Chapter 6: Celebration Preparation

Just for a few days, celebration will soon filled the whole temple. This will be the first time in the temple that a big celebration will take place in history. Everybody was gone busy for the preparations. Anna was the one in-charge of cleaning the whole temple. (She was ordering all of them for the whole week and Horo-Horo keeps on complaining.) Anna gave Tamao the cooking for she was really good in that.

"Scrub! I want the floor sparkling clean!" Anna barked at Manta and Chocolove who was scrubbing the floor in the main temple. The two didn't dare complain for they might receive a slap to her and continue to scrub the floor no matter what; even they were scrubbing for hours.

"Ma'am Anna!" A spirit called her attention; she spun herself around to talk to it. "Miss Tamao had completed the list of food to be serve in the ceremony!" he announce to her, "She told me you can pick out those dishes that you don't like in the menu."

"Very well, say to her that I want see it." She replied to the spirit coldly.

"Now!"

"Of course now!" she glowered to the spirit and the spirit move aback. The two boys now watched her as she loose her temper to a spirit.

"She can't for now." The spirit retorted to her with fright.

"Why?" she said it coolly that the spirit sigh and talk in a calm tone,

"Miss Tamao has been talking to Mistress Kino." He said shortly.

Anna's eyebrows rise a bit and got back to her cool. "Well then, say to her that I want the list before Tuesday." She finally said. The spirit nodded and vanished out of sight and she caught Manta and Chocolove eyes to her. They both go on quickly to their scrubbing as if they saw something illegal.

"Continue you're scrubbing, I'll just leave you for a while." She said gone out of their sight.

"What's gotten into her?" Manta asked with puzzled looked, Chocolove just shrugged.

Meanwhile Horo-Horo, Ren and Yoh was in the kitchen, Horo-Horo was looking for something in the cupboard on the top of the sink, he was very busy searching that he forgot that Ren and Yoh was around the room.

"Where are those?" he mumbled loudly.

"What on earth is he looking for?" Ren muttered as he watched Horo-Horo throwing things from the cupboard.

"Horo-Horo was gone mad looking for those." Yoh exclaimed with a big wide grin in his face. He always sees Horo-Horo keen in finding for those.

"What those?" Ren asked him without hesitation, "is there something I need to know?" he then uttered with a suspicious eyes to Yoh who was busy watching his friend messing the kitchen.

"Oh, no." he disagree and gave him a stupid grin again.

"So what is it then?" Ren asked again now beginning to loose his temper.

"Boat tarts!" Yoh exclaimed with glee.

"Boat tarts!" Ren said sarcastically, "now I am really sure that he…" as he point to Horo-Horo busy looking in the cupboard, "was a dog." They both laugh out loud as if he can't hear them in the room.

"Hey! I heard that you shark!" Horo-Horo shouted to Ren and not turning his back to them while bags of groceries tumbled down behind him.

"Ooohh… the dog has special powers that was called…" Ren said with a mocking voice, "dog ears!" the two began again in rolled in the floor laughing.

"Are gonna stop teasing me or what!" Horo-Horo turned to them with reddening face.

"What's the matter? Can't your nose sniff the boat tarts!" Ren said and imitating a dog.

"Cut it out!" Horo-Horo said blushing and jumping down the sink and still blushing furiously.

"I think the boat tarts are not here; if you like I will ask Tamao." Yoh then said to him.

"NO!" Horo-Horo yelled.

"What is going on here?" Pirika appeared behind the door, she caught everybody's attention.

"Why are you here Pirika?" her brother asked him innocently, "don't you remember your chore for today?"

"I know, I was just been told." She merely replied to his brother.

"Told what?" Ren asked her sarcastically.

"Miss Anna told me to find you two blokes!" she snapped. Ren's eyebrows rise. "She wants you to trim the grass in the backyard."

"The grass in the backyard?" Yoh asked her in surprise, "Why?" Why would Anna want to trim the backyard, it was not that important or she just want them to be busy and would not cause trouble in the temple.

"I dunno, it was Mistress Kino's orders." She snapped at him. Yoh gave her an I-got-it look.

"My obaasan." He mumbled, why would his obaasan want to trim the backyard, is she not telling something to him? Or it was just for the celebration.

"I think she wants the whole temple to be presentable in the guest in the ceremony." She continued.

