Chapter 8: The Unexpected Visitor
The next day Tamao's prediction was stronger that she rushed to Kino with her power spirits tumbling by following her. All of them didn't much paid attention on her predictions except for Yoh, Ren and Horo-Horo. They had been worried since when Tamao had her predictions but didn't show to others what the are worrying about.
Lunch was serve and they were about to eat while Ponchi and Konchi emerged to the door. They zoomed around the room that makes everyone mad. "Hey! That's not cool!" Horo-Horo barked at them as Konchi threw a rock to his face.
"Food fights!" Chocolove yelled with excitement. Ren put out his spear and threatened Chocolove not to speak again. Yoh on the other hand still grinning nervously and don't do anything about the big commotion going on. "Yoh-dono." His samurai cried to him.
"Annoying…" Anna muttered to herself who was beginning to loose her temper to the pesky animals. Tamao flushed a shade of crimson with her embarrassment to her two spirits and remained quiet. Pirika who had been dumped with rice balls were about to loose her temper too. Ren, next to her offered a tissue to wipe her face. Horo-Horo noticed it and dive to the two but was tripped by Ren's spear.
"That's it!" Anna uttered and stands next to Yoh who was just grinning. She shot her hand to the air and caught Ponchi in her bare hands.
"Nice catch!" Chocolove exclaimed.
"Stop it. Or I'll give Ponchi a punishment." She muttered to Konchi who was free to Anna. Everyone fell silent.
"Wahhh! I don't want!" Ponchi wailed to her hands. Anna glared at Konchi and grabbed her beads and wrapped it to the both of them.
"You two had enough!" and she threw the animals in the door. The door destroyed and produced a clashing sound.
"Huh?" an unusual voice echoed in the destroyed door.
"Jun?" Tamao cried still reddening with shyness.
"What was happening here?" Manta popped behind Jun looking startled with the mess they've done.
"Were sorry!" the animals chorused.
"At least they are." Horo-Horo exclaimed.
"Were you two up to?" Ren asked the two, "We are waiting for years here. Were darn starving here!" he added with gritted teeth.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Jun retorted, "We just met and welcome the newly arrived guest." Manta finished her sentence.
Three people came walking in the hallway to the room they occupied. All of them poke out their heads through the opened door. One who wears a pompadour hairstyle and looks stylish with his clothes, he's even looks a rock star. The other one with green hair wearing black trousers, white sweater on top. And the last one with blonde hair, all white clothes dragging a life-sized doll. The three of them march towards them and stopped in the rotten door. Everybody watched them as they strode towards them in the room without blinking.
"Nice entrance." Horo-Horo said with a grin.
"Ryu, Lyserg, Faust! You made here in our place!" Yoh exclaimed with delight.
Ryu burst into tears and hug Yoh tight that his ribs could break in half any moment.
"Are we late for the celebration?" Lyserg asked.
"No. the celebration is not yet started." Ren replied to him with a smirk.
"Hey! How did you find our place?" Yoh asked Lyserg escaping in Ryu's arms.
"Morphine help me to find your place." He explained and a fairy-like spirit flew out of his palm. Pirika giggled to see the beautiful spirit he had.
"Good thing." Chocolove said. "At least he doesn't try to sound funny." Ren muttered.
"Sorry I am late; I had to fly abroad to my operations." Faust explained with his wife, Eliza next to her.
"I understand. What is important is you came just in time." He let out a grin in his mouth.
"So, you lot ate lunch?" Lyserg asked all of them inside.
They all looked back to the room, it was a big mess.
"Err…" everybody chorused.
After making another lunch (that took another hour to cook) they finally ate. Lyserg had come to Europe and had brought something for everybody. ("Tamao's predictions were true!" Horo-Horo shrieked with joy.) Tamao received a European cook book, Ren received a steel polisher, and Ryu who was really happy received a styling gel while Manta received an extraordinary big book about Europe. Faust got a new pair of dragon hide; Horo-Horo received a special tea and Pirika got a stopwatch while Jun got a new prayer papers from Europe. Anna got a beaded bracelet with cat's eye gems and Yoh received a miniature musketeer's sword in a glass.
All of them were grateful to Lyserg and the happiness between Yoh, Ren and Horo-Horo came back for they won't be worrying. They spend the hours chatting at each other.
