Dark eyes were cast at the young woman.
She smiled softly, hugging her daughter. "I love you, but I can't protect you, Dear."
The small girl cast a blank look at the women in all directed carefulness.
"The words are spreading; they will come for us, Anna." The woman took off her locket, hanging it around the girl's neck. "They will come for us; we can not risk it... I... I love you, really. I do."
--Insignificant things--
She didn't reply, instead, she reached out at the surrounding walls of the orphanage.
--Never believed it--
The women took one last look at her small daughter, barely six years old. She shook her head, heading out the door.
--Good-bye, demon girl--
"I Hate you too, Mother."
Worlds Apart
By: Chiharu
Chapter 3
Shaman King is copyrighted to Takei, Shounen Jump, TV Tokyo, 4KIDs entertainment, etc.
If you're reading this chapter and had just begun to read Worlds Apart, I feel obligated to inform you that this is actually the second draft of the story. The original chapter was written around the summer of 2004 and needed much editing. A lot of time and effort has gone into the writing of this story, and to be honest, Worlds Apart is actually my favorite project to work on. As time went on, I began to reread the old chapters. Yes, it's hard to read something with so many grammar errors in it, ne? XD; Basically, I'll stop ranting to present you with the newly beta-ed version of Worlds Apart.
Macchi took a small look at the boy next to her, shifting softly in her seat. Airplanes are useless, they cost too much; but still can't pay to get softer seats.
He didn't move or redirect his site. "Must you stare at me all trip?"
Macchi shook her head, there was no point not deny it. "I'm just curious. I mean, I'm not trying to be rude and all but..." She bit her lip. "Are you... Are you a..."
"Prostitute?" He gave her an amused glance.
"I... Eh.."
"No. I'm not"
"Oh." She wanted to ask more, but didn't dare.
Asakura Hao was a Shaman. Plain and simple. Macchi wasn't stupid, she could tell one of the Great Spirits when she saw one. Not to mention the boy sitting beside her was able to control one.
"What were you doing in that bar, then?" She couldn't help herself.
"There's not much I can say about it." Despite the awkward topic, he managed to give her a small smile, ending the conversation.
"Sorry." Macchi muttered softly, turning her attention back to the in-flight movie. It was going to be a long trip.
Kyouyama Anna was an Empath. She didn't care. Working at a stupid detective agency set up by the world famous Hotel heir was a bore, especially when you have a personality demon screaming in your ear.
She quickly flipped through the progress reports, staking them over on the next desk. The office was nearly empty now.
The demon adjusted from sitting on top of the table, its eyes casting at her every move. They knew; she was the only one that could see them.
--Stupid humans, depending their everyday problems on the simple human mind--
Anna rolled her eye, ignoring the voices. They were coming in again, even when the entire agency was near empty.
--You're reading me again--
She steadied a glare toward the Oni's direction, lethal. "Be a dear and just rot and die, wouldn't you?"
--You're too kind-- It sneered, taunting her.
Kyouyama Anna was an Empath, yes. She could hear everything. Everything: people's thought, ideas, she could hear everything. In response, she hated them.
She closed the last case file, setting it into the cabinet just in time: her boss was walking in.
"Anna, relax. It's Sunday, you don't have to be working." The woman reassured her, holding her coffee cup.
The blonde instantly put on a fake smile. "That's okay, I was leaving anyway."
The women smile, giving her a soft pat on the back before walking past her. Ignoring the demon sitting on the opposite desk. Then again, she couldn't see it.
--Now, if all my workers could be as dedicated, I could afford locking the office up on Sundays--
She reached over at the keys, walking toward the door. As soon as she walked into the open world, more of them came in. It wasn't something she was proud of, but she was used to them.
--Urg! It's too cold today!--
--When is the stupid bus going to come!--
--I want some candy--
She headed down the square-plaza, ignoring them. The last thing she needed was to play Advice Consoler and try to sort these thoughts out
--I thought I told him to buy the groceries--
--Look, she's hot!--
--Her purse looks big enough for good money. If I do it quickly enough, she'll never catch me --
Anna kept walking, she silently counted the second. One. Tw-
"Hey! What are you- HELP! He stole my purse!"
A man quickly stormed past her, grasping a black purse in his arms.
"Someone help me!" More pitched high screams.
She ignored them all. It wasn't any of her business who was getting robbed on the streets. It just wasn't.
She tried her best to ignore the other thoughts coming in that day.
