Disclaimer: As usual, I do NOT own 'Shaman King' or any anime and their original characters. If there is a character or story that you never heard of before in here, it's mine and mine alone!

A/N: It took me a whole week to plan out this entire story. I will be taking a lot of info from the manga and try to fit them in the anime's story. I'm sorry for any reader who does not have access to the books. The reason why I'm using the manga is because there's a hell lot more details from it. This story takes place only about two-three months after the fight….

Shaman King: Ghosts of Hatred

A Cold Day - Part 1: It's never JUST a walk in the park

Thursday, 15:03 in the afternoon.

Yoh was walking home from a long day at school, thinking -something he rarely favors to do, but does now more frequently than before. He had just replaced the batteries of his new disc player that he received as a going-away present from Manta before he went back to America with his family. Yoh had just bought himself a new record of relaxing Blues songs. He took a quick look at his watch. Realizing the time, he immediately hastens the pace of his jog, causing his muscles hurt for some reason or another. Sighing, he slowed down.

It must have been that encyclopedia from Anna, Yoh thought to himself smiling. For someone who gets everyone else to do the chores she sure packs quite a punch.

Earlier today in school, the math teacher had to run off for something important, a meeting of some sort. Either way Yoh didn't really care. All that matters to him was that more time was given to him to sleep without any teacher bombarding him with meaningless questions. Yoh was about to dose off when a light tap was felt on his shoulder.

Opening his eyes, he was greeted by two girls, they're fellow classmates of Yoh. Curious as to why they were there, he lifted his head from the table and flash them one of his trademark smile, followed by a polite question, hence causing the two girls to blush brighter than a Valentine card with dreaming looks on their faces.

However, before Yoh could press on, his 'spider-senses' picked up impeding danger from behind, he dived hard right, narrowly missing the ten pound dictionary that had flew pass where his head was just seconds ago. Thanking whichever divine being looking out for him, Yoh twist his neck to identify his assailant, not that it was any great mystery of the century.

Standing five feet away was his fiancée in a blazing rage. The normally cold and emotionless Anna was now on a warpath against him. Armed with an array of arsenal ranging from pencils to gigantic dictionaries like the one that nearly decapitated him, she began bombarding Yoh who quickly seek shelter by over turning the empty table in front of him and scrambled behind it, all while trying to explain himself.

After returning back from the Shaman fight a month ago, both of them tried to return back to their normal lifestyle. Well, as normal as it could be anyway. That means regular training, and going back to school. However, Yoh detected a slight 'jumpy-ness' in Anna. He knows that during the fight she had met Hao on several occasions, details on what had actually happened between the two of them were unknown to Yoh, but since then, Anna has easily enraged by any one with a 'double-X' gene that Yoh came into contact with.

And today was no exception.

After school, he wanted to have a word with Anna about it. But she made it clear that she didn't want to see him yet. So Yoh decided to take a stroll around town, to give her some time to cool off.

Well, at least no bystander got hurt, Yoh rubbed his aching back, can't say the same for me though…

A cold wind blew passed his face. Even though it was the winter period, the thermometer was dropping drastically over the past few days, faster than the previous years. Unfortunately for Yoh, he had bolted out of the house at the very last possible minute, forgetting the neatly folded blazer that Anna had left for him on the living room coach. Perhaps that's why she was in such a foul mood.

Yoh sighed. He had to find a way to make up to Anna, even though he didn't know what he did wrong. A task which he found himself undertaking ever so often. To make matters worst, all his fellow companions had just left for their respective country/city/town/tribe/village.

Chocolove had to fly back to America to pay long due visit to the grave of his mentor, Orona, the man who had helped pull him out of the dark and destructive path he was on, as well as helping him 'escape' from hell, literally. He left two weeks ago, along with Manta, hitching a free ride.

Ryu left soon after with his gang for some quality-time. They're on a road trip to Izumo to visit Yoh's father, who was also the one who trained Ryu to be a shaman in the first place. Ryu hopes he could turn his whole gang into shamans. Tamao went with him as she also wanted to see Yohmei, Yoh's grandfather, again. Yoh would miss having her around.

"There goes someone else to help out with the house work…" Yoh sighed.

Lyserg company Jeanne back to her hometown in France. Even though the X-LAWS has been dissolved, Lyserg insisted in becoming her personal bodyguard. Although he said it was just out of respect and the fact is that he has no where else to go to anyway, both HoroHoro and Chocolove refuse to believe that Lyserg had not at developed any feelings for the young girl.

