would be there. He was always there; especially after he had ordered someone's death. He rounded the corner and paused as he saw the room. The flicker of candlelight whipped out the door and back in as if unsure of what to do.
Yoh squeezed his eyes shut trying to block out the painful memories, but it didn't help. The familiar scent of incense engulfed him and he was taken back once more...
/Why do you resist, child? You belong to me, do you not comprehend that?/
/Human beings can't be owned!/
/Well, you're not a human being. You're a slave, and a useless one at that. You'll never be anything more than I make you./
/You're wrong!/
/Am I? Look around you Yoh, this is your prison...and I am your master. Say it./
/...Never./
/Tsk tsk, Yoh. You must really want punished... alri-/
/No! I'll say it! Just don't hurt me! This... is my prison, and you are my... m-my master.../
/Very good, Yoh./
Yoh ran a hand over his face and held back the tears in his eyes. The shogun had owned him back then. His body wasn't even his own... it belonged to that- that monster!
As Yoh slipped undetected into the room, he felt as though the shogun would hear his heart beating in his chest. Just as he had predicted, the small man sat quietly in the center of the room kneeling. Yoh noticed the smug smile of his lips and almost wanted to scream at him for taking away everything he had ever cared for, but instead he remained quiet. He wanted to be fair about this; play the game the shogun wanted to play.
"Sir... I believe you wanted to see me."
The shogun was startled and turned quickly toward Yoh. "Well, well, well... if it isn't little Yoh, back again. To whom do I owe the pleasure?" He put on an evil smirk.
Yoh drew Kinen and held it shakily in his hands, "I've come to kill you."
The shogun shook his head while smiling. "Yoh, you still haven't learned." He got to his feet while picking up a nearby sword, "I wasn't expecting you... but no matter..." he drew the sword. "You know, Yoh, you should've died all those many days ago... but on the contrary, here you are standing before me today. It just goes to show that you shouldn't send others to get he job done for you. I'll give you one last chance, Yoh. If you surrender now, I might take pity on you and let you live here again..."
Yoh frowned and shook his head, "You killed them all. My family, my friends,...and Amidamaru," he stood up straight and focused an angry glare on the small man. "I'll never forgive you for that!"
The next moment was a blur. Yoh rushed forward with Kinen in an attempt to strike the shogun, but the small man surprised him and brought his own sword up to block it.
"Yoh, did you think someone such as myself would not also be skilled in the way of the sword? You were foolish to challenge me!" He thrust his blade forward almost catching Yoh on the shoulder, but Yoh quickly maneuvered out of the way.
What Yoh didn't have in skill, he made up for in agility. Being small gave him an advantage, but the shogun was small too, but also old. The clanking of steel on steel continued for a little while until both of them began to feel fatigue creeping up on them.
Unlike Amidamaru and Mosuke who were skilled swordsman who trained every day and were used to the toil and strain of fighting, Yoh was young and not as strong or used to the amount of energy needed to fight against one skilled like the shogun.
The shogun was the same. Even though he had training and was skilled, he was older in age and his body struggled to exert force. There were many times when he thought Yoh would beat him but he always turned the tide in the end.
And then... something very interesting happened...
Yoh turned around very quickly after dodging a deathly strike and struck the shogun on the arm. The old man faltered slightly, stepped back quickly, and scowled. "Well, I didn't think you had it in you."
Yoh brought the sword up, about to make the final strike.
The old man smirked, "Oh well, I suppose I'm to die here. It seems there were many surprises today..."
Yoh paused, "Surprises?"
The shogun wanted to laugh; anything to preoccupy Yoh. He was almost out of energy and if he didn't act fast, Yoh might actually kill him. He needed some way to turn things around. "Yes, surprises. You see...I originally hired Amidamaru and Mosuke a long time ago, while you lived here, and they were good workers but they had to be let go..." The best he could do was tell Yoh a lie, and so he did. "And then you ran away and were nowhere to be found, so I told Amidamaru and Mosuke that if they killed you I'd rehire them. I suppose maybe they were trying to get you to trust them while you were there... and... waiting for the right time to strike..."
Yoh paused, "That's... not true..."
"Oh come now, Yoh. What are the odds of them "finding" you out there and taking you in and then suddenly getting hired by me, hmm?"
Yoh thought about it for a moment, suddenly feeling slightly dazed. What if it was true? The shogun did hire Amidamaru and Mosuke after they found him, but- "Why'd they take care of me then? It doesn't make sense." By now he was angry. How could he accuse them of such a thing?
"They needed to gain your trust? I don't know. It's hard to know what was going though their minds back then. They might have wanted to sell you themselves."
Yoh was shocked. It couldn't really be true... right? It was absurd! He loved Amidamaru, and Amidamaru loved him, and he was... dead...
