Hello there everybody! I live! That's right! I just moved and the computers unpacked again . . . never mind. Forget I said anything. Well! Onto the story!

Disclaimer: I will never ever own the series of Shaman King . . . only the plotline and my characters.

Chapter 4:

"You're doing very well Riana. I'm actually surprised that you've managed to catch on so . . . quickly and successfully." Anna stated bluntly.

Riana was currently sitting in the middle of Anna's room, Anna's prayer beads slowly circling her. Anna was barely even concentrating on keeping the prayer beads around Riana, while Riana concentrated on trying to keep the prayer beads away. Of course, Anna wasn't really using that much power, but she didn't want Riana to feel bad. After all, spirit sayer's powers focused on their emotions. If Riana felt she was doing poorly, she would do poorly.

"Anna . . . I . . . can't . . . do . . . this." Riana spoke slowly, and soon after, the beads closed tightly around her.

Anna sighed and called her beads back to her. Riana was making some progress. This time she had lasted for thirteen minutes instead of five. Why was she training Riana? Oh, yeah. She needed help if her plan was going to work. She looked at Riana, who was laying down sweating and panting . . . this was going to take longer than she thought.

Riana sat up, "Anna?"

"Yes?"

"How come you're being so nice?"

Anna's head snapped up, "What?"

Riana's eyes darted around the room, "Everyone here seems to be afraid of you. You told me a spirit sayer is driven by emotions. However, an itako must be emotionless. You have the powers of both because you are an itako sayer. How can you be both, emotional and emotionless at the same time? You aren't even using a fraction of your strength on me, are you?"

"No."

"No?"

"I'm not using even a fraction of my power on you." Riana's head drooped pitifully, "I will use more when you become less reluctant."

"What?"

"You're afraid to feel to your full potential. Obviously you've been living a secluded life for a while."

" . . . . . . . huh?"

Anna glanced at her and than an idea came to her mind. "Go hold Amidamaru's hand."

"What!"

Anna turned around fully to face her and gave her a furious yet gentle glare, "Get your butt out of my room and go hold Amidamaru's hand."

"Why?"

Anna sighed and simply grabbed Riana's hand and pulled her out of the bedroom. She dragged her down the stairs and into the backyard. Yoh was there training with Amidamaru. Anna pushed Riana into Amidamaru, making him catch her, him enjoying being able to feel something again.

Yoh stared at her, "Anna, what are you doing?"

"It's Riana's turn to train with Amidamaru. I guess this means you're just going to have to run laps."

"What? Why? How come she can't run laps?" Yoh pointed his arm in a dramatic gesture towards Riana.

"Because she needs to train with him and I need to train with you . . . personally."

" . . . . . . . . . . what?"

"I'm going to run laps with you, and we're putting on at least one ton of weight each."

Yoh's jaw dropped open. Anna then turned toward Riana "Why aren't you holding his hand."

Riana numbly took Amidamaru's hand.

"GO."

"Go where Ms. Anna?" Amidamaru questioned, seeing Riana and Yoh were currently acting like goldfish.

Anna shrugged, "I don't care. Just train Riana Amidamaru. Try to get her to focus her energy on you without having physical contact." She began putting weights on herself, "When I say go, I mean GO NOW BEFORE YOU MAKE ME ANGRY!"

Amidamaru hurriedly began running in some random direction, Riana clinging onto his arm for dear life due to the fact he was running at about 60 miles an hour.

"Anna?"

"Yoh."

"I'm not really gonna have to run with these weights on am I?"

"Yes. Now try to keep up." With that, Anna started running almost as fast as lightning. "Yoh hurry up, I'm already going as slow as I can afford for you."

Yoh's eyes bulged . . . "Shoot . . . I feel so . . . turtle-ish." He then sprinted after Anna.

Riana closed her eyes in concentration. Amidamaru stood there with a vacant expression on his face He idly watched another butterfly go by as Riana struggled to solidify him without physical contact. Needless to say, all that she was doing was making people thing that she was suffocating from lack of air.

Personally, he believed she was trying to hard. You couldn't just poof something solid by thinking about it . . . at least he didn't think that was the case . . .

"Flippity flip flip sha-flip!" Riana yelled loudly, causing several birds to fly out from their perches on the trees. She directed her anger towards them, "That's right you stupid birds! I'm onto you! You're ruining my concentration so you can eat all of the plants in the world! I WON'T ALLOW IT! I WILL MAKE AMIDAMARU FLESH AGAIN!" she then flopped down onto her back and tried to regain the normal rhythm of breathing.