Night came Kino called all the gang for some words. In the large vast room, full of prayer accessories, statues and lighted candles, it seems to be an altar room; a room for prayers and rituals. In the middle of the room they formed a circle. Tea was served in the tatami mat. ("This is dinner?" Horo-Horo whispered to Chocolove who was dreamily listening to him.)
"Ahem-Ahem…" Kino coughed, "welcome all of you…" she started, "especially to those who had just arrived. Lyserg blushed into shyness. "We, the whole family of Asakura were grateful having lot of you." Yohmei nodded with agreement. "And grateful to have Yoh, our grandson, the proclaimed shaman king." She said as all of them listen intently.
"Tomorrow our dreams will finally come to reality, our plans will take the place after the celebration, the ritual will take place tomorrow." She paused and took a breath while Anna bowed down her head and no one can see her face. "Ahem… the ritual will only take an hour and definitely I would like his friends in his side to support him. Shamans from all over the world will participate also, of course the guardians as well they will host the coronation."
"Is there something you would like to add?" she asked Ren. All eyes turned to him, he felt shy but spoke too,
"Yoh, we decided to throw a party to you few days after the celebration." He said it so fast that they nearly can't understand. Yoh shot him a vague look, "Could you repeat it again?"
"He said we are throwing a party for you few days after the celebration." Manta repeated to him.
"Suree! That was fun!" he said with glee and grinned.
"I would like Tamao to help us in the rituals…" Yohmei finally spoke next to Kino. "She will also give flowers to the king aside from Anna."
"All of you would just watch him in the procession." Kino again spoke.
"There's a procession?" Yoh asked her with interest.
"Yes, You, Anna and Tamao with us are in the procession." She retorted to his grandson.
"Okay." Yoh said, "What should I do after the rituals?"
"Good question." His father spoke bringing down his cup of tea. "You will just stay and relax and wait for their party."
"And you will be sent in another place."
"Another place?" Yoh looked puzzled.
"It's good to have some surprise ne?" Kino replied to his question.
"Yes, you're the shaman king; you just stay put and leave the working to us." Manta said dabbing his chest. Yoh grinned and blushed with shyness.
"So, all of you…" Kino interrupted them, "must wake in…" she took a quick glance in the old clock, "exactly seven o' clock in the morning…" Before Horo-Horo could complain Kino said, "NO EXCEMPTIONS!"
"Darn it!" Horo-Horo muttered in a low voice.
"So, do I make myself clear?" Kino asked all of them.
"Are we going to eat dinner?" Horo-Horo spat. Kino raises her eyebrow with his question.
"What are you feeling now, Yoh-kun?" Manta sprang a question to him in the bathroom were they're taking a bath.
"Hmm…" he responds, "what do you mean? The water?" he continued, "It was fine. It was pretty warm." He said stupidly.
"No, not the water!" he said to his friend. "The ceremony tomorrow!" he then muttered to him while Yoh still watched him, "what do you feel, the ceremony tomorrow?"
"What should I suppose to feel ne?"
"I don't know…" he then answered to his friend, "Nervous… Happy…"
"Well, kinda nervous… that was normal ne?"
"'course it was, what are you nervous with?"
"Dunno. Maybe the guest, obaasan told us, the guardians?" Yoh mumbled and slide in his tub of warm water.
"That will… it was pretty heart-pumping when in you are the center of their eyes." Manta said with a smile, "But are you ready for this?"
"Err… sort of, no more backing out in the guardians."
"Good luck, Yoh-kun, I know you can do it tomorrow…" he finally said with encouragement.
'Yeah, tomorrow… tomorrow will be the day I will never forget…' he told to his mind. Manta was his best friend since they met in Funbari; he really knows how to give him comfort and encouragement.
It was in the middle of the night, still he can't fall to sleep, perhaps he was nervous and at the same time, excited in the ceremony tomorrow. He went outside his room and sat in the porch of the house where the stars keeps on shining down to him. His samurai spirit, Amidamaru keeps on snoring inside his room. He was supposed to be asleep, he supposed to be awoke in the seven in the morning and no exemptions especially him, he was the cause of the ceremony tomorrow, but still he watched the stars in the black blanket of clouds and sky. It was peaceful, only the evening insects are heard in the environment, and the evening breeze blew to his face, so soothing.
How he wish that everyday would be like this, so peaceful, no worries and always happy. He closed his eyes and dreaming that tomorrow will be a memorable day not just for him but also the whole shaman community.
A sound of steps echoed to his ears, it was coming nearer and he saw Anna beside him.