Speaking of HoroHoro, both him and his sister, Pilica , had been summon back to the Aniu village by their parents. Which was rather unusual as this was the first time that they 'demanded' the sibling to return, Yoh always thought the two of them were given free rein. Needless to say, both off them left grudgingly. Maybe it was for the greater good, if HoroHoro had stayed any longer, he would have a problem paying up for the mountains of debts he owns Anna, which usually means more housework. They left immediately upon receiving the letter, but not before the Tao siblings.

Ren and his sister Jun wanted to return back to China. He vows to train himself and would one day return to setter the score between the two of them. Later that day, while Ren was packing, Jun told the rest of the gang that Ren would be transferred to a public school. At last he could be with people of his same age. Unknowing to the rest of the group, Pilica had slipped off during that conversion. Yoh had a funny feeling where she was, but didn't say any because Anna specifically told him not to.

"Give them some time alone," She whispered when no one else was watching.

"But of course," Yoh smiled. Even though she never told anyone, he knows that Anna is a girl that understands romance relationships. Yoh didn't know whether it was because of all the shows she watched or because it was from her own personal feeling.

Yoh had always remembered that day. It was the first time he had faced real danger. It was the first time that he got slapped by anyone. It was the first time he went on a date. It was the first time he had never felt alone. It was the first time, that he had met Anna.

Yoh could never forget, the day he first fell in love…


Thursday, 15:34 in the afternoon.

It was a good half-hour of walking before his feet started screaming in protest. Unable to find any bench in the area, Yoh found a nice shady spot under a tree and planted himself there.

" This is the life…" He muttered before closing his eyes.

Maybe it was because of the freezing temperature, but Yoh's mind can't help recalling his adventure in Osorezan Revoir. The weather was just as cold as it was there. And when it snows, one hears… absolutely nothing. It was a deafening, absolute silence…

If it doesn't work, when I become the Shaman King, I promise to help you…

Yoh woke up from his dream with a start. It was one that he never had for a long time. The promise to Anna that he made behind closed door.

"It must had been the most important thing to her…" He muttered.

Damn, Yoh got up. What am I doing, I had promised Anna a better life, why am I still here wasting my time sleeping…

Neither Anna nor his grandmother had told Yoh about her past, before she was taken in my Kino. Yoh could only image the pain she had suffered. It must had been hell if it could cause a young girl to give up on humanity. Compared to his childhood, being called a 'child of the devil' must have been nothing to Anna. At least Yoh have a family to go back to, Anna…had no one.

Yoh was the first person that had saved her life, as well as her soul. He was the one who had pulled her out of the abyss… The one who had shown her love for the first time…

Nobody hates this world more than I do, but my love for that boy overwhelmed that hatred…

Damnit…Yoh began running back to the hotel.

As Yoh quicken his pace, the scenery around him turns to a blur. The sounds of people and vehicles were washed away by the wind rushing pass his ears at full speed. He made a brief stop to plan his route back to Funbari Onsen. Taking in a deep breath, he was ready to leave when

BBBOOOOOMMmmmmmmm…..!

The sounds of destruction reached his ears. Readying himself for battle, he tenses his body, trying to pinpoint the source of the explosion. However, the greenery surrounding him provided no answer.

BBBOOOOOMMmmmmmmm…..!

Was heard again. But this time, Yoh had found the direction from which it originated. Fearing the worst, he changes his plan and headed out of the park and ran towards the surrounding shops. As he got closer, distinctive sounds of fighting were being emitted from behind one of the structures.

Yoh turned hard right and ran behind it. He was greeted with a very drastic change in scenery.

All around him, Yoh could see bodies sprawled over debris of steel, concrete and glass. He could see people lying in unnatural positions in pools of red fluids, oozing from the massive wounds on their body. Some could be seen trying to crawl to safety, others were just motionless, missing obvious parts of their bodies. But the most shocking thing were the creatures, standing in the middle of the chaos and destruction.

It's been at least six years since his last encounter with an Oni in Japan.

Oni are evil spirits (ghosts) filled with hatred because of the past that they can't let go. Consumed by that hatred, they 'mutated' into monstrosity, walking in this world forever. Until they're destroyed by shamans of course. The nine Oni standing before him are classified as the smaller size class, even though their at least eight feet from horns to tail.