"Who are you referring to? Blokes!" Ren thundered to her, Pirika didn't move aback with his loud voice, she didn't even show any sign of fear to him. Instead,

"Obviously, you two bakas!" Pirika said to him as a matter of factly. Ren was stunned; he hadn't been shouted or answered back by a woman before except for Anna. He looked as if Pirika had slap a large stone to his face.

"I don't want you calling me names!" He again barked at her gaining his cool a few seconds.

"Tao, Ren, I don't like your tone in talking to me." She snapped at him, "That was not good treatment for a woman."

"A woman!" he shouted with fury, "Where! You! Ha! Give me a break!"

"It doesn't mean that I play rough, I am not a woman!" she shouted to him for the first time as if they were the only one in the room. Ren's face became red with rage, his head grow big in an alarming rate, and his hair grew higher that before. (anime style) "And it doesn't mean you see me as a guy, I also see myself as a guy too!" Pirika again yelled at him, Ren was not stunned like before he was beginning to get angry.

"What do you mean by that!" Ren he cried out loud that his voice echoed thru the room, "that you can call me names and be arrogant to me, who happens to be older than you!"

"I didn't say that, even me who was younger than you, is not respecting me as a woman!"

"Why! Because you are a woman you can dominate our world!" Ren finally uttered. Yoh was startled to his statement, while Horo-Horo was watching them like it was an interesting t.v. show.

"I didn't tell that. Well then, off you go, you two bakas! Anna might kill you if you don't trim the backyard." She said calmly as if nothing happens, Ren stormed the room while Horo-Horo and Yoh was left with her.

"And what should I do?" Yoh asked her softly that she might shout him as well.

"Nothing, she didn't mention you are helping." She said it sweetly with a smile and also left them.

"Did I tell you that Pirika had shown some signs of Anna-in-the-making?" Yoh grasp. Horo-Horo's mouth fell open.

"It was getting dark and still you two were not even in the half of trimming the grass!" Anna yelled at Horo-Horo and Ren who was still trimming the grass. It was dusk and all of them are in the backyard. Manta, Chocolove, Jun with Pailong and Pirika are sitting in a bench and watching the two being shouted by Anna.

"I really like seeing Anna using good words to everyone." Manta said dreamily, Yoh giggles to his statement.

"How was your chore for today, Manta?" He asked his little friend.

"Don't ever ask it, it was hell, isn't it Chocolove?" Manta said with a sour looked and face to Chocolove.

"Yeah, were like farmers!" Chocolove bursted with loud voice, "scrubbing the floor like was planting corn." Chocolove said, Anna didn't hear; Yoh gave him a sympathy look.

Next to Chocolove is Jun who was watching her brother trim the grass, he never seen him do that, Anna is the only person who can order her brother. She actually enjoys seeing his brother doing chores, it means he was not that self-centered like before, he was changing… for good.

"Faster you dog!" Anna again yelled at Horo-Horo who was weak cutting the grass. He can't cut a single grass in tiredness, but still he was moving wobbly for Anna might give her punishment.

"How could we finish trimming these, it was about two hectares! And she wants us to finish these in a flash!" Horo-Horo exclaimed to Ren quietly so Anna can't hear him. Ren just go on with his work.

"If I had a choice, I would never befriend Yoh." Ren finally uttered to him.

"What are you two talking about! Go on!" she encourage them with a shout and a tone of don't-dare-disobey-or-you'll-pay.

Yoh came towards to her, "Don't you think I can help them, Anna-chan." Yoh plead to her innocently. Obviously, he doesn't want his friends in pain, and most of all he doesn't want his friends experience what he had experience in Anna's side.

Anna glared at him and shook her head that means NO, "Kino-sensei told me that you should be resting and relaxing." She said to him coldly at turn her back to him and continues to watch the two boys in the grass. Anna always disagree in him, in trainings even he's on pain she didn't pity for him and stop the training. Maybe she was that stone-hearted but he knew that something is hidden inside her.

"Miss Anna, the list of the menu to be serve in the ceremony." Tamao appeared behind Yoh. She was handling a piece of rolled paper in her right hand and a box wrap with colored cloth in the other. She gave Anna the paper.

"Is this all?" Anna demanded to her, Tamao gave small HAI, she examines it carefully and told to the two to take a short break and she got inside the house. (Horo-Horo jumps in joy)

Tamao approached Yoh who was watching the two drinking water to the jug hungrily. She became red again with her blushing.

"I had brought something, Master Yoh." She said shyly and her face keeps on glowing in redness. She got everybody's attention.