Amidamaru sweatdropped. This girl was weird . . . . . that was . . . nice. He inwardly chuckled at his thoughts. Uh oh . . . he was getting attached. He shifted his gaze toward Riana, she was still trying to regain control of her breathing. He frowned, it shouldn't take that long. His eyes widened when he realized she was hyperventilating. He rose slowly and touched her arm.

She opened her eyes to see Amidamaru pulling her towards him. She felt his chest rising and falling slowly. For some reason, she felt like getting in rhythm with his breathing. So, she did that. Pretty soon their breath was in sync and then Amidamaru let go of her, instantly missing the feeling sensation.

Amidamaru cleared his throat, "Are you okay."

Riana raised an eyebrow at him, "No, I'm lying on the ground with a tree stuck through my chest. Of course I'm okay samurai boy!"

"Amidamaru."

"Samurai boy."

"Amidamaru."

"Samurai boy."

"Okay then, will you please call me Amidamaru Ms. Riana."

"Will you call me Riana?"

Amidamaru nodded slowly.

"Okay then Amidamaru, what should I do to make you solid."

Amidamaru shrugged. He gazed at her for a while. She was starting to look sad, like she was going to cry any moment. Shoot, even dead he didn't like crying girls. He had to think of a lunatic idea quick.

"Um . . . trying feeling me."

Riana looked confused now.

"Think about it. When you know someone is near you can sense their presence. You can sense when they are happy or upset or just simply existing. Do not close your eyes. Enemies aren't going to let you close your eyes just so you can concentrate."

Riana nodded and focused on Amidamaru. She tried to sense where he was. Sure she could see his image as plain as day, but she was searching for his soul. She was sure she could find it. As her confidence grew she realized that Amidamaru was coming alive. She could begin to see his hair swaying in the wind . . . but she could mostly see his feet.

Riana smiled brightly, Amidamaru stared down, "I can see my foot . . . you made me solid!"

She rolled her eyes, "Thank you captain obvious!"

Amidamaru blinked at her, "Shall we head home?"

Riana nodded and then hopped onto his back. "I don't want to focus on you the whole way home . . . but I don't want to walk either." She explained, seeing the confused look on his face that had changed to irritation.

"Right."

"Hey you should be happy!" She started to toy with his hair, "The stupid predators aren't looking at you . . . they're looking at me! I feel so . . . loved!" She cackled evilly and smiled sweetly at the glaring females that were staring at her.

Amidamaru rolled his eyes. This was such a great day.

Anna sighed ever so softly. She and Yoh were back at the inn.

Yoh had collapsed on the sofa, which she had been on, and was currently using her as a teddy bear. Since he always has a terrifying death grip in his sleep due to his training, she couldn't even try to struggle. This was going to be embarrassing when Riana and Amidamaru got home.

Carefully, Anna looked at her fiancée. Oh yes, she loved him with all of her heart. She was pretty sure he loved her too, but in a more sister-like way. Kind of like Horo Horo and Pirika. She couldn't confront him about her feelings though, not yet. A/N: ( ) up ahead is translated for your convenience!

"Yulth Anna. Uiopletyui jjjiiuuio htho." (Hello Anna. It is so nice to see you.)

Anna looked, or rather tried to look, at the intruder, "Haru."

"Anna."

"HARU! YUIOCH!" (HARU! GET OUT NOW!)

"Utyl?" (Why?)

"Uyona uithy poifdsahkgf yuithyg." (Uyona is your master of crafts, traitor.)

"Anna . . . oiply yountgh ssoouy gupaer?" (Anna, you choose this man over me?)

"Yuiijas, erthy poitny erynuuiy." (Yes, forever and always.)

"Uyona gupa tyupyry goherwque!" (Great Uyona wants the girl.)

"Haru."

"Dighuy?" (What?)

"Toietloip." (Good-bye.)

Haru's brow furrowed into confusion . . . until he saw a very angry Yoh beginning to get up from the coach. Yoh started yelling in a language unknown to Haru. What was it called . . . Juhpuneze? However, he got the drift that the Shaman King would start to beat him to a bloody pulp if he didn't leave now. So . . . he left.

Yoh turned to Anna, "Anna, what was that about?"

Anna stared at him for a moment, "He just wants Riana."

"Riana?"

"Riana."

Yoh looked at her carefully, "Does . . . he want you too?"

"Somewhat."

Just then, Amidamaru and Riana walked into the Inn as well.

Anna stood, "Riana. It is late, it's time to sleep."

Riana shrugged and followed Anna up the stairs, telling her about her day.

Yoh looked at Amidamaru, "Amidamaru, you want to protect Riana right?"

"Yes."

"We'll train tomorrow. We can't let these people take our loves away."

Amidamaru nodded and the his eyes grew wide, "HOW THE HECK DID YOU KNOW YOH!"

Yoh laughed.

R&R people!