Dead Mans Party

Chapter 16

Once Again

It had been a good ten minutes or so before the gang had moved, let alone spoke. All had sat in utter silence, compliments of Hao's chilling words. ...i'll see you again soon... Trey couldn't help but shutter. He had said it so cooly, like he was sure there would be a next time. ...well duh, he is still out there... Trey noted, stretching a bit. He was sitting now, tired from helping the others rearrange the now almost decipated cemetary. Of corse they had felt bad for all the souls that now had been hounding them to fix up the numerous piles of rocks that had once been tombstones. The gang didn't mind really, at least Yoh didn't, had offered to fix the whole place up, dragging his friends down with him. ...oh well... Trey thought, actually feeling pretty good about it now. They had done a good thing, had helped the spirits who's graves had been disturbed once again find peace. All in all, it wasn't too bad, though dealing with Anna would be much worse.

Trey blinked a bit, looked over to where Anna was, saw she was staring off into the distance, her hair and bandana blowing softly in the breeze. ...wonder what she's thinking...? he thought, would have liked to ask her, but felt it be better to just keep his distance for now. She had had to deal with Hao again, and that would put anyone in a bad mood. He then opted to turn his attention to Pillica, who was busily addressing Len's wounds.

"Ow!" yelled Len, jerking his arm from the young blue haired girl. "Well i'm sorry, but you have to get it out!" she stated, Len glairing a bit at her. "Pah, and what makes you think I need you?" he asked, the girl blinking a bit, then glairing, hands on her slender hips. "Well excuse me for trying to be nice!" she shouted, Len growling some as he quickly yanked a large bony finger from his arm, blood spraying the ground slightly.

Pillica's eyes widdend, and she felt herself go white as a ghost. ...b-blood... she thought, already feeling weak in the knees. Lenny watched her, raising an eyebrow some, sure the girl was about ready to pass out. "Oh, afraid of blood are we?" he asked, smirking, Pillica frowning now, feeling her delicate cheeks heat up. ...what a jerk... she thought, looking down some. Ok, so she was a whimp and couln't stand the sight of blood, much less the smell of it, but there was no way she was going to allow herself to faint in front of this extreamly hot-headed, not to mention hot, shaman boy who she had secretly been crushing on since before she could remember ...right, no fainting, gotta keep it together... she told herself, going into some breathing exercises her and Trey use to do together when they were meditating and what not.

She closed her eyes, breathing in and out in successions, Len blinking a bit, slightly confused as to what she was doing. He was about to speak when the girl looked to him, then to his now blood arm. "Oh, you're bleeding bad." she stated, pointing to his arm with a worried look. Lenny only shrugged, turning his back to her. "Nothing to worry about. It'll heal in a day or so." he assured her, Pillica frowning a bit. Though that was true, that it would eventually heal, he still needed to stop it from bleeding. ...maybe there's something I can wrap it with... she thought, scanning the ground and surrounding area, but came up with nothing. ...darn... she thought, and blinked when he started walking away. "W-wait!" she said to him, Lenny stopping a bit, looking back at her over his shoulder. "What is it now?" he snapped, getting annoyed with her now.

Pillica looked to him, a sad expression on her slightly pale face, causing Len to frown. He hadn't wanted to upset the girl, after all, she had gone through Hell today, having been literally crusified to a tree, a tree that could have very easily became her grave. He continued to look at her, noting that she still wore the same expression looking down some, Len opting to turn his attention from her now, looking off into the distance at the sun that would soon set in an hour or so, and blinked when he heard something like cloth rip behind him.

He turned quickly, facing the direction Pillica was in and blinked, saw she had a long, pink cloth in her hands. "Here..." she said, stepping to him now, beginning to slowly and gently wrap his bleeding arm. Lenny winced a bit, but gradually felt the pain dull, focusing on the girl and her delicate wrapping skills.

"All better." she stated, smiling some, their eyes meetng. Len blinked, Pillica doing the same, and for a moment, neither said anyhting, just stood, stairing deeply into one anothers eyes, only looking away at the same time when their cheeks began to heat up. "Thanks..." said Lenny softly, staring at the ground as he rubbbed the back of his head. Pillica nodded, looking to him some shyly. "No problem." she said softly, Len looking to her once more, flahsing her a quick smile, before turning, causing her to blink.

