Ch 4. Reminiscing

Manta made his visit the day following Anna's departure. He was about a week earlier than expected and his debut was a grand one.

Tamao was sweeping the grounds in front of the inn's entrance when the still air formed a rapid whirl around her. A massive fan-like sound resonated through the air. She looked for the source of the disturbance to find a helicopter hovering above her. One hand went to shield the debris from her eyes while the other held onto the broom. The leaves she had precariously swept into a neat pile flocked against the wall when the object in question came to land before her,

Peeking out of one eye, Tamao could see a dark figure stepping out of the chopper. He held a small suitcase in one hand; the other, he used to wave the chopper off.

The stranger walked towards her. "It's been awhile, Tamao." His lips formed a smile but she couldn't judge the sincerity of it, not with his eyes shaded behind dark rimmed sunglasses.

"Who?" was all that she managed to ask. He was about her height and had sandy blond hair. Dim lighting would have given his hair the false appearance of brown. His thin frame adorned an ebony suit made of fine linen. She couldn't recall being acquainted with someone like him. As if reading her mind, the man took off his sunglasses, blinding her eyes momentarily with the light that cast off of his polished watch. Two familiar eyes looked at Tamao. Eyes that matched the shade of the owner's hair….eyes that exuded understanding and kindness….. sympathetic eyes that she knew she'd seen before.

An ecstatic "MANTA-KUN!" rocked the floorboards of the inn, rudely waking the Shaman King from his afternoon slumber. Yoh sat up abruptly, looking perplexed. He walked to the entrance where he stopped to rub his eyes. A yawn arose from him, followed by a smile. To his long absent friend, he said, "Yo."

The friend replied in the same warm manner. "Yo."

"You've gotten a lot taller."

"I figured that'd be the first thing you say, Yoh." Manta added between chuckles, "And although you're now the Shaman King, you still manage to look so easygoing." With that, they both laughed, each bringing up one hand to scratch the back of their head. They did this in unison, like two long time friends who've picked up on each other's bad habits.

Tamao went to the kitchen as the two comrades sat cross-legged at the table. They reminisced about old times and exchanged many questions. "I expected this inn to be open and bustling by now. Every young woman that steps into this place would get a proposal from Ryu-san. I'm sure they'll even hear his 'best place' speech……come to think of it, I haven't seen him."

Yoh grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, you know him. He says he's found the right one this time, and so left to chase after her since last week." They both chuckled at the thought. "It's good for him to take a break. After all, I'm sure Anna will make real good use of him once this place opens up." Yoh paused at the thought of Anna. A flicker of seriousness played on his face. "I'm sure Anna will make good use of all of us."

"Amazing isn't she? I mean, she got the laziest guy in the world to become the Shaman King." Manta let his eyes wander over the room. He took in all the details of the place he had considered home. Might as well, he thought, I spent so much time cleaning it. To Yoh, he sincerely added, "You have a lot of things going for you. Just a few things missing, but you almost have the complete picture. So when are you planning on becoming a father?"

Yoh blushed profusely at the comment. "Well that's….." he trailed off. One hand went to the back of his head, to scratch out of nervousness. "That's a bit soon. I guess I haven't thought of it much," he managed to mumble.

Manta smiled and said, "I see." Sensing his friend's discomfort, he changed the subject. "I brought us some good sake to celebrate our reunion!" From his suitcase he pulled out an opaque white bottle.

Yoh put both of his hands out and waved off the suggestion. "Sorry, but I haven't managed to get used to the taste. I still prefer fruit juice."

His friend laughed. "Yoh, you really haven't changed much, have you?"

"But you sure have become quite the businessman, Manta." They both laughed and repeated the action of scratching their heads together.

6/10/05--Anyway, this is a little break from the usual just to establish some background...but don't worry, the main plot will resume on the next update! Thanks again reviewers, it's always nice to know that someone is out there reading my stuff.

10/30/05—Reposted after a little clean up.