"What was that Tamao?" Yoh asked her innocently.

Tamao opened the box and shining creamy boat tarts tumbled to him. So it was hidden, Horo-Horo spend the whole day looking for those. But why is she giving those to him? Maybe she had baked a lot of it and it was him to first taste it.

"WOW!" Horo-Horo's mouth fell open; at last Tamao's cooking, "I bet that was the one I had smelled a while ago!" Tamao gave him a nod. Ren gave him a narrowed eye.

"Can't you see it was for Yoh?" Ren tug him in the rib. Wincing, he receives the box full of sweet tarts.

"How nice of you Tamao, you knew that I really like your boat tarts." grinned Yoh. Tamao even show a shade of crimson in her face and quickly pulled Pirika and stormed the backyard to the house. Horo-Horo eats the tarts ravenously. Yeah, he really likes Tamao's cooking like he does but it doesn't matter, Manta gave him a smile.

Anna was reading her book in the room and Tamao and Pirika stormed inside. They saw Anna being busy.

"What are you doing Tamao-kun?" Pirika let out a tiny voice to her, Tamao just simply ignore her question and sat in the table were Anna was, she was still blushing deeply. Pirika stares at her for a moment. Anna looked at them for a moment. Maybe she was distracted to us, Tamao thought.

"Is there any problem Tamao?" Anna asked her with a calm tone not even looking to her.

"No, nothing." She replied still blushing, "I thought you are checking the list?"

"Oh… I'll check it later, I need to read this." She raises her book. "So… you had a conversation with Kino-sensei…"

"Er… Yes… I had she had told me that I am helping in the ceremony by giving him flowers that day."

"I see…Kino-sensei definitely like you helping in the ceremony."

Tamao held a small smile to her. She didn't answer back instead she put down her book and stared the table as if it was an interesting view. Few days from now Yoh will be proclaimed the new shaman king, few days from now she will be living with the king. And the new plan will take place. How she wishes the proclamation day will not come, she might loose herself. She feared that day that he will carry a great responsibility, he is hardly responsible, that responsible to carry the title shaman king.

"Ouch!" Horo-Horo screamed with pain, a spirit was pinching his cheeks to its edges and he can't fight off the spirit, "cut it off! It hurts!"

Everybody laughs and watching Horo-Horo's face stretched by the spirit. They didn't even tell the spirit to let Horo-Horo be.

"You are bad person!" the spirit shrieked coldly, "That sweets are for our master!"

"That was for us!" he yelled to the spirit still pinching his cheek and become teary-eyed.

"Tee Hee! That's for a greedy git like you!" Ren shouted to him, "Let his cheek stretch in a mile to teach him a lesson."

Yoh and the gang laugh out loud; he sure can easily make them laugh even Chocolove who always pulled jokes to them.

"Yoh-kun, did you remember when we first met Horo-Horo in Funbari?" Manta asked his friend and giggling.

"Yeah… I remembered that… he dreams to be…" he said with a laugh, "the shaman king, but we suggested him to become a comedian!" and the two again rolled a bundle of laughs. Ren and Chocolove stared to them; they didn't know what they are talking about.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" the birds flew to the woods of the temple.

'What was that!' Anna told her mind, she was startled with that, for a moment she had some what felt an odd spirit. No, it was not, how a spirit could just linger to the room without being visible to her eyes. If there was a spirit, she would have seen that, that's for sure. But that was odd. A spirit, if it was an ordinary spirit who was living and wandering in the temple, she would not be startled like that. She took a glance to Tamao who was still out of mind, dreaming, she thought, 'how could she doesn't felt it? She was like me, how…' she asked her mind again. This was mad! She thought. She scans the whole room, indeed she doesn't see anything odd, the spirit just pass by for a second, that's it! But what or who was it… her heart skip a beat and a cold sweat rolled in her forehead, is she dreaming or it was true?

She some what asked Tamao with her eyes and finally Tamao asked her what was the problem, she shook her head, she really didn't felt it. That was odd. "I am going to sleep, tell Ren and the others to stop working and continue it tomorrow. I am tired." She said hesitantly and rushed to her room.

"What's with her?" Pirika asked Tamao, she just shrugged dreamily in her seat.

"Anna went to sleep ne?" Ponchi asks his master as he popped in the thin air. "Doesn't mean you two should do some pranks!" she furiously says as she hops trying to reach the two animals. "You're going to have a hard time stopping us!" they grinned and stormed the room. "Why you!" she screamed as she follows them hurriedly.

