Notes: I have to rewrite this thing since I found some very unpleasant gaps in my story and I really want to be consistent to the main series. Damn me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.
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GIFT
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By: Mai
Prologue
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The stormy night did nothing to ease her pain. It only encouraged her to move on. The sweat on her face and the short gasps she makes only showed that she was not one to give up.
"Please, mistress, one more push!"
After a few moments, the young woman screamed, along with a force that gave life. A loud wail of a baby was soon heard. When she felt the release of weight from her body, she immediately leaned back against the wall. Tendrils of long black hair that clung to her wet face wasn't able to hide her small smile.
"My mistress! It is a boy!" The young midwife exclaimed, after having been examined the baby. "Master would be so happy!"
'Yes………he would be happy………' the woman agreed silently, '………if only he was here with us………'
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SIX MONTHS AFTER
Light painted the world the next day, as the said woman sat on a rock outside her home, nursing her newborn. The bright colors of the flowers and the fresh smell of nature confirmed the season of spring. Her dark eyes scanned her surroundings, and memories immediately flashed in her mind as she did so. A sad smile was pasted on her face.
"If only I could raise you in this kind of paradise." She said, looking at her baby. The baby, who could now see with its little orbs of black, was now cooing happily at the sight of a blue-black butterfly resting on his mother's delicate fingertips. "But with darkness at my side, and not to mention of your father, I simply cannot grant you that life." She moved her hand, making the butterfly go away.
"But that doesn't mean I can't take that darkness you've inherited from me and your father. You will have a good life, but not with me." She stands up, her baby safely cuddled in her arms. 'Yes, anything for you.'
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It was early in the morning when the very same woman appeared in front of a traditional Japanese onsen, wearing a simple Chinese robe and beads that destroyed her image of a stereotype Chinese woman. Her face showed nothing as she placed her baby inside a basket twice its size – which really didn't matter, since the little one is covered with several layers of clothing. As she placed it in front of the huge door, her eyes shook, and forced herself not to touch her child, as it might wake, along with the occupants of the house. She retained her poise, and as she did so, a little red spirit appeared beside her.
"Keep an eye on her, but keep your distance as well. In this house lives a powerful itako and I wouldn't want her to know how this young one is related to her fiancè." She commanded. The little ball of fire said nothing and disappeared. When silence proved as a reply, she removed her beaded necklace from her person and held it at an arm's length away from her. 'Now is the time.' Her gaze went back to the sleeping baby. 'My farewell had been short, and our separation will be long, but please, never forget, little one………never forget.'
Her eyes left her child and returned to the beads. Dark orbs narrowed before closing as she started to chant a spell she once used to disturb some spirits in a house to somewhat scare its occupants away. But the same chant she used lightly, as she doubted the occupants of this house would be frightened of the sudden change of attitude of the spirits. Surprised and annoyed, maybe, but frightened, no.
When she finished her spell, she sighed, and with a gesture of a hand, disappeared, along with the falling sakura petals.
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Anna Kyouyama knew something was wrong with the spirits of the house when she felt an abnormal surge of energy passed the vicinity. She sits up from her futon, causing stirring from the other side. Something was terribly wrong with the spirits.
She stands up, and takes her itako beads from the dresser table. After taking a good grip on it, she tries to find something good for a projectile. But no, the projectile wasn't for the spirits – they'll just phase through it. Her other hand found a set of orange headphones at the other side of the dresser. With no time left, she threw it in the direction of her futon, causing it to land on a visible bump just beside where she was earlier.
"Yoh, wake up."
The bump on the futon sat up, and when the blankets came off, then came the face of Yoh Asakura with a surprised look on his face. It has been months after the tournament, and the destruction that was known as Hao Asakura has passed. It has been months after that fated event, and it has done changes in Yoh and Anna's home. It seems that the two decided to take that one step forward to being man and wife, although far from crossing the line. Intimacy was still strained due to the lack of marital bondage, but it didn't stop them from doing things people in love would do – be with each other.
He blinked once, twice, and then he looked at his fiancèe, who was now standing up with a very serious look on her face.
He was about to ask why she had just thrown his beloved orange headphones at him when another energy surge passed through the house. He stands up, and walks to Anna, and also felt the movement of the spirits of the house.