"Anna-chan, what are you doing here?" he asked her with astonishment, "Why are you not asleep?"
"And why are you not asleep?" she then asked him with an icy tone, completely ignoring his question.
"Err… can't sleep." He just answered with a grin.
"That was new, you? Can't sleep." She then laughs.
"What are doing here anyway?"
"I want to say something to you." She said with her normal tone.
What was she wants him to hear, she maybe wants him to wish him 'goodluck' for tomorrow.
"Err… what was that?" he asked her innocently to her. She let out a scowl in his reaction.
"I just remembered what I had told you last time, the spirit I had told you I had sense." She started. Yoh's heart pumps fast with what she had said.
"What about that?" he then replied to her and hiding his sudden adrenaline-pump.
"It is that… I was gone silly that time…" she again spoke, "you were right; it was just a lonely spirit."
"And I had seen it just the other day."
"You did?" he blurted out with astonishment and he can't believe what he had heard. She nodded. His heart become light, as if a big block of cement was on top of his heart and suddenly it was been crushed into small pieces.
"Took you so long ne?" he spat with a laugh. And she suddenly became serious; he notices it and fell silent.
It took for a few minutes before she can speak to him. "Err… Yoh… there's something I want to tell you…" she said unconfidently.
"What was that?"
"It was I want you to make a promise…"
"A… promise…?" he blurted out with outrage. Does she wants him to be dead after the ritual, he was pretty sure it was her 'hell trainings' again. "What kind of promise?" and he crossed his fingers that his hunch would not be true.
"Just promise!" she demanded. Now she was forcing him to make a promise to his death.
"I… what promise… you are not intending me to go into the cliff aren't you?" he said with suspicious eyes.
"Okay!" she said with a tone she was about to loose her temper, "In the party we will throw to you… I will give you a gift." She said again, "And promise me not to refuse it, ne?"
"A gift, no, not really… you should not to." He refused, "I was the one should give a present to you… for your hard work."
"No, I insist, promise me." She demanded.
"But…but…"
"Promise me…"
"Okay… I promise…" he then finally agreed to her and looked defeated, he should not be receiving a present to her, it was her determination, her will and power that he was the newly proclaimed king, he should be thankful to her instead.
"Better." She said with an icy tone.
"Err… what was you're present for me?" he sprang this to her, she looked startled, she maybe not ready that he might asked it, but she regain her cool again.
"It was a secret… you don't need to know what was that." She said.
"Wha—t! Can you give me a hint?"
"A-ha! You are persistent; I won't tell you, think whatever you want."
"You are not giving me extra trainings for a present do you?" he said fearfully.
"Nope, I won't…" she said, Yoh became happy for hearing that, "In fact I won't be giving you trainings after the tomorrow." She pulled a paper in her pocket of her yukata and tore it into small pieces.
"What was that?" he asked him.
"Your training schedule…"
"And you will not give me chores?" he said with hopes.
"Dream, Asakura Yoh, I am not that generous to let you sleep the whole day!" she snapped to him. "Well, it is just what I want to say to you, good night, and goodluck!" she said and slowly standing to her feet.
"Wait, would you care just stay for a while?" Yoh stopped her.
"It was late… go to sleep… you should be awake early… Konbanwa!" she left him alone.
She was right, he should be sleeping now, the guardians would be mad if he doesn't wake up on time not to mention his obaasan, she was strict in that kind of thing. He yawns and prepares to go to his room but in an abrupt a strong cold wind blew to his hair, to his head and spine, it was cold as ice… he then spun around to see if there was the annoying Horo-Horo playing his furyoku but he found nothing in the earthy ground.
It was a few moments that he stands there and still sensing if there was anything in the environment.
"Greetings, my dear otouto!" A guy appeared in the ground; his face was like his, as if he was looking to a mirror. He stepped his feet in the ground. He wore a cloak and a funny pants, he also wear a big dangling earrings with shades of red and white with a big star in the center. He was smiling to Yoh, smiling menacingly like mad.
"How was you?" the guy again asked him in an icy tone. "Are you not going to greet and welcome your big brother?"
He was stunned, seeing his worst nightmare in front of him, in person, he still alive… they were right, he was alive, and he can't even say a single word in his fear. His heart seems to stop beating with his fear to that guy.
