Was it obvious that I was quite depressed when I wrote the first chapter? I
hope not... :) Thanks for reviews!!! Read on...Review
Bring me a Yellow Rose
Chapter 2
We tried to live a normal life after that day, and it's hard. I mean, it's hard pretending to be cool, or pretending that everything was all right. Our daily routine continued, she insisted on training me hard enough, I still obey her orders, my friends and I were still the recipient of her deadly glares, and of course, her yellow roses. She still tends them like babies, I mean, she could have just asked me to tend them for her and save her time and energy?
However, the days that followed didn't seem to favor her. She took medications, of course, yet they don't seem to have that expected effect on her. Each day, she grew sicker, each day, she grew weaker. I felt an inch of her life was taken away from me each day.
Our misfortunes didn't seem to stop there. The next week, the doctor told us one thing. The bone-marrow transplant would be a failure. There were no matches found. We were running out of time. Besides, even if there was one, performing the operation would be a great risk. Anna's body was too weak to survive the crucial operation. Her case was definitely hopeless. 3 months, after that, it would be a miracle. We didn't give up. We refused to give up. We asked for other opinions, but they were all the same. I turned to the Shaman World, hoping for some healer or something. You see, I was not the Shaman King for nothing. There was no one.
I focused on making her last months the happiest and most memorable. I took her out, almost everyday: to amusement parks, to some romantic place, to anywhere she likes. I even offered to tour the whole world with her. Yet, her health wouldn't permit it. A little work drained all her energy. I insisted that she rest. She shouted at me to stop treating her like a baby. I was silent as I saw a tear fell from her eyes. I just held her close. Tamao and Pirika were misty eyed at that moment. They couldn't take it anymore.
Anna suffered so much. I could feel her pain, although she didn't admit it. You see, when she suffered, I suffered too. I felt her pain. I couldn't bear seeing her like this. I was ready to give up everything for her health, even the throne. I don't care. She was all I needed in this world, only Anna.
I know 3 months was short. I have to do something to lighten her burden. That night, as I stroke her cheek, I asked her to marry me. She didn't speak at first. Then she coldly replied, "Yoh, I don't need your pity." Those were the most painful words she told me. Yet, I have to understand her, what was going on with her. I held her hand and told her, that I do love her, and I want to marry her. She said she was sorry, and she didn't mean to hurt me. She gave me a choice; she was giving me my freedom, freedom from all my obligations as her fiancé. I still chose her. She told me everything, her fear, her pain, her worries, amidst the tears that fell from her eyes. Heck, I made her cry, again.
We planned our wedding the next day. I took her to the place where I first met her, and there I asked her again to marry me, this time with a ring. I forgot to buy one last time. She asked Tamao and Pirika to help her choose the wedding dress. With the help of my family, friends, and the Shaman world, in two weeks, I would be marrying Anna.
Anna walked down the aisle wearing a cream-colored dress, and holding the bouquet of yellow roses I gave her. Her blond hair was tied in a traditional bun, her eyes glittered, and a faint smile appeared on her lips as she approached me. She was simply beautiful.
I recited the poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe as I held her hand. Everyone clapped. My family wiped their eyes in amazement. Why? As Horo-Horo put it, they can't believe that I was capable of memorizing such long poem. Heck, if they only knew, it took me 8 sleepless nights to master such poem. You know, anything for Anna. Anyway, she in turn, recited the poem "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" by Sir Walter Raleigh. Everyone was misty eyed when she finished, including me. Then, we recited our wedding vows. In the end, as I slipped the ring on her finger, I added, "Anna, I love you, and I wanna spend my lifetime with you." Sobs were heard from the crowd. I sweat dropped; I mean do they have to do that? I held her waist, her arms on my neck, and then I smiled at her, before closing the distance between us. I kissed her tenderly, with all my love.
The reception followed at the Asakura compound. Everyone was having fun, including Anna. That was the first time I saw her really having fun. I nervously kneeled down, as I took the garter off Anna's legs. The crowd cheered. I swore Anna stared at me with that do-something-fishy-and-you're- dead-look. Heck, I managed to take it off, no sweat. Anna was laughing, as she threw the bouquet, which Pirika caught. Ren got the garter. Manta said that he caught it on purpose. Pirika and Ren were both blushing crimson, as Ren struggled to push the garter higher her legs. Horo-Horo was red in fury, as Tamao tried to stop him from killing Ren at that moment. After that, Ren gave Pirika a light kiss. Horo-Horo challenged Ren to a fight, as Horo-Horo reasoned out, for "touching" and even "kissing" her sister, and of course, the proud Tao could not refuse.
I asked Anna for a dance after that. She had her arms around me, and my arms surround her waist. I asked her if she was having fun, she smiled, simply saying that it was her wedding day, after all. She added, she could "go" any moment from now. I just smiled. After that, she fainted. Of course, I was quick enough to catch her. She lost consciousness. I panicked at once, I mean, she was just joking right?
We went home that same night. The doctor said that Anna was just tired. She fainted out of fatigue. We sat together in silence, in our room, her head leaning on my shoulder. I held her hand. She then stood and brushed her hair. I told her, you're beautiful. She just smiled.
I smiled back, "Don't ever do that again."
She faced me. "Did I scare you?"
I just nodded. She sighed. "Yoh, are you ready, if something happens to me, and I suddenly died?"
I frowned at her, "Anna, you won't die."
"Yoh, maybe it's time to accept the fact that I'm dying." Her tone was resonant and firm.
I was silent. Maybe, because I'm not ready. I just approached her, and kissed her, after all, that was what we were supposed to be doing, not talking about death. The next day, I couldn't stop thinking about her question.