"Amidamaru." The simple call summoned the said guardian ghost to his master's side.
"It seems that the spirits are uneasy." Amidamaru said, looking around. Through his perspective Yoh could sense the spirits are neither in their place nor in their wits, for that matter. "Though I am sure it is done by a spell, I don't know what it is."
"A calling chant." Anna muttered as she closed her eyes and concentrated on her itako beads. "And powerful one at that. I've seen it at work, but not at this degree." She started doing a counterspell as Yoh scanned the room, wary of the spirits that might really lose their marbles and barge in the room.
After Anna used her counter, they all felt the abnormalities leave the house. That's when she felt the strain of using such a powerful counterspell on her body. Her short gasps didn't went unheard by her fiancè.
Yoh knew the extent of Anna's abilities, but it never occurred to him that this particular chanting spell would leave her without proper stamina. He took her in his arms, knowing the risks of her blasting at him but doing it anyway, and held her to keep her feet on the ground. Not only that, but the mere feeling of holding her gives a sense of comfort amidst all that happened that morning.
Not only for him, but for her, too…
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Two good hours after that little morning madness, the shaman found himself buried in the new training schedule Anna had bottled up for him. Even though the tournament is over, there is still the game called life and anyone not prepared to play it will be found lying down in the street. Not over though, just postponed. But when that time comes, they would have to fight again for the right of Shaman King.
He was at his last curl-up when he saw Anna going in the kitchen. A smile formed at his lips as he finishes his exercise, hoping to go to her. A memory reminded him that she will be the one cooking breakfast today. One of the changes in the old inn was that of the household chores. Yoh had practically begged her to ease up, since the tournament was postponed. And so she did by somewhat taking half of the chores, but retaining the torture of training, in which he is more than happy for.
He stands up, brushes dirt off his pants, and is about to enter the inn when his ears picked up a wail that came from the front. 'That's weird, this is the only house in this part of town and it's rare that people pass this way………' The thing about it is, Yoh and Anna were the only ones at the onsen, since Faust and Eliza went for a vacation for a while. The two decided to visit Lyzerg, who stayed in Germany, in hopes that the young dowser could point them off at a wonderful place to crash.
It seems that he was not the only one who heard it. Anna came out of the kitchen, in Yoh's full view, and took in the sound and the whisper of the spirits in the house. An eyebrow raised, and her gaze went to her fiancè.
"Yoh, go check up where that cry is coming from." She ordered. "It might have a connection in what happened earlier this morning."
Yoh nodded, and sprinted from the backyard to the porch, and to the main gate. From there the sound of the cry is getting louder, which can only mean he was getting closer to the source. A certain television show memory surfaced as he opened the gate, somewhat knowing what he will find next.
The object in front of the gate confirmed his suspicions.
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Anna decided that waiting in the kitchen would not make anything else go faster, so she left the vegetables to simmer for a while in low heat. She makes her way to the front yard, wondering what Yoh found. He didn't call for her attention, so it somewhat made her curious.
She found the brunette sitting at the front door, holding a bundle in his arms, while a basket lies there with the shoes. As she went closer, Yoh took in her presence and grinned at her.
"The stork brought us a present, Anna." He said. The said itako raised her eyebrow and approached Yoh, only to gasp at the discovery.
Yoh was holding a baby.
End Prologue
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Notes: I'll leave it there. Okay, I'll sum up a few things before I leave you readers to your devices.
Point one: The woman in the first part speaks riddles, no? But I'm not going to enlighten you guys about it. That's the key part of the story. Go ahead and guess, my lips are sealed.
Point two: The way I was looking at it, the inn was the only house there. Maybe it was in the outskirts of the town or something, but well, I really didn't see any neighbors or anything, so I made it this way.
Point three: Storks are still fictitious beliefs at this point. Yoh was just using it to lighten the situation.
Point four: I made this to somewhat relieve my writer's block at my other stories………but by the way I see it, it looks like I've got another story pending.
Point five: Forgive me for any wrong grammar presented at this part. My MS Word lacked the thesaurus and my mind is getting rusty due to the end of high school (yipee………college). Comments would be welcomed. And this is rewritten. Thanks.
Okay, I'm done. Read and review, minna!
Quote of the month: "I'm not throwing away my anger. I'm redirecting it." – Ren Tao (Shaman King)