I don't own Shaman King, but do own Disc, Hel, Lann, and Saber. Jes is my best friend. I do realize that Anna is a bit OOC...but that will be remidied soon enough. Now that was simple, wasn't that? Any questions? Thought not. Please R&R!!! Enjoy!!!

Why...
Willow EarthFlame

Chapter 2...

"Good run, eh?" Yoh panted as he and his new friend jogged into the courtyard of the Asakura residence.

"Wanna find out what Amidamaru and Saber think?" Lann laughed as he watched their spirit partners float up behind them, ectoplasmic sweat dripping from every ghostly pore.

Amidamaru tried to look dignified as he pulled Saber past their shaman partners, but the moment was ruined when he stuck his tongue out at Yoh. Yoh and Lann burst out laughing. Only after they had calmed (and got up off the ground) did they go inside to find Anna waiting for them, sitting on the counter in the kitchen.

"Took you two long enough," she said indifferently. Then her face broke out into a rare grin of genuine happiness.

"She spoke!" Anna said happily, the smile a strange look on her normally composed face.

"Who spoke?" Lann asked, looking back and forth between Anna and Yoh.

"What'd she say?" Yoh asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"She was only mimicking me, but she said, 'Spirits, hear me, I call your forth'!" Anna grinned again.

"Who is 'She'?" Lann almost yelled, irked that he was being ignored.

"Our daughter!" Anna and Yoh chorused in unison as Yoh happily picked Anna up and swung her 'round.

"But," Lann said, a little confused, "Isn't your daughter only twelve months old?"

"Yep!" Yoh said, beaming with pride as he set Anna down.

"Anyway," Anna said, her face slowly becoming composed again, "you two need to eat something."

Yoh and Lann grinned at each other and headed towards the fridge as Anna headed for the door.

"But an hour after you finish your meal, I want fifty pushups and twenty- five more laps' from each of you."

"Annnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jes," Ren mumbled weakly, "are you there?"

"Yes, Ren," Jes replied from above him, "I'm right here. Don't move too much though...you're seriously injured."

Ren nodded (doesn't listen too well, eh?) and immediately regretted it.

"What happened?" he muttered as Jes proceeded to wipe off the blood that caked his face.

There was silence after this question, and then Ren felt a cool, soft liquid fall upon his face. He opened his eyes and looked up at Jes, who was crying sad and angry tears as she cleaned him up.

"Lann had Saber and Pai Long chain me to the opposite wall and he forced me to watch as he whipped you. You lost consciousness after a few minutes, but he just kept on lashing you, laughing harder and harder every time he ripped a new hole into your skin," Jes' said as her eyes filled again with tears, anger and pain burning bright within their depths.

"Well, at least I know why my back feels like Jell-O," Ren said, trying to give Jes an encouraging smile. "It'll be ok, don't worry."

"That's what you think," Lann's voice floated between the bars of the dungeon cell. "Did Jes think to mention to you that she...enjoyed...a goblet of your free-flowing blood as you laid there unconscious?"

Jes shook her head in honest denial (Ren believed her above his brother, right now) then whipped her head around in time to see Jun unlock the cell and direct Pai Long and Saber through the door.

"Grab my brother," she hissed.

"NO!" Jes shouted, struggling to keep a futile hold on Ren as Pai Long pulled him away. Lann moved quickly into the dungeon as Jun and Pai Long left with Ren's half-dead body. "Your turn, dear Jes...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Get off, you smelly little cretin!" Jes shouted as she threw a punch at Lann's chest.

Lann grinned as he watched Jes pummel him, mad as hell and strong as steel. Suddenly tired of being hit in the chest, Lann sent a right hook at Jes' jaw and sent her staggering back a few steps.

"Impressive," Lann said, nodding approvingly. "Usually that blow would've sent a mortal flying across the room."

"I'm not just any mortal," Jes spat, rubbing her sore jaw as she stomped back up to Lann. "And you SO didn't want to do that."

"Oh, didn't...oomph!" Lann doubled over.

Lann made futile attempts to try to block the powerful blows that Jes was delivering to his legs, chest, stomach, and arms (without much luck). She just laughed as she pummeled him for all she was worth.

"That's what you get for hurting those I love, you dick!" she shouted as she sent another punch to his face (Jes caught him in the nose).

"Quite it," he hissed, glaring as he finally landed a kick in her midsection. "No one hits Lann Tao and gets away with it!"

"Oh yeah?" Jes snickered, subtly tensing her muscles to land a strong roundhouse kick on Lann.

"Yeah," Lann said, moving faster than Jess' eyes could follow to stand behind her and pull her arms into a very painful position.

"Get off of me..." Jes said as she kicked up and backward to get the man in the groin, "...Disc."

Willow: Yes, yes, I know...evil cliffy (ducks to avoid getting hit by rotten fruit).

Ren: You made me sound weak.

Jes: Me too.

Both: We don't cry.

Willow: You are both liars and you both cry. And what is wrong with letting people see your tender side a bit?

Ren: (snorts) What tender side?

Jes: (pokes Ren in the side and give him a sly smile) You do have a tender side, my pet.

Ren: I am not your pet...and how would you kno....

Jes: Yes, Ren, I'm glad you didn't finish that sentence. It would've been dumb.

Willow: Readers, are you wondering what they're talking about? You are, I can tell. Do you want me to let you in on their secret?

Ren: Yes, Willow, let the nosy little beasts in on our dirty little secret.

Jes: I agree. Go ahead, give it to them.

Willow: Are you ready readers? Here goes!

Jes:.............................

Ren:....................................

All: Read the fic!!! AND REVIEW!!!

Willow: Enjoy! Ja ne! (Runs from angry readers..."oh god!")