Macchi yawned, taking a step foreword.
"Don't do that, your face may get stuck that way." Hao spoke up neutrally, walking past her.
"Oh, you do have a sense of humor." She rolled her eyes, taking out her map.
"I try." He replied, sarcastic.
"Anyway, we are supposed to be heading toward the Ribbon Shrine." Macchi ignored him, looking on toward the busy streets of Izumo.
"Any other excuse why we landed in the Mortal Realm, then?" Hao adjusted his gloves. "I don't recall any shrines."
"There isn't." She paused. "The Shrine is in a parallel dimension between the Mortal realm and Heaven. I think-"
EEEEEEEkk
There was a giant squeak, followed by a deafening loud crashing. Macchi winced, her hands immediately went for her ears; wincing.
Hao didn't bother replying. Instead, he gave off a soft noise of amusement. "Just in case I didn't check twice, are Mortal technologies so dull?"
"What are you talking about?" Macchi blinked, silently following the direction of the noise. She instantly knew something was up.
Between the steep hills the streets indurate, they were standing on the bottom. There was a car at the top of the sloop, zooming down and crashing into the shops, zigzagging.
BANG
It was wrecking everything in its path.
Macchi paused, pulling onto Hao's mantel. "Hey... Do you see... Do you sense that?"
"Furyoku." He agreed. "That car is driving itself, being redirected by someone's Furyoku." He added in a perfectly normal tone, as if that happened everyday.
The redhead squinted her eyes, hoping for a better look. He was right; the passengers of the car were unconscious, head lying against the steering panel.
The car was crashing into everything: electric-posts, mailboxes, wrecking everything in destructions. Yet, no matter how much it dented or wrecked, the car kept moving down hills.
Macchi bit her lips; she had a bad feeling about this. Insensibly, she grabbed Hao's arm. "... What do we do?"
BANG. The car had crashed into another street-post.
He gave her a confused look. "Well, I'd like it if we moved out of the way before it hits us."
Macchi narrowed her eyes. "This is no time to be sarcastic." She hissed darkly.
BOOM. The car successfully smashed right into a fire hose, gaining more acceleration as it zigzagged down the hill.
"I can stop if, but..." She frowned. "I can't use my Furyoku in front of these people! This is the Mortal Realm!"
Somehow, she was clutching tighter onto Hao's arm.
"I don't think you could, even if you tried." The brunette replied, calm and recollect. "I seriously doubt the person manipulating the car only wanted only to destroy public property." He gave her a small nod toward the end of the hill, only about 30 feet behind them.
Macchi blinked, she hadn't noticed the sign there before.
Road end in 50 feet.
The sloop, it's in reconstruction. The road was supposed to be blocked. Clearly, someone spend a lot of time trying to highjack the driver.
BANG. The car was smashing everything, yet: it was still moving. Faster and faster. At this point, everyone had come out of the street-side shops, wondering what the racket was about.
"What do we do?" She asked. Somehow, the question sounded even denser at this point. Considering the fact there was a mad man on the lose, trying to ran a car off the hill. This all happening right in front of them.
On another factor, Hao didn't seem like he was going to do anything about it.
BANG. The car was coming down closer toward them.
"Nothing." He shrugged. "I do not know these Shamans, nor do I have a reason to save them."
"Asakura!" She jerked on his long cloak. "Are you really dull or something! We have to help them!"
Closer.
"Please."
He gave her an odd look. "These type of things happen. It's useless to try and stop them. Who's paying you to play hero anyway?"
"Urg!" She yelled, desperate. "Why don't you understand? You can't just stand here!"
Closer.
The car drove right past them, still zigzagging. Toward the end of the giant sloop. Ready to fly off anytime now...
Macchi couldn't take it anymore: She ran off, following the car right past Hao.
"Are you mad, Matisse?" He yelled off after her.
Anna instantly knew when her onis found their next target. They had highjacked the car, not to mention knocking out the passenger.
She didn't try to stop them; she didn't have a reason to. Instead, she sat on to roof of a bakery shop, eyes following their every movement.
The demons had dropped the car off at the top of the sloop, letting the brake lose. Anna watched as the car automatically slid down the hill, destroying everything in its way.
She was used to her Onis wrecking havoc, destroying things. But something didn't feel right. It was almost... Going too perfectly. Most of the times, someone would have caught on with what's going on and stop the practical joke.
But no one was even trying to stop the car as it made its way down the giant sloop.