"Very well, I had news to you!" he then spoke, "My trusted, loyal disciples had revived me after the tournament." And in a split second three girls tumbled to his eyes, the Hanagumi, they are the ones who revived him. He can't believe what was he seeing, the girls in front of him, was the cause of another fight. "I was then crushed into bits, but my loyal girls put me again and bring me back to life, actually I was not one hundred percent me again… it will be a year to gain my own strength again, my dear otouto. And a year after, my dreams will come true."
"Grr! HAO!" Yoh finally yelled with all his might, in this his fear might be lessen up.
"Much better!" Hao replied to him with a mocking voice. "I thought you had forgotten to speak or you just lost your manners."
"What are you doing here!"
"Why? Is visiting bad?" he mocks him. Yoh was shaking with anger now.
"You are not invited here!" he yelled back to his twin.
"I was living here… ages ago." He then said coldly. "Before you were alive… before you done your stupid victory." It touched a nerve.
"I maybe the new king, because I am worthy… than you." Yoh told him firmly.
"Ha! Worthy? Give me a break, and what are going to do? Sleep at them." Hao said to him. He maybe lazy but he was not out of mind to destroy the world like him.
"And what do you mean… you are much worthy than me… go to hell!" he said to him.
"I don't need to go there, I am there already." He replied to his brother shaking with fury. "You know otouto; I never thought you would be the one who could stop me for a while."
"For a while?" he said sarcastically to him. "You were… alive…"
"Yes, I am alive… not just a mere spirit, I was alive even before you thought I was not." Hao then gave him a mocking tone again, "it's just I need time to appear to you… are you afraid, my little brother?" he asked him with a laugh. Yoh didn't answer to him and fell silent.
"You have a good reason to." He again said to Yoh, "Now go! To your brainless mates and report to them I was alive!" and let out a laugh, he was laughing like a maniac.
"How did you…?" he blurted out with surprise.
"I was following you… in Funbari… to Izumo thru a portal…" he explained, "I was gone excited that day you had felt me."
"You are… the spirit!" he said with surprise again.
"Took you so long ne?" Hao imitates what he had said to Anna a while ago. It was him all along! He was it! That's why he was really worried that day… his hunch was true…
"I was enjoying your short debate the other day… debating that I was alive or not!" he laughs again now joined by the Hanagumi. "And you were stupid enough not to believe in your so-called friends."
It touched his nerves, so-called friends, what is he trying to say? "What do you mean so-called friends?"
"That, friends are just mere rubbish. You don't need them brother; I want to advise to you that to tend them in your advantage."
"Rubbish! You are just envy that you don't have friends, what do you have… them?" he stretches his arms and points the girls. The three girls scowled at him.
"Envy… me? Maybe so but if I had those mate you have I'll won't be here again." He spat to him, "my mates are much loyal, trusted and powerful than you have."
"Think what you want to think, go away! I will be sleeping!" he shooed him with disgust.
"Why? Not to be sleeping in your ceremony for tomorrow?" he asked Yoh mockingly, "Soothe yourself my dear otouto, I will give the title king to you just for a while…"
"But after I finally got my full strength I will get what I want and get what's for me." He continued.
"Before you could do that… I will--" Yoh said with gritted teeth.
"Kill me? Fat chance… even you train yourself to death you can't kill me." Hao said mockingly to him. "I'll get what you have… remember that…" he said
"What do you want first…Ah… your mates… then your title…" he continued with an icy tone.
"GRR…HAO!" he yelled to all his might.
"Why? You don't want? Ok, how about your title first and your friends…" he again spoke with a mocking tone, "And I'll take last your body… hahahaha!" he laughed maniacally together with the Hanagumi girls. Yoh was shaking with anger with Hao had said, he would first get his friends before he gets his body, he wants to see how he will kill his beloved friends, he knows that he will be in so much pain seeing them dying.
"Otouto, we'll meet after a year… a year…" he then spoke and disappeared into the thick flames of hell with his disciples.
"Hao…" he finally muttered under his breath.
TBC…
A/N: Hey! Here I am again…. Hehehe sorry for the long wait especially for those who cant wait and had given many reviews in my fic.
I was really surprise when I had opened my account and found that many readers had appreciate my work and got really excited in my next chapter, well it was worth it isn't it?
Of course I wont stop to write this fic( I am just starting it!) I had just some kind of a author's block in my future chapters and I am working on my next fic(see you soon!)
So how was it? Please read and review and I'll continue to update really soon!
Au revoir! Vienne louis jean spellman