Bring me a Yellow Rose
Chapter 2
We tried to live a normal life after that day, and it's hard. I mean, it's hard pretending to be cool, or pretending that everything was all right. Our daily routine continued, she insisted on training me hard enough, I still obey her orders, my friends and I were still the recipient of her deadly glares, and of course, her yellow roses. She still tends them like babies, I mean, she could have just asked me to tend them for her and save her time and energy?
However, the days that followed didn't seem to favor her. She took medications, of course, yet they don't seem to have that expected effect on her. Each day, she grew sicker, each day, she grew weaker. I felt an inch of her life was taken away from me each day.
Our misfortunes didn't seem to stop there. The next week, the doctor told us one thing. The bone-marrow transplant would be a failure. There were no matches found. We were running out of time. Besides, even if there was one, performing the operation would be a great risk. Anna's body was too weak to survive the crucial operation. Her case was definitely hopeless. 3 months, after that, it would be a miracle. We didn't give up. We refused to give up. We asked for other opinions, but they were all the same. I turned to the Shaman World, hoping for some healer or something. You see, I was not the Shaman King for nothing. There was no one.
I focused on making her last months the happiest and most memorable. I took her out, almost everyday: to amusement parks, to some romantic place, to anywhere she likes. I even offered to tour the whole world with her. Yet, her health wouldn't permit it. A little work drained all her energy. I insisted that she rest. She shouted at me to stop treating her like a baby. I was silent as I saw a tear fell from her eyes. I just held her close. Tamao and Pirika were misty eyed at that moment. They couldn't take it anymore.
Anna suffered so much. I could feel her pain, although she didn't admit it. You see, when she suffered, I suffered too. I felt her pain. I couldn't bear seeing her like this. I was ready to give up everything for her health, even the throne. I don't care. She was all I needed in this world, only Anna.
I know 3 months was short. I have to do something to lighten her burden. That night, as I stroke her cheek, I asked her to marry me. She didn't speak at first. Then she coldly replied, "Yoh, I don't need your pity." Those were the most painful words she told me. Yet, I have to understand her, what was going on with her. I held her hand and told her, that I do love her, and I want to marry her. She said she was sorry, and she didn't mean to hurt me. She gave me a choice; she was giving me my freedom, freedom from all my obligations as her fiancé. I still chose her. She told me everything, her fear, her pain, her worries, amidst the tears that fell from her eyes. Heck, I made her cry, again.
We planned our wedding the next day. I took her to the place where I first met her, and there I asked her again to marry me, this time with a ring. I forgot to buy one last time. She asked Tamao and Pirika to help her choose the wedding dress. With the help of my family, friends, and the Shaman world, in two weeks, I would be marrying Anna.
Anna walked down the aisle wearing a cream-colored dress, and holding the bouquet of yellow roses I gave her. Her blond hair was tied in a traditional bun, her eyes glittered, and a faint smile appeared on her lips as she approached me. She was simply beautiful.
I recited the poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe as I held her hand. Everyone clapped. My family wiped their eyes in amazement. Why? As Horo-Horo put it, they can't believe that I was capable of memorizing such long poem. Heck, if they only knew, it took me 8 sleepless nights to master such poem. You know, anything for Anna. Anyway, she in turn, recited the poem "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" by Sir Walter Raleigh. Everyone was misty eyed when she finished, including me. Then, we recited our wedding vows. In the end, as I slipped the ring on her finger, I added, "Anna, I love you, and I wanna spend my lifetime with you." Sobs were heard from the crowd. I sweat dropped; I mean do they have to do that? I held her waist, her arms on my neck, and then I smiled at her, before closing the distance between us. I kissed her tenderly, with all my love.
The reception followed at the Asakura compound. Everyone was having fun, including Anna. That was the first time I saw her really having fun. I nervously kneeled down, as I took the garter off Anna's legs. The crowd cheered. I swore Anna stared at me with that do-something-fishy-and-you're- dead-look. Heck, I managed to take it off, no sweat. Anna was laughing, as she threw the bouquet, which Pirika caught. Ren got the garter. Manta said that he caught it on purpose. Pirika and Ren were both blushing crimson, as Ren struggled to push the garter higher her legs. Horo-Horo was red in fury, as Tamao tried to stop him from killing Ren at that moment. After that, Ren gave Pirika a light kiss. Horo-Horo challenged Ren to a fight, as Horo-Horo reasoned out, for "touching" and even "kissing" her sister, and of course, the proud Tao could not refuse.
I asked Anna for a dance after that. She had her arms around me, and my arms surround her waist. I asked her if she was having fun, she smiled, simply saying that it was her wedding day, after all. She added, she could "go" any moment from now. I just smiled. After that, she fainted. Of course, I was quick enough to catch her. She lost consciousness. I panicked at once, I mean, she was just joking right?
We went home that same night. The doctor said that Anna was just tired. She fainted out of fatigue. We sat together in silence, in our room, her head leaning on my shoulder. I held her hand. She then stood and brushed her hair. I told her, you're beautiful. She just smiled.
I smiled back, "Don't ever do that again."
She faced me. "Did I scare you?"
I just nodded. She sighed. "Yoh, are you ready, if something happens to me, and I suddenly died?"
I frowned at her, "Anna, you won't die."
"Yoh, maybe it's time to accept the fact that I'm dying." Her tone was resonant and firm.
I was silent. Maybe, because I'm not ready. I just approached her, and kissed her, after all, that was what we were supposed to be doing, not talking about death. The next day, I couldn't stop thinking about her question.