Chapter 2: The oracle bell sings anew

It was just a bright day at the inn; it was weekends so Yoh was just relaxing to his room and watching television. He didn't know were Anna was, He only known that Anna was inside the house. 'Maybe she'll also watching television.' He thought.

'This was the perfect life!' he thought as he lie in the futon 'living in an inn, eating three times a day, relaxing and most of all NO TRAININGS!' he grinned for the thought.

'I hope Anna would not gotten a new schedule of trainings, besides the shaman tournament was finished, she would have no reason to order me to do trainings, hehehe.'

"Yoh-dono!" Amidamaru emerge from his back side. Yoh spun himself to got the clear view of his samurai spirit, "What's the matter Amidamaru?" he asked him and still has his thoughts of relaxation.

"Nothing Yoh-dono, I was just not used to it, you see very 'silent' life." He told his master sadly. "You see, I miss those happy buds we've met while the shaman fights had erupted."

"Well, I surely miss them too, but Anna-chan would not want them to be here, and besides they had to go to their own lives, I wish they would pay a visit to us." He agreed to his spirit. "I sure wish too." Amidamaru said sadly. "Yoh-dono, I am wondering how they are now?"

"I think they had their time of their lives, Ryu had gone to search for his 'best of place' and Ren with his sister had gone back to China, they must be working hard there to clean up their name to their homeland." He replied and sips his lemonade in the table next to him, "Horo-Horo and Pirika had been in the north to plant those plants Kororo used as their home, I don't know about Chocolove and Lyserg for they flew to their home country."

"When will Master Manta get here?" Amidamaru asked hopefully.

"Oh! I reckon just a few minutes from now, you know we could pay a visit in the cemetery today, I know you are dying to see your friends there." Yoh exclaimed with excitement. Amidamaru stares at him 'how could he say I am dying to see my friends there when I was died for ages!' Yoh wink at him and let out a hearty laugh.

"Wait! Yoh-dono, I sense that someone was in our house…" Amidamaru said with a serious tone.

"It could be Manta, go check out, I'll follow you down stairs." He ordered his samurai warrior. "But it was not Master Manta;" Amidamaru said "I'll check out and see who it was."

Amidamaru disappeared out of sight, Yoh stands and made his way to the landing and found no Anna outside the rooms, 'she must be taking a nap'

In the meanwhile at the gates of the Funbari inn, a boy with jet black hair and wearing yellow top and black shorts was fighting his urge to go inside the inn, 'do I have to do this? Not because of Jun, I would not travel away here to Japan to just give this presents!' he exclaimed and talking to someone that was completely invisible. By a split second a warrior materialized next to him, "You can do it Master Ren!" he said to encourage his master.

"Will you shut it Bason, maybe I just ring the doorbell and leave the present here." He said coldly.

"But Master Ren, don't you want to see Yoh Asakura? It's been long you hadn't seen him."

"Will you be quiet? I am just here to deliver my sister's present for that lazy Yoh ok?"

"Ok, But how could you ring the door bell if there wasn't any?" his spirit asked innocently. Ren shook his head and yell to his spirit, "Well I'll just knock! You idiot!"

"The inn was way too large and maybe they would not hear your knock!" Bason replied feeling his little master a little bit of nervous or shy to meet his friend. Ren burst his head, and feeling nervous.

"What do you want me to do Bason?" Ren asked his spirit with anger.

"Go inside the house!" Yoh emerge to the gates and grinning endlessly. "What's up Ren? Bason! What was that brought you two here."

"Yoh?" Ren said in a tone that was not his.

"Hi Ren Tao, Bason!" Amidamaru greeted the two.

"Let's go inside." Yoh offered the two and made his way to the inn.

"You know, Yoh, I am just here to deliver this present from Jun…" Ren said gaining his cool again.

"And of course to meet you too, Yoh Asakura." Bason said to him. Ren glared at him, Bason just dead quiet.

"Say Jun our thank you's, how was you, you know me and Amidamaru were just talking about all of you a while ago." Yoh said and held his carefree smile again to Ren and Bason. 'Here goes his stupid smile again, wonder what they were up to when we had gone to our own lives'

"Just like before, it was a bit unusual to do the things we don't normally do." He answered as Yoh open the front door and walk inside.

"What things?"

"Like treating our slaves right," Ren said airily

Yoh's eyebrow raised a bit, "Making a new reputation to your name was a way too hard ne?"

"'Course, it was not my nature." Ren replied and they both laugh. Ren sat at the futon. "What about you? Does Anna gave you her another 'hell trainings'"

"Nah! She hadn't… for now…" he exclaimed and they both laugh again loudly.

"Speaking of Anna where was she?" Ren asked as he scans the room. "I dunno, maybe at her room taking a nap."

"Don't think I am going to your personal life Yoh, just want to ask…" Ren said lowly.

"There was no other personal question to me than 'how many times you sleep a day'."

"What will happen to the both of you since the tournament was finish, did your obaasan had told you what her plans for you." Ren said with a serious tone. "Huh? That, I don't know, obaasan hadn't told me about that matter, well maybe we may be end up anyway."

"Do you like to end up with her ne?" Ren said with his eyes widened that he heard that Yoh was doing some disgusting thing. "What would I do I am stuck with her, but I think I can handle it, with the years I've been with her I perfectly know her, besides I had no other girls I want, and known…"Yoh said thinking if he had said the right explanation. "Whatever what will happen I would not like to speculate, how about some cup of tea, Ne?" he asked his friend

Ren nodded, "I'll help you." 'It's okay,"

"No, I insist."

