Chapter 10: The Ceremony

"To your positions!" Goldova instructed them, "Yoh, you will be at the back of your grandparents." Yoh stood next to his grandmother. He started to feel something funny in his stomach and his throat had gone dry; he felt he was going to be sick. "Amidamaru, stay beside him." She again told his spirit who was looked uneasy like him too.

"Don't be nervous, Yoh." His father approached him and patted his back, it gave him some comfort, and he sighs. "Remember Yoh, everything will be fine, everything will go on place."

'Yes, everything will be fine' he said to his mind.

"Trust yourself, Yoh." His father gave him a wink once more.

'It is just walking into an aisle' he again murmured to his self. 'And that's it!'

"Everybody ready?" Goldova shouted with her old voice echoed to the backyard. He couldn't speak; even his father told him to be calm, he cant, there are many people out there to watch him, hundreds or even thousands of shamans are watching over him. What if he slips in the aisle and fall, would they laugh? It was not easy to face those people, yes it was his biggest dream to be the shaman king but he never thought that there would be a ceremony; he thought the guardians will just give him the title and no more ceremony or ritual and social gatherings.

"Yoh-dono, are you alright?" Amidamaru asked him who looked worried, "You looked pale, are you nervous?"

"Oh! Some kind of that, but I am okay." Blurted Yoh who was grinning nervously. 'This is it! Just stay calm and everything will be okay.'

"Come on! Start the procession!" Goldova told the guardians at the front of the line, "March!" Soon the guardians drag their feet and started to march in the backyard to the main temple, several stomps of feet was heard, Yoh's heart beats more faster than before, he hardly walk for his legs were wobbling and shaking. "Come Yoh-dono, don't be frightened." comforted Amidamaru.

Just for a few minutes he can see the tiny temple gates, the steps wore a red carpet; a small altar was found in the topmost steps with white cloth. There was an aisle separated by chairs and was crimson for the carpet has completely blocked the earthy ground. Several people, shamans for exactly planted in their seats. He notices that they wore some kind of a kimono like he was wearing but different color. As they draw nearer to the altar he found his friends, Manta was waiving to him, all of them were cheered him with glee. They all wore white kimono with blue lining. It seems that not everyone had found seats; some are standing and watching him as he walk in the aisle, shamans they met in the tournament. He felt all eyes were on him; he felt his face was burning; all of the attention was in him. They had arrived in the steps, Anna and Tamao were there, and they both wear a white kimono with pink lining and white flower ornament in their hair. They also had flowers in their hand. The two girls put the flowers in Yoh's neck like a necklace and gently bowed to him. "You may take your seat master Yoh." Tamao offered him a seat in the topmost steps next to the altar and blushing. He sat there still shaking.

"The moment had arrived!" Goldova said in the center altar; it caught everyone's attention. The whole place was gone silent. "Everyone! I need your attention… and your hearts." The sunny sky made the morning pleasant. "It is the time we proclaim our new king!" A long silence filled the entire place. "After our darkest days the sun shined and gave us light… after the rainy days the sun peeps in the clouds and a rainbow was form… after our sacrifices… our hardships… a new hope was born… after our fight we came to our victory." Goldova pauses and watch the crowd who were listening and absorbing all the things she had uttered. Yoh still in his seat not talking to his spirit next to him neither to the two girls.

"Yes! We cherished our triumph! We succeeded! Our hardships had never been a waste, now that we can live freely… happy… silent…calm…quiet… and full of love."

"No more threat… danger… peril... anxiety… fear… but still there was the everyday's burden, hindrances, anger and sadness. Life is nothing without a trace of obstacles, obstacles we can and cannot overcome or gone through." Tamao nodded with agreement while Anna is still silent, he felt guilty, like a stone has been over his heart, he hadn't got the chance to say to them what happened last night, but it was him who said it is not good to spoil the celebration and besides he got plenty of time to say it to them; he will soon shower darkness after a year. "Tough I still thank we had gone through it, our biggest obstacle in the shaman community."

She pauses again and breathe, "It was almost two months ago… a dark shaman had nearly conquered the world, with the help of his henchmen; he waited for five centuries to continue his unfulfilled dream, a new world just for shamans."

"Well then it would be our own benefit, but we do not want to make a new shaman world by destructing or ruin also the ordinary people who were innocent. Still he continued his biggest madness, he soon reincarnate before the shaman fight had open. All of us had known him, all of us here, I am referring to… Asakura Hao." Yoh's heart beats faster again hearing his brother's name.

"Yes, he was powerful… very powerful indeed… no one ever thought that he could be defeated…"

"And no one could ever thought that his twin brother is destined to defeat him." All heads turn to Yoh; suddenly Yoh found his foot interesting.

