Chapter 3: The King's Plan
The sun just peep outside the windowsill of the inn, it was morning and the inn has it's own stillness for it was like night. As the sun shine and greets the happy residents of Funbari Yoh wakes up for a new start. It kind of unusual that he, Asakura, Yoh had woken so early in the morning. Everyday Anna would walk inside his room and kick him to wake up but this day he had waken up by himself. He can call this as a 'self achievement' he grins for the thought.
"Ohayo, Yoh-dono!" his spirit greeted him brightly "You had woken up by yourself." He noticed.
"Ohayo, Amidamaru, I think so, it's quiet funny... Hehehe" he said happily to him and opened the window and look through a fantastic scenery… birds are chirping to the electric wires and looks merrily… the happy faces of people walking to the streets and outside their house… how peaceful he thought… it is quite mesmerizing… he yawned..
"Let's go Amidamaru, let's surprise Anna!" he merrily said to Amidamaru. But before leaving the room he had a glimpse of the side of his wardrobe, the hangers there… laid his orange headphones and his… oracle bell…
He gapped at his oracle bell… 'Yeah… I've dreamed of the oracle bell had given the message to me announcing that I am the new shaman king…
The first time I had received the message… but why I had dream about it last night…'
He approached the oracle bell; it was tied into a string and hung at the hangers beside his headphones. He reached for it and looks at it for a meanwhile… and then he opened it and reread the messages… the messages were there… even the message from the Great Spirits…
'What suppose my dream mean? Is that mean that I am really capable the title of 'king'?'
Yes, even now he can't believe that he was the new shaman king… not anyone but him…not because the many shaman had fought and he was a new victor… it was that he had not experience the inner happiness that he was proclaimed shaman king… is as if it was just a petty game of children… he don't know…
"Yoh-dono?" Amidamaru cut his thoughts. "Is there any problem?" he said with concern in his eyes.
"No. Nothing important… just want to get my headphones…hehehe." He blurted out a fake laugh and got his headphones and tucks it in his ears and hung again the oracle bell…
'I must know the true meaning of victory….' He said mentally in his mind.
The both of them walk down to the landing and found Anna at the kitchens and beating the eggs… 'What was she's up to? Manta was right… Anna was acting a bit of odd...'
"Ohayo!" he greeted her cheerfully walking towards her. "You are doing breakfast?" he asks.
"Do you have eyes? Just scramble eggs and bacon." She replied coldly. "I see your waken up early." She complimented him for his 'self achievement'.
He let out a laugh and grins to her. "Yeah kinda funny ne?" as he sat in the chair next to her.
"What are you doing?" she asks
"Watching at you."
"Huh? It is not a good start in the morning go on to the fridge and help your self for your today's work to make yourself busy." She ordered him like slave. Yoh got up fast like a lightning, which tone sounds she don't want to be watch… 'Ok. Just go to the fridge and she won't be mad.'
He looked at the fridge… he saw a piece of paper stuck in it with a magnetic holder it has large bold black letters on it… it was Anna's handwriting… it stated:
NEW TRAINING SCHEDULE
WEEKENDS:
MORNING:
SPRINT/JOGGING: 1 MILE/3O MIN.
PUSH-UPS: 5,000/1HR
SQUATS: 1HR 30 MIN
AFTERNOON:
SPRINT/JOGGING w/ WEIGHTS: 3 MILES/1HR30MIN
MEDITATION (NO SLEEPING!): 1 HR
CLEANING THE HOUSE (UNTIL SPARKLING AND SQUEAKY CLEAN): 3 HR
BUY GROCERY: 2HR
WEEKDAYS:
MORNING:
SPRINT (GOING TO SCHOOL): 5 ROUND TRIPS TO HOUSE TO SCHOOL/10 MIN
WALKING: 1OO TIMES IN THE STAIRS/ 20MIN
MEDITATION (SCHOOL BREAK): 1 HR
AFTERNOON:
BRISK RUNNING: 3 MILES/1HR
CLEANING THE HOUSE: 30 MIN
NO EXCEMPTIONS! NOT DOING THE TASK MEANS PUNISHMENT!