They both made their way through the kitchen as they draw nearer the kitchen they had found an arousing smell, some kind of a cooking food…

"Had Ryu break in to your house without permission today huh, Yoh?" Ren asked him puzzled and stopped.

"I don't think so; Ryu was gone to Funbari nowadays… maybe it was Manta all along…"

They start walking again to the kitchen and reached the door, and yet the aroma was really tempting… 'But Manta was not that good in cooking for had that alluring smell of food?' he suddenly thought as he turn the knob of the door and open it the odor of a mouth-watering food was really going inside their nostrils.

"Hey Manta When did you-" Yoh cut-off of what he saw; an Anna wearing an apron and a cooking spoon in her hand and next to her was a cauldron with simmering stew.

"HOLY KATANAS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" They both screamed at the top of their voices, they couldn't believe to what they are seeing Anna cooking?

Anna raises her eyebrow and slaps the both of them. "What was that for?" Ren asked her angrily and rubbing his cheek. Anna glares the two, Yoh who was stunned of Anna's actions became speechless. "Cant you see I am cooking? Now go back were you came from and don't pest me!" she said coldly and goes back to the stove.

"Hey, is this what she done after the tournament, I think she had a trauma!" Ren whispered to Yoh. "No. This is the first time she had cook for us." He answered him in a low soft voice also and watching his fiancé cooking in the kitchen.

"We'll maybe she just wants to be a good wife to be huh, Yoh?" Ren teased him as they sat to the chair in the dinning area in the kitchen Yoh became red with that.

"…"

They watch her as she put some stew to the bowl and got some other bowl in the nearby plate dispenser. She seems quite happy in doing that, or he only thinks she was happy, but he knew also she was happier seeing him in pain in during trainings, he sighs. Ren gapped at him and cast a look that seems like wedding-bells-are-ringing. Yoh became red again and look in a different direction but he can't fight the urge to watch Anna preparing lunch for them. For a second thought why should he be shy in terms of the word 'wedding' that will be and her fate all along, since they were young.

For minute the doorknob turn clockwise and Manta emerge from it, "Why was the front door open Yoh-kun, and I had bought -HOLY LAPTOPS WHAT ARE YOU DOING ANNA!" Manta shrieks with astonishment, it was the same reaction that Yoh and Ren had done when they found Anna cooking lunch.

Yoh grinned to him and also Ren who fight the urge to laugh. Anna ignored him and go on to what she's doing.

Manta approaches the two, "Had she?" he asked in low voice that Anna might not hear it. "Yes... She was the one who cooked lunch." Yoh said shortly.

"Gone to mad!" Ren whispered to Manta so Yoh could not hear it.

"Well, then stop questioning and eat my stew…" she said as she slams the three bowls of stew in the table. She stares to them and cast a look that says don't-dare-day-it-was-taste-bad-or-I'll-knock-you-out. They all sipped the stew, Anna stares at them and wait for their reaction.

"Well?" she demanded

It as great, it taste like Ryu's cooking, but not as good as Tamao, but it taste great compared to Manta's cooking.

"It was great, not bad Anna, you are better than me." Yoh said to her that sound like praising her. Anna spun herself around and said, "Good, You know I hadn't cook for ages." Then she left the kitchen and go straight to bathroom to clean her hands.

"She had cook before?" Manta said with surprise.

"Hai! She uses to cook when we were little for obaasan's trainings for her." He said shortly as he spun his head to direction Anna had passed.

They spend the afternoon in chatting and they had paid a short visit to the cemetery were Amidamaru introduce all his ghostfriends to Bason. They had a great time in the cemetery; it was dusk when they finally got home. Ren and Bason bade goodbye to Yoh, Manta, Amidamaru and Anna and said he will also pay a visit after a month.

"It was a bright day isn't it Amidamaru?" as he walk to the inn's patio with Manta. "Yes it is Yoh-dono, it was a bright day." He agreed to his master.

"Er, Anna, what would be our dinner, the stew?" Manta asked Anna dreamily.

"Yes, the stew, and after that you two wash the dishes and the clothes, is that clear?" She said with the air of a commandant.

"Yes Anna!" The both yelled like a sergeant.

"Oh, Gosh I thought Anna had completely changed." Manta said to his friend as Anna left them in the patio of the backyard. "Well, no one could change just in a flick of a finger ne?" Yoh said with a grin in his face. Manta smiled at him and they both got inside the house.

After dinner and washing the dishes and clothes, Yoh yawns in before entering his room and heard an odd sound… a sound that he hadn't heard for a long time… it was …

The oracle bell….

He approaches the singing oracle bell and found some flashing lights to it…and found a message in text form, it says:

CONGRATULATIONS! NEW SHAMAN KING!

It flashes endlessly, for eternity… it means that he… was the new shaman king!

He jumped to joy and rush to Anna's room with his extreme excitement he opened Anna's room door without permission. Anna was stunned with Yoh and he hurriedly told what the oracle bell had sent to him…Anna became stunned on Yoh's actions, Yoh had accidentally hugged her with his enthusiasm and Anna had given her worst slap to him.

…TBC

A/N: This chappy was a flashback before the first chapter, just to inform you all and remember reviews! I would love to hear those reaction from you… and all kinds of criticisms are welcome just take it easy…huh Yeah I know it was a bit (or really) shallow but I want you guys to know what happened after Yoh and the gang after the tournament, a peaceful life, living freely and no worries or threat of danger… at least not for now (Bwahahahaha) maybe the next few chapters expect the deeper side of the shamanic world…

vienne louis jean spellman