Len also blinked, looking back at her once more. "Well, are you coming or not?" he asked, Pillica blinking rapidly now. "Uh...yes!" she said, running to him a bit, stopping when she was beside him. He looked her over some, saw she was covered in dirt, that her hair was a mess and her arms, upper body, and clothing were all stained with dried red blood. But what struck him most were the thin white bandages wrapped about the palms of her hand, where she had once been pinned. He frowned a bit, felt bad for the girl, knew she wasn't a shaman and that she had no real way of defending herself, especially against Hao. Aside from that, she really had played little, to no role in the Shaman Tournament at all, her only real link to it being her brother Trey.

...so what...? he thought, blinking a bit. ...it's not like I care about her anyway, so why am I thinking about all this...? he continued, feeling himself blush at the mere thought of the young girl liking him. Pillica must have noticed, blinking a bit as she stepped to him. "You look a little red, do you have a fever?" she asked, resting the palm of her hand against his forehead. Lenny only blinked rapidly, feeling himself blush even deeper. "I-I'm fine!" he stuttered, stepping back some, only to feel his back hit a tree. ...wha...! he thought, glancing back at it, cursing silently. "Wait a second!" said a now annoyed Pillica, once again before him, her hand on his forehead once more. "I-I said I'm fine!" he shouted, trying to slip to the right, Pillica just rolling her eyes. "That's what Trey says!" she replied, Len growling some. "Don't compare me to that dolt!" shouted Len.

"I heard that!" shouted Trey, stepping to where his sister and Len were, Chocolover and Ryo following. "Heard what?" asked Ryo, blinking a bit. "I didn't hear anything." stated Choco, Len rolling his eyes a bit. "That's cause youre hair blocks off your ears." he said simply, Choco growling a bit, but quickly smiling. "Hey Len, why dont you make like a tree..." he began, tapping the large oak giant that Len's back was against. "And...leave?" he finished, laughing hysterically, before grabbing his nose with both hands, jumping up and down. "Ow! My Nose! You really hit it that time!" he shouted, Len rolling his eyes once more.

Trey watched the two, noticing Pillica had her hand on Len's forhead. "Pillica what are you doing!" he shouted, jerking her away from the purple haired shaman. "I was checking his tempiture!" she shouted, pulling from her brother. Ryo only smikred, slidding up behind the two. "My lovely, he is not red from the heat, but from your beauty." he said, winking at her, then to Len, who only stood, stairing, wide eyed. "Forget Rudolph! Len's face is bright enough to guide anything!" said Choco, pointing his tan finger at his friends speechless and beyond embaressed expression, causing Ryo to chuckle lightly.

"What's so funny!" asked Pillica, staring at the shaman boys angrily, hands once again on her hips. Ryo and Choco smirked, stepping behind Trey now. "Ohhh no Trey, looks like short pants has a thing for your sister." said Ryo, elbowing the blue haired shaman lightly in the side. Trey blinked rapidly, looking to his sister, then to Lenny. "WHAT! he shouted, Pillica blinking now, confused. "Wow Len, I really must give you credit on your flirtation technique." said Choco, his hand lightly cupping his chin, Len blushing brightly. "Fl-flirtation!" he stamppered, causing Chocolover and Ryo to giggle."Don't read anything into it, you hear me!" shouted a now furious Lenny, turning from his so-called "friends". He stood, with his back to them, crossing his arms, Trey beside him, doing the same.

"Aww!" said Ryo, wrapping his arm around Trey's shoulder. "Wook at the widdle pouty face!" finished Choco, beside Len now, his arm across the short shaman's shoulders. Len and Trey both growled at the other two, looking away from them. "I don't like her." said Len. "You'd better not..." stated Trey, glairing at his friend. "Oh, and if I do?" replied Len, also glairing now. "Like i'd let you date her!" snapped Trey. "Like you could stop me!" replied Lenny. The two continued back and forth, Ryo, Chocolover, Pillica, and their guardian ghost watching, their eyes shifting between the two as they spoke.

"I'll date her if I want to!" shouted Len. "Oh no you won't!" yelled Trey. "I said I will, so I will!" roared Lenny, leaning his face towards his friends. "And I say you won't so you won't!" Trey shouted back, also leaning foward so that his forehead was pressed agains Lenny's. The two glaired at one another, growling low, Choco and Ryo cracking up in the background, Pillica only blinking, confused as to what was going on and why she seemed to be the subject of her brother and his freind's conversation.