Yoh wavered slightly feeling overwhelmed, and the shogun took this time to act. In one quick movement, he jabbed his sword forward-
But Yoh blocked. In an angry fury Yoh brought Kinen around to strike the final blow... but stopped. Kinen slipped slowly from his fingers and fell silently to the ground. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Yoh glanced down and noticed that half of the shogun's sword had disappeared in his side. Dark red liquid trickled from the wound. The shogun withdrew it in a slick swipe and, as though the sword had been the support keeping Yoh standing,... he fell.
Spinning.
His head was spinning and it wouldn't stop. Yoh opened his eyes and the world was spinning too. Everything seemed to mix together until finally it slowed and Yoh could see again.
The shogun stood triumphantly with a conniving grin on his face. "Yoh, you can never win against me. You will always be locked up here, even after your death. This is your prison, and I am your master. Say it, Yoh, and I'll grant you a quick painless death."
Yoh closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. "Never." He couldn't move. He had no energy left. It was as if he was a car that had run out of gas and left to sit on the side of the road. His wound throbbed, his head ached, and for a moment, Yoh wanted to die.
"Still persistent, even in the end... just like Amidamaru. He never worked for me before, Yoh; that was just a ploy to help bring about your end, and you played into it. Amidamaru loved you, and now he's dead."
Dead.
Yoh's mind echoed the word over and over, louder and louder. Dead, dead, dead! Death couldn't be undone... it couldn't be taken back or changed, it couldn't be stopped. Death was invincible. Maybe Yoh would die soon and finally find peace; that's all he had to hope for.
It was all he had left.
The shogun raised his sword, "I'll enjoy killing you Yoh... just like my men enjoyed killing Mosuke and...," he chuckled, "Amidamaru."
That struck something inside of Yoh. He remembered the kindness, the friendship, the love. He remembered the hill, the rain, the blood. His mother, father, friend, and lover; all killed by this wicked person.
As if by some miraculous gaining of strength, Yoh grasped onto Kinen and thrust it deep into the shogun's chest. The shogun looked surprised at first, than his expression showed that of pain. Yoh pulled the sword out and watched as the old man fell to the ground, coughing at first, and then, finally, was silent.
Yoh was dazzled. It was over. He had finally done what he had come to do. No more people would die by the shogun's hand. Yoh's spirit was finally free. "I'm so sorry... Amidamaru..." Tears streamed down his face and he fell to his knees. His hands went out and caught himself, but it wasn't enough. Once more he was on the ground.
Yoh could almost feel the blood leaving his body, as if his life was leaving with it. He tried to fight the fatigue that came over him but was unsuccessful. He brought out his hands and in a weak effort tried to drag himself away. It took all his strength to get barely two feet. He stopped on the steps of an altar and finally gave up. He knew he couldn't win. Death was immortal after all.
In his blurring vision was a golden statue of Tagatha sitting nobly and proud. He had a calm look on his face, but in that calmness was a touch of compassion, and suddenly, Yoh wasn't so afraid to die.
"This is all my fault." With his last dying he breath, he whispered, "I wish Amidamaru and Mosuke forget all about me..."
And then... he died.
When Yoh opened his eyes he felt like he had just woken up from a good night's rest. He felt wonderful, full of energy, and alive. When he looked closer at his surroundings though, he knew something was strange. Bright white was all that could be seen in all directions. Was he still sleeping, perhaps?
"Yoh..."
Yoh almost jumped at the voice. It sounded like... "Amidamaru?"
And then, before Yoh's eyes, a form began to take shape, then color was added and before long Yoh stood in awe of whom he faced.
"It's... it's you. But how?" he asked.
The figure shook his head, letting the brilliant silver strands flow from side to side. "No, Yoh, I am not him." He took a step closer, "I am Tagatha."
Yoh was confused, "but then why-"
"I needed to take on a form that wouldn't alarm you; one you were used to. Yoh, I am here in regards to the wish you made before passing away."
You closed his eyes and smiled sadly, "Then I am dead."
"Yes. Yoh, you must think this over clearly. Do you really want them to forget about you?"
"I don't want them to remember the one who caused this all to happen. If they had never met me, they'd probably be alive and happy right now."
Tagatha shook his head once more, "There's no way of knowing that."
"But all's been said and done. They're dead."
"That's true, but they're not letting go..."
"Excuse me?"
"Amidamaru and Mosuke's spirits will remain here on Earth, long after their bodies are gone."
Yoh blinked, "But why?"
"Amidamaru made an oath to Mosuke, as did Mosuke to Amidamaru. Those vows are still with them, even after death. They still believe that they must go through with it. Their work is not yet complete. Until Amidamaru meets Mosuke on that hill, and Mosuke delivers the sword, their spirits will remain on Earth." He smiled sadly, "And, they both have one other important thing keeping them there as well."
