Here's the next chapter! Not much to say here except: SO TIRED!
Kisurumenokitsune: Wow! New reviewer! Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like it! And I'll take your advice!
Mikauzoran: Thanks! I don't care how much time you have, I love it that you review my story at all! And about your advice, As Quick As Shamanly Possible… SPIRIT INTO THE COMPUTER! (computer fries) Damn! How come Morty could do it and I can't!
Disclaimer: In my dreams, quite literally
"I don't believe it!"
Kari shouted stretching her arms up into the air, before collapsing on the wooden bench she was sitting on. On her lap was the animal skin, beaded pack with the top flap open, reveling its contents. There were a few things to remind her of home, her beloved ocarina, and several papers on hotels, restaurants, graveyards and a few maps.
She was currently glaring at the envelope in her hand, along with a wallet that men usually carry in their back pockets.
"I know Goldva-sama said they didn't have much money, but I can't even buy a soda with this!" she growled.
Above her, a few birds whistled angrily and flew away from the raging shaman. She was currently in Japan, by some quiet park outside of the Tokyo International Airport. It was dusk and the sun just disappeared over the horizon, the moon's glow lighting the night sky.
She snarled and threw the wallet back into the backpack harshly, keeping the envelope tightly in her hand. It was amazing that they had enough money to get her to Tokyo, much less afford a hotel or even pay for a decent meal. In the back of her mind, the shaman knew the chief and Silva had to pull some strings to get these airplane tickets.
From her last appearance in Patch Village, she had changed quite a bit. Goldva and Silva had provided some clothes to try and make her "Fit in". A dress from the Sixteenth Century definitely didn't make her look like a freak.
Unfortunately for them, she sold the dress to an antique shop and got quite a lot of money, more than they gave her at least. With that money, she headed straight to the nearest Gap and other stores to buy some normal clothes. The clerks gave her weird looks with her poncho and moccasins, but she was able to buy what she needed and leave as soon as possible.
Kari was now wearing something Silva would unquestionably loathe. Silently, the young shaman questioned herself if the traditional Patch loincloth would be better than this? Silva said not to come home with any men, what would happen if she walked around town wearing the loincloth?
So instead, she was wearing a pair of long and baggy jeans, yet they were snug enough to show off her figure, which went down to her bare feet with white with blue design and no laces tennis shoes, the back was cut off making them sandals. After buying that, she didn't have much money left for an expensive top, so she found a white, snug white tank top with a yellow smiley face on it, which also showed off her figure.
Kari sighed and leaned back, her head resting on the back of the bench while her arms spread out and hung on the back as well. Things couldn't get much worse, no money, no food, no shelter and no guardian ghost.
A low rumble echoed from the distance and she looked up at the night sky. She moaned and placed the envelope and everything back into the pack and shut the flap, wrapping the leather loop around a wooden button, before throwing it carelessly next to her on the bench.
"Great, now it's gonna rain. Why did I have to say that?" she moaned, rubbing her forehead.
Through her depression, the shaman didn't notice that the sky was clear and the stars were twinkling through a cloudless sky, and the rumbling hadn't stopped. She only looked up when a faint light came from the road a few yards in front of her, the sound coming from far to the left.
Her curiosity grew and she leaned forward, her hands gripping onto the bottom of the bench, as the lone light grew brighter, more lights also popping up around it. Soon, loud whooping voices were calling all through the night; the rumble of motorcycles growing to it's loudest.
"Hey, what do we have here?" a male voice called, obviously indicating Kari.
The rest of the motorcycles stopped, their engines thundering loudly and revving up and down. All headlights pointed toward her, illuminating her body to the mob of drunken men standing before her, hooting at her body. Their leader, a tall and beefy man, dismounted his bike and walked forward to her, a wooden baseball bat hanging loosely on his shoulder.
"Hello there precious. What are you going out her all alone? You look like you're not from around here. Want some big strong men to help you?" he asked, his speech a bit slurred.
"Well," Kari stood up and grabbed her backpack and sliding one strap onto her shoulder, her eyes glaring at him, clearly not in the mood for such annoyances, "Actually, being out here alone or with company is none of your business, and if you see any men around, let me know."
"Why you-"
"If you're thinking of trying to earn back your pride, whatever little you have, I wouldn't advise it. Not only are you a waste of my time, but I also have a very busy schedule and I have little time to spare." she glared at all of them, making them freeze in their tracks.
After a solid moment of their stare off, one of the bikers bowed his head, his shoulders shaking furiously before his head shot up, pointing an accusing finger at her.
"I don't know who you think you are, you little bitch! But we are one of the most powerful gangs in Tokyo! You'd be wise just to come with us like a good little girl!"
"I don't think so." she replied calmly.
"That's it!"
The same biker reached into a sagging pack on his bike and pulled out a heavy-duty steel chain. He wrapped it once around his hand to get a good grip and then started swinging it around in circles and advanced, threateningly.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," she whispered.
The gang member roared and rushed forward, swinging the chain before launching it straight at her. Her eyes were closed before they snapped open at the last second. Her body leaned backward with ease and the chain past, striking the bench, crashing into the wood and making a huge dent, hundreds of splinters flying off in every direction.