"Len, Li Pai Long and I were wondering if you and the others were okay...and... am I interrupting something?" asked a now confused Jun, stairing dumbfounded at Trey and her brother, clueless as to what was going on, Choco and Ryo opting to fill her in. "Ahh, you see my lovely, Trey there refuses to let your brother date Pillica." began Ryo. "But Len has other plans!" shouted Chocolover, once again laughing with Ryo. Jun blinked, a bit shocked, looking to Len and Trey now, the two looking back at her. "Is this true Len?" she aksed. Len blinking rapidly, about to answer but Jun continued on. "Oh, how wonderful!" she shouted, clasping her hands happily before her chest. "Uncle En and Mother will be so happy you've finally found a bride!" she said, turning and running back to where her guardian ghost was. "Li! Li! Len's finally found a girlfriend!"

Len only looked on, his jaw dropping, in absolute shock, not to mention embaressment. ...and I didn't even get a chance to defend myself...! he thought, glairing angrily at Ryo and Choco, the two pointing at him playfully. "Ooooo, he looks mad now!" said Ryo, Choco nodding. "Yeah, we'd better watch out!" added Choco, before once again holding his nose. "Ow! Ow! You're so cruel!" he cried, Lenny rolling his eyes. "Well, maybe if you stopped spouting such stupidity I wouldn't have to jab your nose with my weapon hmm?" asked Len, Choco mubbling under his breath as he turned to converse with Ryo and the spirits.

Len sighed some, looking at his arm, couldn't help but smile a bit at the soft, pink cloth wrapped about it. ...it does feel much better... he thought, touching it gently with his finger tips. Trey blinked a bit, watching his purple haired friend. ...man, I can't believe he likes me sister... he thought bitterly, and blinked a bit more when he saw a slight smile cross the pale boy's face, saw how he tenderly touched the cloth that had once been Pillica's jacket. Trey then frowned, sighing a bit. ...man, it' s hard to believe Len could like anyone...especially a girl... he thought, narowing his eyes a bit at his friend. ...then again, Len is really strong, way stronger then me...not only that but he's really protective, and I know he'd take care of her...somewhat...

The blue haired shaman pondered this a moment, couldn't help but like the idea of Len and his siter together. She'd be safe, plus they could both see ghost and whatnot. ...yeah, it'd be kinda odd if a normal dude dated her, and saw her "talking to herself" in the middle of a graveyard or something... he thought, sweatdropping. ...ah heck... he thought, his hands in his pockets now, kicking at the ground some.

"Hey Len." he called, Len blinking a bit, eyes widdening some. ...crap... he thought, quickly jerking his fingers from the cloth, facing the blue haired boy, hopeing he wouldn't detect the light blush crossing his cheeks. "What is it now?" he asked, trying to stay cool. Trey frowned some, keeping his hands in his pockets, continuing to kick the ground softly. "I um..." he began, scratching the back of his head lightly, Len raising an eyebrow. ...what's this idiot going to say now...? he wondered, wasn't sure if he truly wanted to know, figured it would be something stupid.

Trey blinked a bit, looking to Len, Len raising an eyebrow, seeming to wait for his friend to speak. "Well, come on! Spit it out already. While we're young." he snapped, turning his back to the snow shaman, Trey blinking a bit, then growled, turning his back to Len now as well. "Well, I WAS going to say you could date my sister but now i'm not so sure!" he said, Len going wide eyeed again "I don't WANT to date your sister!" snapped Len. "Good cause she doesn't want to date you either!" replied Trey. "Fine!" yelled Len. "Fine!" answered Trey, the two once again keeping their backs to one another.

"Maybe, we should get back to the others?" asked Ryo, looking to the two, then to Choco and Pillica. "Yeah, I agree." said Choco. "Me too." added Pillica. With that the three turned...and blinked glancing behind them, still saw Trey and Len back to back, ignoring one another. "Hey, come on you guys, if we don't get moving Anna will kill us." said Ryo, looking around nervously.

"Ha! If Anna wants us then she can walk over here and get us, til then i'm going to stand here." stated Trey, crossing his arms before his chest now. "Oh really?" said a female voice from behind. "Yes, really, because I just saved her butt and if she needs me she can-" he began, then stopped, eyes opening. "Anna...is that you?" he asked, then went tumbling over, smashing face first into one of the few trees left standing.