Yoh let out a deep breath as if he knew what was coming, "And what would that be?"
"You. Amidamaru made a promise to always protect you, as did Mosuke... but... I am here to grant you your wish. Only you can decide what that is. Your spirit would've remained on Earth as well, had you been killed by the shogun and he survived instead because your hatred and thirst for revenge would be keeping you here. But, you defeated him and you made no vows to either Mosuke or Amidamaru. Your spirit is free. The choice is yours, Yoh. What is your wish?"
Yoh ran a hand over his face, ignoring the lump that had formed in his throat. "I don't want them to stay here because of me... but I don't want to live without them either. Please let them forget all about me and let me... forget about them as well. That is my wish."
Tagatha nodded. "It will be done." He took his place in front of Yoh. "It will be as if you never existed from now on. The least I can do is ensure that you will be reborn one day and hopefully, somehow, your paths will cross." He leaned down and sealed the promise with a kiss.
Yoh opened his eyes quickly and looked around. All around him, strange artifacts and old pictures and statues sat placed around in different areas of a room. 'The museum...' he remembered.
Iris placed a tiny hand on Yoh's. "That is what happened. It is why you didn't remember and why you and Amidamaru were destined to meet. Do you understand?"
Yoh blinked, "That was me back then? I still can't believe it, but it all makes sense..."
Iris looked to the see-through ghost, "And you, Amidamaru, do you understand?"
Amidamaru, whose eyes were closed, nodded. "I do."
Iris bowed, "Very well then. I know this must be a lot to take in right now, so I will leave you two alone to reflect. Farewell..." and with that said, she disappeared.
Yoh and Amidamaru were silent. They were afraid to say anything, but at the same time, didn't know what to say. How do you respond to something like that?
Yoh was deeply saddened. He felt as though he needed to do something, anything to change the past. "I'm... so sorry, Amidamaru."
Amidamaru shook his head, "Yoh, please don't say that. You have no reason to be sorry for what happened. It wasn't your fault then, and it's not your fault now."
"But...I feel like I should be sorry."
"...So do I, Yoh." Amidamaru felt horrible. He remembered everything as if it had happened yesterday, and along with the memories... came the feelings.
Amidamaru turned to look at Yoh, but stopped. Yoh's attire had changed. Before him sat the Yoh from all those years ago.
"Hello, Amidamaru," Yoh greeted him happily. "It's so good to finally see you again."
"...Yoh..." Amidamaru was shocked.
"Yes, it's me. I hope you always remember your promise to me..."
"But you're-"
"I live on, inside of Yoh. We are the same, you know? So please, never leave my side, watch over me always."
Amidamaru looked down, "But what if... Yoh doesn't feel the same?"
Yoh laughed sweetly, "Yoh is me, and I am Yoh. It is impossible for us to have different feelings... understand?"
Amidamaru smiled and nodded, "I do..."
Yoh brushed his soft fingers over Amidamaru's eyes, "This isn't really goodbye, more like hello...Besides, hellos are always better."
"Yes... they are."
When Amidamaru looked at Yoh once more, he was back to "normal".
"Yoh, you'd better get another guardian ghost..." Amidamaru said.
Yoh turned toward him quickly, "but why?!"
"Because...I've fallen in love with you."
Yoh closed his eyes and smiled, "You'd better get another shaman then."
In a small flash of violet light, Iris returned smiling. "Well, my work here is complete. I must say adieu."
Yoh waved, "Bye Iris."
Amidamaru nodded.
Iris tilted her head and looked at Yoh for a moment. "You're not that different after all. Goodbye."
She was gone.
Outside, nothing much had changed. It was as if no time at all had gone by. The sky was still mixing with oranges and purples bringing about a magnificent sunset.
Amidamaru placed a ghostly hand over Yoh's. "Will you watch the sun set with me?"
Yoh looked at his hand and smiled, "I'd love to."
And they did, and when it was over Amidamaru leaned down and placed a feather-like kiss on Yoh's lips and it didn't matter that Yoh was alive and Amidamaru was dead. All that really mattered was that they were together.
The dark of night spread out like a veil and covered the sky, bringing with it bright sparkling lights that dotted its surface.
Amidamaru was about to get up, "Let's get some rest."
But Yoh tugged on his shirt, "Wait... won't you stay and watch the stars with me?"
Amidamaru blinked, then nodded, "Of course I will..."
The End
Man, I love happy endings. That's it. I was originally going to break this into two chapters but that would've been impossible. Sorry for the wait, but you don't have to wait any more.
Please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter or just the story in general. I love to hear people's comments. It helps me.
Thanks VERY MUCH to those who read and those who reviewed. I appreciate it greatly.
AmethystRoze