"It's fire and brimstone time, scum!" I shouted at Tokagero. I was so close to sending him to hell.
"No Anna." Yoh had grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I was shocked, to say the least. He rarely stood up to me. "If you send him to hell in his current state...who's going to save his soul?"
"Huh?" Now I was confused as hell. What was Yoh intending to do? More importantly, why?
"Save...Tokagero's soul...!?" There went Manta, shouting like an idiot. He didn't understand our world, though I had to admit, he could be a good friend. It was then I realized Yoh was still holding on to me.
Pulling my wrist from him quickly, but showing now embarrassment of it. I couldn't let myself do that.
"Are you crazy? After all he's done to you!?" I shouted at Yoh, who seemed unaffected as always. He just looked at me with that stupid grin, not the least bit affected by my snapping.
"It's still a Shaman's job to save souls that are beyond salvation." How could he say that? How could he be so calm? What was he planning to do?
I was worried about him. I always am when he fights, but I never show it. He knows though, I know he knows.
"But...!" I started my protest, but Yoh wouldn't have it.
"No one in this world is beyond redemption. Tokagero's overpowering drive to survive made it impossible for him to trust people." Yoh began to explain things to me, but I was only half listening. I knew he was going to do something stupid, and I can't say I was happy about it.
"That's why he could never forgive Amidamaru, who had friends to help him grow strong. And..." Yoh took a pause while I held my breath. I hadn't realized it at first, but I was intent on figuring out his plan. We can generally read each other, know the plan. Yoh was hiding from me, we both knew that much. "Maybe he even envied Amidamaru's friendships and the trust he enjoyed."
I was beginning to understand his reasoning, but I said nothing. Tokagero, still in possession of Ryu's body, began to speak up.
"Keh..." His voice, I didn't like it. Not at all. "Give me a break! Jealous!? Never! I hated him for killing me, that's all!" He was shouting and laughing. Whether he didn't want to believe it or not, I think Yoh was right. "Friends!? Trust!? Don't make me puke!" Ugh, this guy is unbelievable.
I sighed, replacing my beads around my neck.
"You really think you can save a soul as putrid as his?" I snapped lightly at Yoh. If I'm harsh to him, I sometimes hope he'll lose confidence and not do something stupid. I know it's not right, but I do hope sometimes. "That weirdo Ryu is dead meat, anyway. And there's no way to save both of 'em."
There, just keep shooting his confidence down. That's what I wanted, for him to become discouraged. Yoh never took the route I wanted though.
"Sure there is. We just have to satisfy Tokagero's needs." He says it like it's the most obvious thing, keeping his calm demeanor.
"His needs?" What the hell Yoh. Why can't I read you? Why are you hiding this from me? I hate when he gets like this, I don't know his plans. I'll admit, it scares me when he does that, because then I'm not prepared to step in if I need to.
"Sure." Yoh replied and in that stupidly calm voice. God I hated that. "His ungratified needs." Yoh smirked. He had a plan now, but that didn't mean it was a good one.
I let him be; maybe he does know what he's doing right now. He approached Ryu's body.
"Can you talk, Tokagero? Looks like you're about to get X's for eyes." That was a nice thing to say. A real genuine way to help his soul be saved. Yoh never did have a way with words.
"Shove off!" Tokagero snapped. I told you Yoh hadn't helped the situation. "I don't want your pity. I don't trust nobody. Hell isn't—"He was cut off by Yoh.
"Don't. Hell's a lot worse than you think." There it was again, that calm demeanor. I looked between the two, Tokagero was definitely dying out. "If you want revenge so badly, integrate with me. And do whatever you want until you feel satisfied."
WHAT? Had Yoh just offered Tokagero use of his body. I was shocked, and I'm sure it showed. I hate it when Yoh does stupid things like that.
"What!?" I said it aloud, but Yoh didn't change. Calm as ever, though that didn't help settle my stomach.
"Let Tokagero..." Amidamaru...He was unsure of Yoh's choice as well. That little idiot.
"Intergrate with Yoh!?" Manta, butting in again. He had no clue of the pain I was feeling. Sure he was shocked, but no one could compare to what I was feeling during this, when Yoh decided he'd let Tokagero integrate with him. "What are you thinking, Yoh!? That means...!"
Manta was trying to stop him. I'll give him some credit, it was more than I was doing. I can't let my façade die though, I just can't.
"A soul can rest in peace once it's free of regrets or attachments to this world." Yoh stated calmly. Maybe now his calm demeanor was helping me, I wasn't sure.
"But...! He wants revenge on Amidamaru!" Manta shouted at the stubborn Yoh. It was kinda sad, how badly Manta wanted to stop him. But whatever Manta wanted, I guarantee you I wanted Yoh to stop so much more.
"What's wrong, Tokagero?" Yoh asked him, getting his attention. "You can't satisfy your needs in that worn out body. Come on. Won't you join me?" Yoh held out his arms. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but right then I wanted to run into his outstretched arms and beg him not to. I just had to trust Yoh.
My eyes widened as Amidamaru took action. Everyone except me. Yoh seemed rather surprised as well.
"Huh...What are you doing, Amidamaru!?" Yoh's calm demeanor faded. Amidamaru was angry, and you could see it in his eyes.
"I...do not understand! Why must you sacrifice yourself to save him!?" Amidamaru tried to get through to Yoh. I'm sure Yoh wouldn't take any of it. At this point, the only person who had the slightest chance of getting through to him was me, and I certainly was taking no action. "He will undoubtedly kill you!"
Amidamaru was getting angrier by the second. More and more confused. You could see it in his eyes.