"Idiot, you think we're gonna stand around all day waiting for you to stop flirting with Len?" she asked. Trey getting to his knees facing her. "F-f-flirting?" he choked, beet red now. "We weren't flirting! We were...arguing!" he shouted, Anna crossing her arms now, turning. "I don't care what you two were doing, get your weapons and lets go. I'm starving." she stated, beginning to walk away, Trey stairing dumbfounded and confused.

Anna then stopped, looking back at them over her shoulder. "I thought I told you to move it?" The others blinked rapidly, getting to their feet, Trey diving before Anna now, on his knees, hands clasped before his chest. "Anna! You can't be serious! You're really going to make us cook after all this?" he asked, Anna blinking a bit looking to him. "Excuse me?" she said, Trey continuing. "We're bloody, we're tired, we have almost no energy or furioku left, our hands are all cut up and sore...please...please don't make us cook! Pleeeeaase!" he said, closing his eyes tight as he began to beg.

Anna blinked a bit more, stairing at Trey. "Yeah Anna, I agree." said a voice from behind, She turned slightly saw it was Yoh, who was followed by Jun, Lyserg, Morty, and Faust, who still seemed a bit shaken up. Yoh then looked to her, Anna looking back, Yoh smiling a bit. "They're all pretty beat up Anna, why not go out for dinner tonight? Come on, whatta ya say?" he asked, scaratching the back of his head now, smiling at her cheesily with his eyes closed.

Anna staired at him, her expression going soft. He looked so sweet standing there, so young and carefree, even after the horrid ordeal he and the others had been through. ...whatever happens...we'll muddle through it... Yoh's words echoed in her mind. She couldn't help but think about what Trey had said. They were pretty beat up and bloody, had little to no energy or furioku left and were all tired, and to top it all off, the main cooks had their hands damaged, compliments of Hao's insane little game. All this passed through Anna's mind, and yet she couldn't help but think about going out to that cute little burger place, the one near the school, and downing a cheeseburger and fries herself. It sounded so good, and it had been so long since they had ate out anyway... ...and aside from that... she thought, looking down some. ...they all saved my life...again...

Anna knew it was true, that once again, she had put them all in danger, knew they had almost very nearly died this time, and that next time they may not be so lucky. She also fetl like she owned them, not in a oh- no sense, but in one that made her feel good, kind of like a reward for all they had been through today. She was so proud of all of them, proud they had worked together to save and protect one another. With that in mind and with the others waiting for her response, she decided to answer. "Alright, we can go out for dinner..." she began, the others already beginning to smile. "So long as someone here pays for it." she finished, all, including the spirits falling over anime style.

"What? That's so totally wrong, I mean, none of us have our wallets...do we?" asked Trey, looking to the others a bit, all reaching into their pockets, puling out only dust, dirt, rocks and pocket lint. They all sighed heavily, looking down sadly. "Man..." mummbled Trey, before falling to his knees sobbing. "Why? why why why?" he shouted the others exchanging glances. "Ahh, there there Trey..." said Morty, patting the shaman's back lightly. "Yeah, you really don't need those extra calories anyway..." stated Len, flashing a sarcastic smile. "What's that suppose to mean?" asked a now irked Trey. "Exactly what it sounds like." replied Lenny, turning to the side now, crossing his arm before his chest once more. "Oh, i'll show you what it sounds like!" roared Trey, tackling Lenny down to the ground, the two attempiting to strangle each other, the rest of the gang, excluding Anna and Yoh, who looked on sweat-dropping, attempting to sepreate the two.

Jun also watched the argument unfold before her, blinking a bit, confused, then smiled. "Come now you two, there's no need to fight." she began, the two mummbling a bit, their foreheads plastered against one anothers. "Because I just remembered that my purse is inside my SUV, which is parked across the street." she said, everyone, including Trey and Lenny, freezing, looking to her with hope flashing in their eyes. "Really?" asked Trey hopefully. Jun smiled, nodding happily. "Yes, and since it's ok with Ms. Anna, I shall treat you all out to burgers and fries!" she stated sweetly, smiling with her eyes closed. "Really? Awesome!" everyone shouted, Trey hugging Len tightly. "Pah, get off me you dolt!" snapped Lenny, pushing at the blue haired shaman some, but to no avail. "Come now everyone, the sooner we get in my vehicle, the sooner we can eat." she said, turning now as she headed back towards the graveyard's exit, amazed that her car keys hadn't got lost or destroyed in all the chaos.