At first glance, they don't strike Yoh as any common Oni. For one thing, they seem to have more…'colour' then the ones in Osorezan Revoir. Some were a deep shade of red, while the majorities were of bright orange. On closer inspection, the Oni seem to be clad in some covering, most likely armor. On the forearm and calf, Yoh could see retractable blades at work.

Woah! Oni with armor and switchblades? Talk about upgrades…!

Several metres away, a small group of people was trying to fend of the creatures, buying time for the rest to escape. Judging by the fact that they're wedging spiritual power against the creatures, it's a no-brainer that they're shamans as well. However, in Yoh opinion, they don't seem to be handling the situation well. With a quick swipe from their blades, the Oni cut down half of their remaining forces.

"Ahh! Help!"

"Noooo!"

"Get out off the way!"

BBBOOOOOMMmmmmmmm…..!

Another explosion erupted. Apparently, the Oni found a faster way to get rid of the shaman forces. Grabbing debris from the building they had just destroyed, the Oni began a sick and twisted version of the popular game 'dodge ball'. A screaming shaman was brutally silenced when a high-speed concrete wall made contact with it's organic target. Elsewhere, a sickening 'spat' could be heard from another victim.

"Help m-!" In the midst of the carnage, a voice of pled caught the attention of Yoh.

A young girl, no older that Anna, was sandwich between the pavement and at least a ton of steel rubble. Instinctively, Yoh immediately rush to her aid, carefully avoiding the remains of both structures' and humans'

Unfortunately, her cries were also heard by something else.

"RRRrrooooaaaarrrrrrrr!"

From the corner of his eyes, Yoh make out one of the orange Oni charging towards him and the helpless girl. He could also see some of the shamans rushing to cover him, but were too far away the get here in time.

Using the fighting instinct he had developed during the Shaman Fight, Yoh brake hard and kicked a piece of concrete rubble in front of him. The timing was prefect. The blade of the Oni struck the debris, stopping it's attack for the moment. Yoh then dives to the girl, grab the steel wreck pining her down, and fling it at the Oni. Breaking free from the concrete, it was eager to return to battle when the steel 'javelin' impaled it's gut, revealing sickening fluids and it's vital core.

"NOW!" Yoh yelled at the shamans.

Understanding his meaning, they redirected their fire to the shining core of the beast. The Oni let out a cry of surprise and anguish before bursting into a cloud of bluish dust.

One down, eight more to go.

The surviving shamans had a brief moment to celebrate before the cries of their companion demanded their attention. But this time they found the Oni's soft spot.

It seems that the creature's armor were designed to protect it's users from certain level of spiritual attacks. But against physical attacks, it's protection is rendered useless.

Taking a leaf out off their books, the remaining shamans, began bombarding their enemies with wave after wave of concrete and steel. Ammunition was unlimited thanks to Oni's careless acts of destruction. The tables were turned when three more Oni, one scarlet and two orange, fell under the relentless barrage from the shamans.

Seeing that his back was covered, Yoh quickly remove the wreckage on top of the young girl. Yoh had to be careful, one false move could proof fatal as there were still a lot of sharp and heavy objects. The young girl was trembling in fear.

"Sniff…sniff…please don't…sniff… leave me here…sniff…"

"Don't worry," Yoh assured her, "I'm gonna get you out off there, ok?"

A spirit materialized beside Yoh and the girl. One look tells him that it was a ninja of some sort.

"Lady Tomoyo! Are you alrite!" To Yoh, " Please sir, save my mistress! I beg of you! "

The pressure was piling up on Yoh, "Don't worry, everything is gonna be alright…" He replied the female ninja with one of his reassuring smiles.

Another roar of anguish broke out. Four more remaining.

Yoh doubled his efforts, and the girl was soon excavated from the wreckage. But once again, he had caught the attention of an Oni.

In a spit second decision, Yoh grab the girl by her hand and tried to pulled her up. A stinging sensation was felt on his right shoulder, a piece of glass was now a part of him. Sensing the increasing danger of stay here for too long, he quickly scoop deep and carried the girl out in his arms and dived behind a very safe, sturdy and promising wall.

Risking a quick glance, Yoh saw the space where they were a second ago was now occupied by a very big rock. The bugger that had thrown it was now aiming a bigger rock at them. With no where else to run, Yoh used his body as a shield for the girl, and not a moment too soon.

Anna is soooo gonna kill me if she finds out…Thought Yoh as pieces off the wall bounce off his back. Looking up, a hole had now replace the once safe, sturdy and promising wall. Well, so much for that.