"The tournament had opened, thousands of shamans compete; one was Hao and one was his twin brother. Before the tournament had proclaimed a victor the fight has been closed. But since the Great Spirits should hail a new king… they chose to relinquish the crown to the man who had defeated the dark shaman… it was him, the person before you all, and the person who was sitting infront of you… the new king…"

"Asakura Yoh!" she shouted with glee and points her palm to him. He can't say anything his tongue had been swallowed up. The crowd was outraged with cheers and cries of 'Hail the new king! Hail the new shaman king!' Goldova smiled widely she didn't expect that the crowd would behave like that, that happy, that victorious.

"The Great Spirits were very pleased as you lot in our new king… that's why they had been here in Japan!" she began again, the loud cheers died and murmurs filled instead.

"The Great Spirits were here too with us to witness the ceremony and celebration of the shaman community." The murmurs drew more loudly. An old smile appeared to Goldova's face.

"Asakura Yoh, I would like you to receive the crown." With the loud beats of drum the guardians again march in the aisle they were carrying a some kind of a box; a shiny box. As they drew nearer to the steps he had understood what that was. It was the crown; made of gold; a huge crown about two feet in width, half feet in height and another two feet in length. It has jewels in the top with colors red, blue, purple and pink.

"Before we would put this on your head I would like to explain your great responsibility being the new shaman king."

"Being a shaman king is great responsibility… yet the balance of the world will be his job…" she again spoke with her old voice while Yoh was standing infront of her.

"Meaning… the balance between shaman communities will be equal to the normal people's community. His responsibility is that make the shamans useful to those people who had not given the gift from the Great Spirits." There was a long silence. "But not making the shamans as just a tool for mere ordinary humans. She coughed. "to live peacefully in harmonious world is the biggest dream of the Great Spirits and all. This will come to reality when the shaman king will take his responsibility not as a duty but as a goal; as a dream." The crowd clapped their hands, "Still the fate of our world lies also in the people…"

The guardians draw nearer to Yoh. "You don't intent to put that on my head do you?" asked Yoh ridiculously. Chocolove laughed heartily in the crowd, Ren muttered to Faust that sounds like 'I think I don't want to be the shaman king.' "It looks like Manta can sleep there." Pirika said dreamily, manta glowered to her. "Sorry, just exaggerating the fact." Apologized Pirika who became red in shyness.

"Yes we intent to put this in your head." She answered his stupid question. Yoh gulped, how could he balance his body with that humongous crown, it was a suicide he thought. "Don't be afraid Yoh" Silva emerged in the guardians. "Your furyoku can withstand the weight of the crown." And he let out a wink.

He let our a deep breath, "Alright then." He agreed. The guardians put the crown to his head; Silva was right it was as if he was wearing an ordinary cap, it was not heavy at all, and he grinned.

"With the power of the Great Spirits…" a long silence again filled the place again, "We proclaim you the new shaman king who will justify the peace between the shamans and ordinary people." There was a roar of applause, cheers, yells and cries. 'I've done it!' he shouted mentally; he never felt like this before so happy so contended, he wishes he would felt this way forever.

"Congratulations Yoh." Anna said like her usual tone. He simply grinned at her but deep inside he wants to hug her with the happiness he felt.

After the ceremony the guest are invited to a little get- together meal inside the main temple. The temple was decorated with white and blue cloths with full moon decors. The buffet table was piled with food; sushi, rice balls, pies, roast beef, fried chicken, soup, stew, puddings and many more. The temple was full of laughter and chattering voices. Surely everyone inside wore happy faces.

Horo-Horo was eating ravenously in the corner alone. Ryu with Faust and Eliza was merrily chatting in their table. Silva encourage them all to buy some of his products and Chocolove pulled out some of his worst and boring jokes with the pesky animals, Konchi and Ponchi that despise Ren.

"You know, I haven't eaten those, but it taste great!" Manta said as he points his finger to the roasted turkey.

"Yeah, me too." Agreed Yoh who was busy munching his chicken.

"Don't you like their cooking?" Lyserg asked to them. "They were somewhat like the dishes back home."

"I love it!" Tamao who had got a plate of mash potatoes. "I think those were in my cookbook you gave me." She let out a giggle and ate the potato.

"Hey! You look good in your kimono, Lyserg." Yoh complimented him.

"You think so? Thank you." He said blushing. Yoh scanned the room, he cant find Anna around.

"Where is Anna?" He blurted to Tamao. Manta shrugged.

"She's with Kino-sensei, giving her a few words."

'A few words? What on earth would his obaasan will say to her; the ceremony was over, there were no other things to look forward to.'

"That's amazing! The Great Spirits in Yoh's backyard!" Manta interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah, cool! That's the one who woke me up this morning." Lyserg agreed to him.