Before the man could react, she ran forward, almost teleporting right in front of him, and elbowed him right in the face and breaking his nose. He fell down hard onto the ground with blood from his nose drenching his face and clothes.
One look at their fallen comrade and the gang held murderous glares in their eyes. They all drew similar weapons from their bikes and advanced towards her, who didn't even flinch. Instead she almost taunted them by shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head.
They all dashed towards her, weapons ready to strike. She glared at them before shifting her weight, her left leg rising up kicking the two in range before bringing it down again. After those two fell, she brought her other leg up and spun in a circle, knocking the ones in the front to the ground and making a domino affect.
Soon all of the gang members were on the ground, groaning and rolling over, trying to climb to their feet and battle her again. After a minute, almost all of them were on their knees, a few staggering to stand already.
Kari quickly thought of her options before all of them were ready for another go. A- Fight them again, risk getting injured and become their mortal enemy, or B- Run and don't get injured, having them chase after her.
She smirked, after years of running in the forest, hiding from Silva, Kalim and Goldva, this should be cake. The shaman ran off without another moment's notice, her bag flying behind her like a cape. Immediately, the mob followed her with no hesitation as she ran down the road.
Her warm breath was coming out in huge waves, turning into a cloud of steam as she panted. Behind her, she could hear their feet scuff the ground and their breaths coming much more rushed, the sounds becoming louder with each passing second.
'I can never escape them in a flat out run. I have to try and loose them.' she thought.
The shaman chanced a glance back and saw that they were almost on her heels. Looking forward, she shook her head vigorously, removing the hair from her eyes when she saw black shadows in the distance. The shape wasn't people, but trees, many trees a few hundred yards ahead.
Kari quickly swallowed some saliva to help her cracking and dry throat and brought her hands around her face, rushing head first into the brush. Behind her, there were cries and complaints as her pursuers stopped right before the forest; they're last mistake.
She ran and almost ran into a tree before she skidded to a halt, leaning over and panting, one hand placed on the tree's trunk. Sweat was drenching her face and shirt as she glared cheekily at the entrance of the wood. Soon, her eyes became used to the darkness within the thicket and the girl was able to see around with ease.
Chuckling to herself, the shaman continued to jog through the forest to see if she could loose the bikers on the other side. Soon the trees became thin and the radiant moon shown through the canopy until suddenly, there was nothing at all.
Blinking, Kari looked down; there were rocks next to her progressing downward and the edge of a cliff and a valley below her. Her face scrunched up and her body fell down into valley below. She was screaming her lungs out with her hands flailing in the air to try and hold onto an invisible rope.
There was a loud crash and she felt everything go black.
Slowly but surely, Kari's senses came back. Pain shot through her whole body as she groaned, trying to roll over. She squinted her eyes further shut before opening them a sliver. The whole world seemed a dark blue with nothing else but blur. With a moan, she opened her eyes wider and felt around with her hands to see what was around her.
She felt soft leaves, wet with dew and crunching at her weight and movement. Leaning her head slightly, the shaman saw tree branches and the long grass a few feet below her. Grunting, she wiggled her butt to try and sit up straight, when her weight made her fall through the gap between the branches.
Her body bounced as she hit the soft dirt beneath the tree, wincing at her already bruised bottom. She quickly looked herself over and figured that she didn't have any major injuries, just some bruises; that and she was going to be really sore in the morning.
A snotty chuckle echoed through the area, the laughter bouncing off the cliff wall and ringing in her ears. Kari narrowed her eyes and glared at the surround area; it appeared to be a graveyard. There were gravestones placed throughout the dirt and wild grass and she could sense spirits all around her.
Rubbing her eyes, she opened them to see about a hundred spirits. They were all partying with drinks and games, chatting to each other and laughing contently. Suddenly, all eyes snapped to her, most of them were wide in surprise, wondering how a human had abruptly appeared in their resting place.
The Indian felt suddenly nervous, even more sweat sliding down her face. These were human spirits; having unfinished business, or just not wanting to leave the earth yet, they stayed behind until they finally were able to rest in peace. The only problem was: Kari didn't know how to act in front of them. All her life she had been around Sacred Spirits and animal spirits of the village, what was she supposed to do?
"Don't be frightened, child. We won't bite," a voice said, sounding strangely familiar.
Kari jumped and looked to her left. There was a beautiful woman, dressed dark blue short kimono for a top, a strip of light blue around the collar and making a plain, yet decorative edge all the way to the bottom, and navy skin tight pants that cut off in the middle calf, flaring out slightly, leaving bare feet, faintly soiled with dirt.
She had a regular purple sash around her waist to keep her kimono shut and the same color decorated, fancy hairpins to keep some black hair away from her face. The rest of her hair was hanging in a loose ponytail with a layer of square bangs framing her face and two wide locks of square bangs covering her forehead.
Kari's brown eyes met her dark blue ones and she felt a jolt fly through her body. The ghost smiled kindly and it hit the shaman like a ton of bricks. This woman was to be her guardian ghost; she could feel it. The King of Spirits told it to be so; this ghost was to be her partner.