'I'll tell Yoh, this evening." Anna mumbled to herself and lied to her futon and take a short nap.

Dinner became more disaster, as Horo-Horo and Ren tries to compete for a single meat, Pirika and Jun together with Lee and Tamao merrily chatting about Tao mansion in China. Chocolove was cracking his worst jokes to the gang. Yoh just ate happily as he chat with Amidamaru and Anna still remained silent of the rest of the dinner.

After dinner all of them decided to take a sleep after their before-to-sleep-rituals. The whole temple became quiet and still in the night. The sounds of crickets are the only ones been heard.

Even the spirits within the house had not made any noises. In Yoh's room the silence was deafening, he hadn't fallen asleep while the others had been drowsing. He just stared the ceiling of his room and sighs. What was this feeling? I am feeling anxious… but why? I don't know what was it but I felt that something terrible will happen…was it the spirit I had sense this morning or just my imagination… wait! Why am I acting afraid… everything will be alright… that's for sure... as he gently closed his eyes. But before he had gone to dreamland a banging sounds had startled him. It was a hard noisy sound of knocking in the door. He got up to his feet and opened the scandalous door. He found Anna, looked anxious also.

"Could I enter?" Anna said with an expression of don't- dare- refuse. Yoh looked puzzled; Anna in front of his room in the middle of the night wants to go inside his room?

"Could I?" she repeated her question impatiently.

"Er… of course… come inside…" he said sweat dropping. "Is there anything wrong Anna?" he asked as he sat in his futon. Anna remained standing. "Oh! Here, take a sit..." he said giving his futon to her. A long silence had taken before Yoh decide to speak, "Anna why are you here?" he said it fearfully because Anna might slap her with his rudeness. But Anna didn't done anything, she just sighs and spoke.

"Yoh, I have something to tell you." She said icily.

"Ne? What was that?"

"Do you happen to sense an odd spirit today?" she said blankly. Yoh's heart skips a beat, he too had sense an odd spirit, is this just a coincidence or…

"Huh, Yoh?"

He doesn't know what to say to her if he will tell the truth or lie to her. If he tell the truth he will know what was that odd spirit, if not he will not certainly know. But what if that odd spirit was his worst nightmare…

"Er… why Anna? Had you sense one?" he answered nervously. Anna glared at him for a moment. "Ok. I haven't. Why?" he lied to her to know what had she'd sense.

"This morning, when you lot in the woods I was left alone reading a book. Then Tamao came over and joined me in the room. Then I had felt an odd spirit inside the room, it didn't appear to me but I had felt it." She told him calmly

"Did Tamao felt or sense it too." He asked in an interesting tone.

"Funny though, she didn't, I'm surprised she didn't sense it or felt it." She replied.

"Are you sure it was not the spirits who are living in the house for ages?"

"That's ridiculous Yoh! I've been in this house for years and I had known all spirits in here." She said sarcastically.

"Ok. Sorry. But I've remembered what obaasan had told me about the spirits in our house." He said now calmly. Anna raised an eyebrow. "She told me that once she had an encountered an odd spirit, a spirit who was not one who stays in our house for years, she thought that, that spirit was an evil spirit, a wicked spirit that want to ruin the Asakura Temple and its family. But then it was just a lonely spirit who had just temporarily stayed here to visit some of his friends when he was still alive." He said to her and looking at her. "It was not just happened once, several times, then I too had encountered one and told her, then she explained it to me." He finished telling an alternative answer in their question hoping Anna would be satisfied in his explanation.

"Is that what Kino-sensei had told you." She reacted shortly.

"Yeah. Is there anything else?

"That's all konbanwa!" she said as she fled his room.

Anna was afraid of what had happened today that's why she was silent at all time today. Could be what obaasan had said was true or there was truly an evil spirit?

…TBC…

A/N: Thank you for those who dared continue this fic I really salute you (because you guys had wasted your time in reading this no-good fic) well then as usual I want to know what you guys feel to my fic so reviews!

NEWS!

For those who were waiting for the fic to shift into a new genre well I had some news to share for you all! For those who really excited that this fic will go on to the romance part of the story…

For the chapter 8 I will post some kind of romance in the shamans but it was kinda mild… not the pure romance just a teaser and just for a few chapters away romance will surely bloom in this fic.

Guess now who's pet couple will end up together, surely all of you will really be in love to them!

vienne louis jean spellman…

ta-ta!