With the girl still in his arms, and her spirit following in ball mode, Yoh sprint towards the barricade formed from the surrounding rubble by the allied shamans. Diving again to avoid the huge rocks being thrown at him.

When he looked up, he could count at least six shamans were in fighting fit condition, though they were nursing wounds themselves and their clothes were tattered and torn in many places. On the ground, an additional four more shamans were unconscious. A hand was offered to his face.

"You're alright, buddy?" asked the owner of the hand in a cheerful voice that matches Yoh's, He had black hair, navy eyes and was wearing a black body-length leather coat

(A/N : Sorry, I'm not too good with describing clothes, was that right? Anyway, please bear with me…)

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks" answered Yoh, accepting the hand. When he got up, he gently place the girl against something solid. Her spirit attempts to awaken her.

"What the heck is going on " Yoh asked the boy in black coat.

"We were ambushed," Said the boy grimly, "We were expecting some sort of attack, but not in the open field with crowds…"

"There wasn't even a damn warning!" cursed another boy in green beside him, "Those freaking SOBs just came out of the wood works, killing any thing in their way!'

"What on earth were those things anyway?" Tomoyo asked, now fully wake, but still slightly shaken from the experience, her spirit was by her side.

"Oni," replied both Yoh and the guy in black, they looked at each other.

"O-what!" demanded the remaining seven conscious shamans, including Tomoyo.

"Oni," the coat-boy repeated, "Evil spirits that were consumes by the hatred of their past life, otherwise known as 'ghost'…"

"They are then 'mutated' into monstrosity, cursed to walk in this world forever. Until they're destroyed by shamans of course." Continued Yoh as he finished the rest of the story.

"How do you know so much about them?" asked a boy sitting on the ground," You're a shaman as well?"

"Of Course," answered Yoh pleasantly, "My name is Asakura Y"

"RRRrrooooaaaarrrrrrrr!"

BBBOOOOOMMmmmmmmm…..!

"Damn, sorry pal, but it looks like we have to save introductions for later," said the coat-boy, " Listen up people! We're running out of time here so we're gonna go with my plan, it's crazy, but it just might work…"

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who's in charge here.

"It's the simplest of all tricks," began the leader, "I'm gonna detract them while the rest of your carry the wounded out of here and into the nearest hospital."

"But G-"

"No buts, just do it ok?" His face darkens," and if anything happens to me…"

"We won't look back and run as fast as our legs could carry each," finished the boy in green

The leader raise an eyebrow, "I was thinking more along the line of 'call for back-up' or 'rescue me' at least…"

"Oh…Well, we could do that as well!" the boy sweatdropped, "You can count on us!"

"Thanks," 'Blackie' rolled his eyes, "That's really reassuring…"

Yoh would have laughed if it weren't for the situation he's in.

"RRRrrooooaaaarrrrrrrr!"

BBBOOOOOMMmmmmmmm…..!

"Jeez, what's eating them?" 'Blackie' straighten up his coat, "Ok, on three, run like hell…"

The Oni are relentless with their barrage. Having lost more than half of their original numbers, the survivors are now more determine than even to finish off this small group of nuisances. The impact of concrete against concrete shook the walls of their make-shift bunker. Thunderous crashes rang every two seconds, it's after twenty hits, an even louder explosion occurred. Risking a quick peak, Yoh saw a nearby structure being leveled down by the Oni's monstrous strength, Yoh made a mental note not to get hit. The remains of the building would then serve as more ammo for them.

"One…" The shamans fuse with their respective spirits, readily themselves. The creatures across the debris field double their efforts, has if been whipped by their master.

"Two…" Yoh pushed himself off the wall which supported his body. After all the hellish training that he went through, Yoh is not one who would lose out in the speed category. He's also not the type who runs away and hides…

With adrenaline being pumped into his blood, Yoh was ready for the up coming signal… Which never came.

Thirty seconds later, his body was becoming too tense and would soone develop a cramp, yet it never came.

………………………….

" WHAT'S WITH THE FREAKING HOLD UP Y-!"

BBBOOOOOMMmmmmmmm…..!

"NOW!" Was the last thing their leader said before jumping over the wall and facing the monsters head on.


AN: And that was the end of my first chapter of my first 'Shaman King' fanfic'. I know it's very long, I promise the next wouldn't be THAT long, I hope…Anyway, I accept any and all tips and praises. No flames please…I CAN'T handle the truth!