"Curious how a child such as you fell from the sky to our resting place." the poltergeist said in a melodious voice, then let out a small giggle that Kari heard before.
"Um… I didn't mean to… to intrude, but these guys were chasing me and-" she started.
"We know, child. We saw them chasing you. I'm impressed that you are such an experienced fighter. You don't see them like you every day." the mysterious woman winked.
"Come to think of it," another female ghost glided over, wearing a white kimono and had a fan spread out over her face, "I believe that you are the first one who has been able to see us for centuries."
"Yes, that's because I'm a shaman."
"A shaman!"
A medium aged man floated over immediately. He was wearing black puffy pants and black shoes, leaving his muscle built chest bare, save for the giant scar running diagonally across it.
"You're a shaman? Really? You don't have a guardian ghost do you? I bet that's why you're here! Yeah! You're looking for a guardian ghost!" he exclaimed.
Kari blinked, "Yes, how did you know?"
The ghost leaped for joy, "I knew it! Well, you know, I'm the best warrior here! I'll make a great guardian ghost for you! I'm loyal to the end!"
The man clasped his hands together and floated close to her, batting his eyes to try and persuade her. The shaman backed away nervously, while the woman in the white kimono shook her head displeasingly. A sudden hand whacked him in the forehead, knocking him away and giving the girl a chance to breath.
"What the hell did you do that for?" he screamed, glaring at the female warrior, rubbing his forehead.
"It was obvious that the girl was uncomfortable with your closeness and everyone here knows that you are a bloody coward. You just want to get out of this graveyard and feel alive again." she explained calmly, her eyes closed and arms crossed.
"Thanks a lot, Aiko!" he snarled, "Now I'll never get out of this place!"
"I'd rather be stuck here with you than see this girl ruin her life, Hiromu." Aiko said.
"Well you don't have to be so harsh about it!"
"So, you don't like it here?" Kari asked, looking at Aiko.
"It is not the most enjoyable, especially with people like him," she nodded in Hiromu's direction, "But I do wish, like most ghosts, to be alive again, or at least adventure in this world."
Kari looked down, deep in thought. She bit her lip out of anxiety and Aiko the warrior and the other female ghost gave her a worried look. Finally, the shaman felt like she gathered up enough courage to ask the question that has been bugging her the whole time.
"Aiko," the ghost looked at her, "It's true that I've been looking for a guardian ghost. I'm a tough warrior and I can see that you are too. You are very knowledgeable about things in this world and I, um, was wondering - I'll work really hard! But I was wondering if you, um, wanted to be my guardian ghost?" Kari finished shyly.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask that." Kari looked up and saw the fighter smile, "I've heard of you shamans and have been waiting for someone like you, a girl with great dreams, skills and room for improvement and failure. I will join you and teach you my techniques that few people know and train you to be the best to achieve your dreams, and I only ask for one thing in return."
"Anything." The shaman had fire burning in her eyes.
"Try to keep up." The ghost winked.
The girl opened her mouth in awe as Aiko beamed down at her, the female ghost cheering and waving her fan around in joy while Hiromu felt his jaw hit the ground. The news had spread fast through the graveyard and everybody was celebrating the new shaman team bonded that night.
Confetti fell through the air and ghosts were dancing around, all of them patting Aiko on the back or giving advice to Kari. There were a few ghosts like Hiromu who grew dangerously jealous of the pair, wanting to be the girl's guardian.
After a few minutes, Kari squeezed through the crowd of ghosts around her, stumbling after escaping their grasps. Aiko followed as her master straightened her hair and repositioned the shoulder strap of her backpack, turning around and facing the crowd of ghosts.
"Thanks for your kindness, but we better get going." she announced.
Loud cries of goodbye greeted her ears as she turned tail and started to jog through the graveyard, jumping over sticks and stones randomly placed on the soil. Aiko floated next to her obediently as she avoided all of the graves until she reached the gravel path leading to the exit of the cemetery. Looking left and right at the rusty metal gates of the entrance, Kari jogged left down the sidewalk, her pack flapping against her back.
"I have a question Kari-dono."
"Yes, Aiko-sama?"
The ghost rolled her eyes, "First off, you don't have to call me Aiko-sama, and it makes me sound old."
"But you are old, about Five-hundred years, right?" the shaman looked over her shoulder.
"Six-hundred, but anyway," Aiko crossed her arms and stopped, making Kari stop in confusion. The wise warrior folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes, deep in thought.
"What is it?"
"Where are we going in such a hurry?" the spirit asked.
The shaman smiled and continued to walk, "We're going Nowhere and I wanna get there real fast."
"I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this decision." Aiko mumbled jokingly, while massaging her temples.
"Oh no you don't! You're not going to bail out on me now!"
"Well," Aiko sighed, "It's either you, or Hiromu."
The pair's laughter echoed through the empty streets of Tokyo, ringing merrily as the trees rustled in the wind. The two had made a pact that night, and would forever be from that moment on: Shaman and Guardian Ghost.
Yes, corny ending I know, but I am so freaking tired and I couldn't think of any other way to rap it up. So, you know the drill, Please review!