"We're gonna eat! We're gonna eat!" sang Trey happily, skipping after the others and around Len, Len glaring, swatting at the shaman's head lightly as he countinued to frolic around him. "Not if you keep skipping around like that you won't..." he growled, Trey ignoring him, quickly piling into the large, black colored SUV with the others.

It didn't take long for them to reach the quant little burger stop, all of them exiting the SUV, Jun being sure to lock it up properly before following the others inside. They took a booth in the far back, all of them somehow managing to squeeze in, and with room to spare no less. Jun then stood, gathering the order and headed off to place it, Ryo following after her. "I'll take eight mega cheese burger combo meals." she said, heared whiny in the background and rolled her eyes playfully. "Make that ten." she stated, the clerk nodding as he punched the numbers into the chash register type thing. "That be all fer ya ma'am?" asked the young clerk looking to her and Ryo, blinking a bit, noting their torn up attire, not to mention their batterted up and dirt covered bodies. "Hmmm...i'll also take a salad, a large order of onion rings, two large curley fries and ten vanilla cone sundaes." she said, smiling sheepishly at the clerk's shocked expression. "Urrmm, is that for here or to go?" he asked. "Here." she replied, the clerk nodding a bit, messing with the register once more. "That'll be 75.68." he said, Jun nodding a bit as she handed him a fresh 100 dollare bill. Once more the clerks expression went shocked, but he went on with it. "24.32 is your change...your order will be ready in about...10 minutes." he stated Jun nodding with a slight bow. "Thank you."

The next ten minutes would be an eternity, at least for Trey who whined non-stop until Ryo and Jun finally brought over the bags of food, everyone, including Anna, digging in right away. All happily shared with one another and ever offered a taste to their spirit allies, who were quite fond of this new aged food. "Curley fri?" asked Faust VIII, offering one to Morty. "T-thanks." replied the boy meekly, taking it from his necromancer friend. Faust smiled softly, had begged for the forgivness of his only true friends for his horrid crime, all forgiving him without the slightest thought of hesistation, noting it was not his doing, but Hao's. All had managed to push this aside now, feeling like a normal group of friends, of teenagers who were out late at night, stopping for a quick burger or two. Hell, they WERE normal teenagers, except for the fact that they could see and speak with ghost, which was normal for them, along with saving the world and each other.

Of corse though, they were a bit annoyed and curious as to why all the other customers were giving them odd looks and staring at them as if they were the living dead. ...maybe because we look like it...? thought Trey, munching on his burger happily as he watched a great many customer take their meals and exit the fast food joint, leaving the place practically empty. "Hey Trey, wanna take a dive in the ball pit?" asked Yoh playfully, motioning to the massive Kiddy-Play Area that took up the entire back of the food place. Trey smiled. "Yeah, right after I finish my fires." he replied, Len blinking a bit, looking to the two. "Are you both serious?" he asked, the two nodding. "Of corse, eh Lyserg?" answered Yoh glancing to the green haired shaman who smiled softly with a nod. "Sure, why not?" he said, Choco and Ryo suddenly going into another giggling fit, Lyserg blinking a bit, looking to the two. "Does Len want to swin in the ball pit too?" asked Ryo, the others chuckling softly, Lenny rolling his eyes as he sipped his soda, then smiled at them all. "Maybe a little." he replied, everyone laughing softly, continuing to eat, so happy to be reunited with each other...once again.

The End

(sobs Alas, another story comes to an end! WHY! lol, ahh so sorry for the wait all, really I am, but I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and this story, it is one of my favs And never fear! I've already got a TON more Shaman King stories in store for you, so I do hope you all will check in and read and review them for me. I thank you all who have read and reviewed my stories, it's because of you all that I wanna keep writing...you and shaman king of corse XD However, I'm not truly sure when i'll have my next story up and running, seeing as i'll soon be working on fics for other animes. Please check them all out, their names will be as followed:

Believe In! my One Piece fanfic, Next To you, my Naruto fan fic, If I Just Breath, a short Spirited Away fic, and my Kingdom Hearts fanfic, Bring Me To Life. Oh, but I know what you all want to know, whats my next shaman king fanfic gonna be called? It will be called... And We Danced Ahh, you'll see why when you read it XD But alas, im rambling lol x.X But once again, thank you all so much for the reviews and please continue to read and review and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and this story and that you all will enjoy the next, til then toodles all ) Melis)