Anna frowned, hand reaching for her itako beads: silently debating if she should do something about it.
That was, until a red-haired girl charged out of the crowd, running after the car.
She watched as the car headed closer to the end of the hill, ready to run right off of it. But somehow, the acceleration suddenly stopped: the car was slowing down. There was a sensible aura of Furyoku coming from the red-haired girl.
Ah, another Shaman.
She could almost feel the Onis shouting, angry that their trick was ruined. But before the girl could reach the car, the Onis had automatic released more energy, as the car started speeding up again.
Anna seriously doubts that girl could stop them in time. Unconsciously, she jumped down from the roof of the bakery: clutching onto her itako beads.
BANG. The car smacked headfirst into a giant speed bump.
Macchi sighed inwardly. That should stall the movement for a while. She carefully caught up with the car.
The speed bump was starting to break; the car is going to move again.
Macchi reached the door to the backseat, jerking the door open. She looked inside; there was a boy, passed out in the backseat.
She instantly jerked him out of the car.
Macchi blinked when she realized someone else had reached the other side of the car, also trying to jerk door open.
A blonde girl.
The speed bump was silently breaking into more pieces, and Macchi still couldn't open the driver's door yet!
That's when Asakura Hao brushed right past her. Both he and the blond girl were having the trouble, it seem that the driver and passenger doors were stuck.
Without thinking, Hao had smashed into the window, trying to open the door from the inside.
The speed bump had successfully broke, as the car had suddenly gain full speed again, sledding down the sloop.
"Let go! You're going to be dragged down the hill too!" She yelled at the boy, as Hao finally let go.
The car instantly sleds out of their reach, closer to the end: driving right off the hill.
A few seconds later, there was a giant crash.
Macchi bit her lip, slowly shaking her head. "No... Are they..."
"They're gone." Hao spoke up, blood dripping off from his fist. "I can't sense their Furyoku anymore."
Macchi had look up at the blonde girl.
"No luck, I couldn't get the door open either." She instantly replied.
Macchi looked down at the unconscious green haired boy, lying in her arms. "This is so not a good day." The entire crowd fell silent; no one dared to speak up.
Then, a single black wing feels from the sky.
Macchi looked up, blinking as it landed on her hair. She instantly looks ahead of her, gasping.
There was a giant flash of light, blinding the entire crowd.
By the time the rest of the crowd regained their eyesight, the four teens were gone.
The first thing Macchi remembered was sitting on a bed. She blinked, looking around the room. The green haired boy was still in her arms, and Hao and the blond girl were standing right next to her.
Suddenly, the door to the room cracked open. A blue haired boy stepped in, followed by a girl who looked very much related.
Instantly, she burst out the first thing on her mind. "Are... we dead?"
The blue hair boy blinked, and then smirked. "Yes, I suppose it's only natural that one would question their whereabouts as heaven after seeing such a handsome person like me."
"Oni-chan!" Before Macchi could blink, the blue haired girl had successfully smacked the boy in the head, fusing. She turned toward them, smiling. "Hi, I'm Usui Pilica, and this is my Oni-chan. We are the Shinigami working for the String Mistress."
The blond girl stared, Hao kept silent, and Macchi blinked. "Eh... Okay... Exactly where are- Ump!"
A small figure had jumped into her lap, squeaking.
"That's Kororo!" The girl grinned. "She likes visitors."
"Oh, she's so cute!" Macchi gushed, tickling the small girl in her lap.
"Anyways." Pilica straightened up. "We're here because the String Mistress requested your presence. You altered fate by saving the boy, and that's a very serious problem."
Hao gave him an odd look. "It is?"
"No." Horohoro smirked. "But it is against the Manjian book."
"Not exactly." The door opened again, as a small boy enter, carrying a book that was way too large for him. "The book says that this was supposed to happen. And that Liam Diethyl and his wife were supposed to die today, but their son was supposed to be saved by Asakura Hao, Matisse Matilda, and Kyouyama Anna." He looked up, pointing to a specific section on a page.
Instantly, Kororo jumped out of Macchi's arm: leaping onto the small boy's head.
Pilica giggled. "Yeah, Kororo has an attachment to Manta."
"Enough." The blond girl broke in. "You haven't answered the question, why are we here, and what does that book of your know about me!"
The boy looked up, blinked. "The Manjian records the history of the universe seconds after it happens. This book contains everything, Anna-san"
"Yes, yes." Anna rolled her eyes. "We saved a life, that's nice. Can I go now?"