"Have you talk or got nearer to the Great Spirits before the ritual, huh Yoh?" he asked again.

"Er… yes… I did before the ceremony…" he retorted. Tamao stared at him for a second.

"What did it told you then?" Manta asked.

"Nothing." He answered truthfully.

"Nothing! As in none!" Lyserg said with a great surprise in his face. "But you said…"

"I've just got nearer to them, the chieftainess talk to me."

"Hi Lyserg, Manta, Yoh and…"Jeanne the iron maiden approached their table with the other X-laws.

"Tamao." Tamao introduced herself to them. Jeanne let out a smile.

"Would you like some punch?" she asked as Marco, that tall guy with blonde hair and wearing square eyeglasses has glasses of punch in his hand.

"No. thanks we already have here." Yoh refused to them.

"It's been a while Lyserg…" she said to him, Lyserg bowed down his head gently. "Well done Yoh, I never thought you would stop the evil shaman." Manta's eyebrow raise a bit.

"I never thought too!" Yoh laughed.

"May the spirits enlighten us by your help." She again said dreamily." Yoh, I think you should not reveal everything to your friends about the Great Spirits."

"Just a piece of advice." Marco muttered and they all left them.

"Insulting!" Manta cried a minute after they left. "I never thought you would defeat the evil shaman – Ack!" Mocking Manta gulp his remaining lemonade.

"What a lady!" Tamao blurted out too and got her self some pies in the buffet table.

"No sign of realization that they were wrong before!" Again said by Manta. Lyserg just watched them.

Yoh pulled something in his pocket, it was the golden oracle bell, and Manta noticed it.

"What was that? You painted you bell?"

"Nah, I didn't, the Great Spirits gave me this."

"What's it do?"

"Many things… the chieftainess told me."

"Like what?"

"Sending message to them by this." He pointed the speaker to it.

"Wow! Then, what else?"

"I dunno…"

"Huh! You don't know?" Manta gapped at him, "But you said it do loads of things."

"Yes, sort of… it can do other things that even me and the guardians don't know."

"Ooh, I see."

Anna approached to them and sat to Tamao's vacant seat and got a plate of food.

"Er… Anna… what did obaasan told you?" Yoh asked her while watching her eating her food.

"Just complimented me in opening a portal the other day." She answered back. "What about that?"

"Nothing, just curious." He grinned, "Would you like a lemonade, I'll get you in the buffet." He offered to her. She nods in agreement. Yoh left them.

"Er… Anna… you look exhausted." Manta noticed her.

"It's nothing shorty, a bit tired." And she took another bite of chicken.

TBC…

A/N: Thank you for your reviews! Domo Arigato gazaimasu!

With your reviews it really gives me inspirations to continue…

Well, I had promised then that I will mention those who had reviewed to me when my fic is complete but then I will just answer a few of your questions… here goes…

PAIRINGS:

In the pairings, my mouth is tightly shut about this matter ('coz I really like the readers to keep on guessing.) but if you had hinted it, well… I dunno it has some twist in it so don't EVER discontinue to read (and of course review!)

And this is not shounen ai! Not just because I don't like that theme in the stories but bec. I don't know how to think of a plot related to that.

HAO:

So in the previous chapter Yoh had come face-to-face to his worst fear, his twin brother. He may not appear in the next few chapters for he is still busy to collect his former mates or recruit new ones! And his strength is not in 100 percent he still have to regain it.

YOH:

Well I don't want to spill the beans to this one; he had no other choice to marry Anna, wouldn't he? But do you think it is what Yoh thinks.

Yoh will encounter such heavy angst in the next chapter (if I say next it means next! After this chapter!)

TAMAO:

In the series I concluded that Tamao really fancies Yoh, notice that she keeps on blushing whenever Yoh was near her but she can't pull out the guts inside her and with Anna around can she?

She will be a great role in the future chapters (so hold on!)

ANNA:

Of course, Anna was cool! She was in the series, I don't intent to portray Anna being boring in my fic. Even though she was really hard-hearted but it was only her outside what we only see.

Anna is more powerful in my fic than you thought, first the portal what would be next!

ENDINGS:

I don't intent to have sad endings, I hate it! So basically it will be a happy ending, (but not 100 percent!)

TO MY READERS:

I'm sorry for my grammar, well I had received one review that my grammar really sucks but what could I do? I don't have time to edit this because if I had come up an idea I type it write away I forgot to edit it! I am really sorry. Gomen nasai!

And the characters, I am not the author of shaman king my goodness! Do I suppose to know every detail within it! Speaking of those, does everyone of you knew what their attacks called, I will be doing some action on the future chapters.

That's all and thank you for those who reviewed my fic! It really helps!

Next chapter is… secret!

Vienne louis jean spellman