His jaw drop to the floor with horror… 'Anna wants to kill me!' he said to his mind. He gap at her who was busy beating the eggs… look how she beat the eggs… wonder what punishment she will gave him if he had not done the task she put in the schedule it was much more than before the shaman fight… she wants him to be lame after the whole day… she is really…
"Yoh? Why are you taking yourself so long to absorb what I had written in that piece of paper?" She roared and spun around to see him… he looks pale… is that hard enough to do… just a little bit of training… "What are you doing there, get moving! Your time starts…" she glance at the clock hung in the wall, "NOW!" she said and Yoh rush hurriedly outside to run for his life.
"You are not going anywhere Amidamaru!" she bark at the samurai spirit and threw her electric blue bead to him to capture him and Alas! She captured him easily in one split second. He can't move with the tight beads onto his waist. "Ma'am Anna! Let me go!" he cried like a baby.
"Let Yoh be… he will undergo to another training and I want him to do by himself is that clear Amidamaru!" she said coldly and cast a look to him that means don't dare defy me. "Yes, Ma'am Anna!" he replied with his eyes had a waterfalls of tears.
"Good. Now we wait and we can eat breakfast if he can arrive here earlier." She said coldly and opened the cabinet and a small pocket book was seen. It was thick enough like dictionary with colors of white, red and blue. She picks it up and sat to chair next to her and starts reading. Amidamaru notices the book; he hadn't seen that book before. It must be new… but it looks like its pages are old and worn out he wonders why Anna is reading it. He saw the title of the book: Itako through generations but Anna was a good itako after all why she reads it.
"Is there any problem?" she asked not looking at him as if she had another eye in her forehead that sees he was looking at her.
"Oh, nothing ma'am Anna…" he replied. "Er… how could you know if Yoh-dono is doing his trainings? Do you ordered the other spirits in the inn to watch him?" he ask her dreamily.
"No, I wouldn't do that even before… I had trust on him." She said covering her face with the small book.
'Of course, ma'am Anna would have trust to Yoh-dono…'
Meanwhile at the Asakura temple in Izumo….
A gentle knock was heard from the outside of the door were Kino, an old itako who always wear a sunglasses. "Yes?" she said with her old voice.
"Kino-sensei," a sweet voice transpires thru the paper woolen door of the room.
"What would you like for lunch, beef teriyaki or chicken?" she asked her master.
"Whatever you want, dear Tamao." She answered at the other side of the door. "Hai!" she said as she spun around to go straight to the kitchens… she halts for a moment and spoke in a shy tone, "when will master Yoh and Miss Anna will pay a visit here?"
A small smile lingers to the old lady, "Maybe a few weeks from now or even days." She said shortly. Tamao smiled for the news. Then she run happily through the hallways with her pink hair dancing on her side.
"That girl really likes our grandson ne?" an old man spoke next to Kino. He was almost balding and absolutely short like Kino; opposite to him a man with mask of a bird was laugh heartily. "I won! I won!" he said loudly.
"Ha? No! You are cheating!" the old man bark at him. "You are just a sore-loser father… I'd never lose when I am playing poker with you hahaha!" he barks as his father.
"Will you two stop playing poker!" she said the two jumped. And put away the pieces of poker in the table.
"I had received the formal date of the ceremony of Yoh's being shaman king…" she started.
"You had?" the old man asked with a different tone now.
"Yes, Yohmei… it will be held here…" she said while sipping her tea. "Here? In Japan?" Mikihisa exclaimed.
"Yes, here in Japan and here in our place." She answered.
"In the temple? How could be… they would go here… I thought it will be held in America for the Great Spirits are there… and the guardians…"
"Yes, I thought it also… but they said it will be held here in our place… the guardians will arrive the day of ceremony. They said it will take only for an hour…"
"When will be it?" Mikihisa asked.
"A few days from now… so we got to tell Yoh about it… I had made a letter for them…"
"They will go here, you mean. The day before the ceremony so we can prepare."
"And I had invited his friends to go here… maybe tomorrow we'll see them… I had given the letter to them before Yoh. I know Yoh must be dying to see them." She explained.
"Just his friends?" Yohmei asked once again.
"Other shamans are invited by the Great Spirits…"
"So there will be no Great Spirits in the ceremony?"
"Maybe so."
"And our plan about Yoh will start after the party his friend will throw." The old lady said coldly.
"By the way who will deliver the letter to Yoh?" Mikihisa asked as he sipped the tea of his mother.