"Why!? He is only a worthless bandit! I would have struck him down long ago were he not a ghost!" Amidamaru shouted at Yoh. Tokagero made a strange 'Urk' sort of noise. He was definitely paying attention here.
"Sorry, Amidamaru." Yoh pulled out Amidamaru's memorial tablet. "You'll have to stay out of this." Amidamaru was quickly sealed inside. I was catching on to his plan, though I wasn't completely sure of his intentions. You could never know with him.
"What!? He put Amidamaru into his memorial tablet!" Thanks for clearing that up Manta. Manta let out a gasp, he really needed to get used to these things from Yoh. "Why? Amidamaru is his protector!" Manta could really be slow sometimes. I had the gist of the plan by now.
"Come on, Tokagero. I'll save your soul." Yoh's calm demeanor again returned to him. Now it made me calm. I liked how he had that effect, even if I did tell anyone, or show it.
"Heh...You can't fool me..." Tokagero was getting defensive on us again. "That witch behind you will flush my soul down to hell..." He took a few raggedy breaths. "The instant I vacate this body! I know it!"
He did not just take a shot at my integrity. I glared at him, finally talking since Yoh stopped my attack.
"Pshah! Weak as you are? I could peel you off Ryu anytime I wanted to." That ought to strike some sense into him. Maybe I'll even help out, just this once. "Yoh's offering you a chance to be saved, moron."
Maybe not the best help, according to Yoh's face. But it was my help nonetheless. Tokagero made another strange 'Urg' noise.
"Are you serious about this?" I was taking my turn to talk to Yoh. One on one, a conversation between the two of us alone. "Amidamaru won't be able to rest in peace if you die, you know."
Ha. If only he knew. Amidamaru would rest in peace before I did. I couldn't go on if Yoh died, I'd refuse to. I'm stubborn like that, and without Yoh around to set me straight, no one would.
"I know." Of course you do. You seem to know everything before I say it to you. "I think we can resolve this without anybody getting hurt." Yoh had that smirk on his face. He knew what I was thinking, even if I didn't voice my words.
"Don't worry, Anna." That was what I needed to hear right then. Somehow, I hated how he knew that, but I loved it because I didn't have to try and express myself to him.
"Anybody?" I wondered how he would pull this one off.
"Keh...Nobody gets hurt, eh?" So the damn ghost was still in disbelief, I hoped Yoh would show him. "When does that ever happen!? You either take or get taken in this world. If you eat a dumpling, then there's one less for the other guys..." He really was stupid, when it came down to it. "So I chose to be the one who eats the dumpling...It's the law of the jungle!"
I stared at him blankly. Since when was that the law of the jungle?
"When is there a time...when nobody gets hurt!?" He was definitely an unbelieving ghost. Yoh glared at him, a face he rarely used unless in battle. Tokagero started to get up.
"Hmph...Interesting...Why don't you show me then?" He released himself for Ryu's body, coming straight for Yoh. "I'd like to see this "Salvation" that you talk about! Show me, with that body I'm about to mangle!" A lump formed in my throat. I really hoped Yoh knew what he was doing here.
"Whoa! Something came out of Ryu's body!" Manta exclaimed. No duh.
"It's...Tokagero's soul!" I shouted at him. I was scared, I couldn't let my mask down though.
"Tokagero—Spirit Flame Mode!" He turned into a small ball-like spirit. Then he let out this eerily strange laughter. "Now it's the kid's turn to be possessed!"
"L—LORD YOH!!" Amidamaru shouted out from his tablet. He was unable to do anything else. I watched as the spirit entered him, shocked to say the least.
"What a sucker—Loaning me his own body to kill him with...Unbelievable!" I choked on the silent words I wanted to say. Yoh did not just do that. He let him. No.
"Toka-Tokagero!" Manta shouted out. It was all a bit of a blur for a moment. It was overwhelming. The pain I felt in my heart. I collapsed to my knees. Everyone was seeing my weak side.
"That idiot actually gave him control...I thought he'd dominate Tokagero's soul when they integrated..." I couldn't believe it. I was in a state of shock, looking for someone, something, to blame. The cause of it.
"What do you mean?" There was Manta again, confused.
"With Yoh's strength he doesn't have to let that sickly ghost control him." I explained, still in a state of shock. Red rose into my cheeks from anger and frustration.
"Then Yoh let him take control!? Why!?" How could Manta ask such a stupid question. Tears formed in my eyes and began falling freely. I made no effort to stop them.
"I don't know, you ninny!" I shouted at him. "If Yoh dies, it's your fault!" I blamed him. It was all I could do right now. I was watching the one I loved die in front of me.
--
Everything was okay though. It worked out in the end. Tokagero can rest in peace.
That night I lay in my bed. I was shivering, even with several blankets. My cheeks were wet, I was crying again. Something I only did in private. I almost lost Yoh today. We hadn't talked since the fight with Tokagero.
I heard my door shift open and stiffened a little. Wiping my tears I buried my face in the pillow, refusing to look at Yoh. To my surprise he came and lay down next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I turned to face him, burying my head instead, in his chest.
"Did I make you worry today, Anna? I'm sorry." His voice was calm, and a bit stupid. More tears fell from my eyes; even though he couldn't see them his shirt was no doubt getting wet. I brought one hand up to his chest, letting it rest there.
"Don't ever leave me, Yoh." I whispered into his shirt. I knew he heard me because his hold only tightened. "I...ov...u." I mumbled incoherently into his shirt.
"I love you too." He got the message. And that was why I loved Asakura Yoh. Because even when no one else could tell what I was feeling, he always seemed to know.