Manta paused, looking into the book once again. "It also says that you're an Empath, and the reason the Diethyl's died was because you let your Oni out of control."
Everyone attention shifted to the blond.
Anna twitched slightly. "So what? I didn't tell them to do it." And with that said, she pushed her way past the boy. "I'm leaving."
Hao gave her a small look as the door slammed shut.
Macchi paused. "What's an Oni?"
"Let me explain." Horohoro cut in. "Kyouyama Anna is an empath- she hates people because she has no control. So she hears everything: all the good and the bad, and it hurt to feel the pain and anger and pettiness of everyone, so she hates people. Her uncontrolled power funneled through her anger and hatred has created all the Oni - she's their mother and they feed off of her energy. The more she hates, the stronger they are. We've tried to locate her several times already, but she would accept help from any of us."
"Oh." Macchi blinked. There was so much she didn't know about being a Shaman yet. "So there are-- Eh.."
The boy was shifting on the bed, stirring. Suddenly, everyone in the room circled around him. "I think he's waking up."
Emerald Green eyes opened slightly, and then squinted close as if it was painful to see the light. He groaned, opening them again.
"Are you awake now?" Pilica asked, leaning against the bed frame.
"I..." He slowly sat up, hands clutching onto his head. "My head hurt."
Pilica gave her brother a look. "We should report this." With that said, the siblings were out of the room.
The blonde man paused. "Meene, do you think this is a good idea? I mean, you have a lot of work to do, and-"
"You're such a worry-ward." The young woman cut in, grinning. "I know this is an important job, but I need a break, kay?" She pouted. "Or do you want me to faint from stress?"
"Of course not!"
"Then just lay-back, okay?" She smiled, taking off her silk gloves. "Try to enjoy the party. I can rule their faith some other time, but I need a break."
"String Mistress". Pilica walked into the room, accompanied by her brother. "Lyserg Diethyl is awake."
Meene turned around, attention turned to her Shinigami. "And the others?"
"They're in the guest's room." Horohoro shrugged. "But Kyouyama Anna left, should we relocate her?"
"No need." Meene smiled. "I'm sure she'll find her own way back here. Besides, I seriously need a break from all this work."
"I know exactly what you need to relax!" Horohoro jumped up in the air, temporary float and flapping his black wings. "You need some glories food!"
"A nice hot bath!" Pilica joined him, chipping happily.
"A free-for all Buffet!"
"A vacation!"
"A pin-ball machine!"
"A-"
Denbat cut in, separating the two Shinigami. "No." He smiled. "What you need is a break from these two."
"That's not nice, High Priest!" Pilica giggled.
Meene took a step back, scanning black their outfits. "Why don't you two get ready for the party? I want my Shinigami to look presentable."
"What?" Horohoro looked offended. "I looked good in black! Well... I look good in everything, but that not the point-"
"That's an order." Meene grinned, folding her arms. "So run-along now. We still need to finish the preparations for the party." She shooed the Shinigami from the room, laughing.
"So you're telling me this is the Ribbon Shrine?" Macchi gasped.
"Well, yeah." Pilica nodded. "This is the String Mistress's shrine, is something wrong?"
"No!" Macchi cheered happily. "This is the exact place we settled to meet with my partner!" She grinned. "The Minstrel Party."
"Minstrel Party?" Hao frowned.
"Yes, it's held by the String Mistress." Pilica explained. "Everyone who's anyone will be here. The party is un-invitational, so anyone can come. But most of the time, mortals don't know anything about it: so the guests are all very important."
"Yeah, it was in my Manuel." Macchi grinned at Hao. "We were supposed to meet my partner in crime here. And your twin."
"Oh." He didn't exactly sound very excited.
"So you don't like Bob love?"
"Yes! I mean, No!" Nichrome buried his ears in the plan seat. "Just be quite already!"
Yoh blinked. "But I don't get it, how can you not like Bob?"
"I don't have time to listen to pop-music culture!" Nichrome growled, ears buried in his hands. "Don't you ever shut up?"
"Well.." Yoh grinned. "Ren always told me I talk too much, but I think he's just annoyed I stole his hair-gel and all, but talking is a privilege, right? I think people should express their thoughts and ideas, because it's fun!"
"Erg..." Nichrome rolled his eyes. "Why do I have to get the annoy twin!"
Free Talk
Yes, yes. Yoh will meet Anna in the next chapter. There will be YohAnna. :D