"Tamao's spirits will do that, I will inform her later… what are you doing? Don't drink my tea! Get your own tea wont you!" Kino growls at his son and slam a wooden stick to him.
"You sure had eaten much huh, Yoh?" Manta said as he arrange the bowls in the sink.
"Yeah, with that schedule of mine… I sworn I will die just for a moment… Hehehe!" he said and laughs heartily. Anna didn't hear what he had said instead she was really keen in reading the book, Amidamaru told him that she had been reading that book after he was out. 'Wonder what that book says… maybe how to torture a man… that may be her inspiration…'
"Here you go Yoh… I think you should not wash the dishes…" Manta whispered to him. Anna was far enough to do hear what was their talking about.
"Had you seen my schedule, Manta? It says if I hadn't done even a single task I will have a punishment." He said in horror.
Manta cleared his throat and looked pale. In the moment Yoh finally remember the dishes last night… he told to himself to ask it to Anna… but Anna was busy. It okay he received fair enough slaps on her what worry for just one…
"Er… Anna…" he simply says as he washes the dishes. Manta looked at him with questioning eyes.
"Hmm?" she said shortly not leaving her eyes in the book.
"Can I have a question to you?" he said nervously.
"About the training schedule?" she said again without looking at him
"No, not the schedule. Just last night… I had seen many unwashed utensils at the sink." He said it fast. Manta stared at him.
"Pardon?"
"The unwashed utensils in the sink… do you had other company last night at dinner?"
"Company?" Anna put down her book and stares at him, "I had no company last night besides you and Manta… why…" she pauses and got her book again and spoke in a cold tone "Why, you hadn't wash those in the afternoon so it came that lot… in the evening. Had you remembered?"
"Oh! Sorry! Just Hehehe a joke hehehe." And he grins at her.
'I thought I had washed those in the afternoon… no nonsense I hadn't wash those… I don't know… I am confused!'
"Er… Yoh? What was the matter?" Manta said with concern. He stared at him because he was really confused about the utensils.
"It is ok Yoh, everybody can commit mistakes." He said comforting his friend. But it was not comforting… it makes him more anxious about yesterday… what if Anna had invited someone… he don't know… he is really worried about it… he had washed it before leaving her alone… there must be wrong in here.
Anna stands to her sit and exits in the kitchen. The two followed her to the main door of the inn. "Yoh… the invitation of the shaman king ceremony will be here…" she muttered.
"What tim?" Yoh said before he had finish his sentence his questions had been answered..
a large banging sounds emerge through the door and slams it open, the three stand back.. Manta was flabbergasted in the quick opened of the door. A whirling wind enters the inn that freak out Manta.
WHOOOOOOSSSSSHHHH!
"What was that?" Yoh shouted at the top of his voice.
The wind keep on going to them, Anna just stands near the door not even carried by the strong wind. In seconds later a swarm of letters flew through the door…
White enveloped letters with red stamps flew in all directions of the room.
"What was this?" Manta shouted.
"These are the letters?" Yoh said amazingly. He opened one of the letters, and the two animal spirits came out to it
"A-YE!" they both growled to them
"Ponchi and Konchi, did Kino-sensei sent this lot?" Anna said coldly to the two animals.
They nodded with agreement. Yoh was astonished of the letters. "Great entrance!" he said amazingly. "Obaasan sent it?" he said looking at Anna. She nodded
He read the letter with clear handwriting:
Dear Yoh,
The Great Spirits had gave me the formal date of the ceremony, it would take place in the day of Wednesday if you please, would you care go here for the ceremony for the ceremony will be held in our house. Yes, here in the temple, go here the day before or much earlier. We are cant wait to see you here.
See you soon here in the Asakura Temple.
Kino
"Going to the temple?" he asked the two pesky animals. Yoh and Manta stared for a moment. "Can I take Manta with us?"
"Yes! She said she will like if you invite your friends." Konchi replied to him. Yoh smiled. It means he can be exempted in Anna's 'hell trainings'.
"When will Kino-sensei expect us to be there?" Anna asked them.
"As soon as possible!" they chorused.
"Good, now, go outside… you two are not welcome inside the inn." She thundered at them at slams at the door and the two animals were left outside crying to go inside.
…TBC