Pika318: I'm back! I'm really sorry for the long absence. My exams are finally over, so I'm updating now, although not as frequently as before.

Chapter 6: Rumours

It has been a week since the bullying started. Ashiru was scolded severely by the teachers after Mokoto told on him. He had stopped for a while after that but he'd started to treat Mokoto coldly and would not let her hang out with the group like before. She didn't mind though. To her, Hao was a nice boy to be with and Ashiru was never treated her nicely before anyway.

However, by the end of the week, Ashiru got more fed up about the scolding he had got as well as the punishment given to him. Why would the adults care so much about a four year old brat? Is it because the brat was part of the family? To him, it wasn't fair. He decided to think of some way to get back at those teachers as well as Hao.

For a few days, he stayed back after school ended and went quietly around the Asakura compound, hoping to find something that would help with his 'revenge'. It wasn't long before he found something, or more accurately, heard.

"Senki, what should we do about Kyomi? She doesn't seem the same ever since she arrived back here with Hao." Komi asked, she had been worried about her daughter for a long time.

"We can't do anything about it, Komi. The most we can do is to offer her parental support until she recovers from her grief. It was not her fault that her husband chose to abandon her after he found out she is a shaman, even though she had her son, Hao at that time…"

Ashiru refrained from giving a whoop of joy at the information he had got. As he quietly left the compound he started thinking. It would seem that the brat had a father, but he didn't really have one now since the father didn't want him or his mother. So even if he spread that rumour and the adults found out about it, they would not be able to get any evidence to prove him wrong anyway. That would trouble the adults a lot since reputation always seems so important to them. He smirked. His 'revenge' will be dealt at last.

The next day, he gathered his trusted friends around him and started to spread his planned rumour.

"I heard something from the adults when I was snooping around yesterday. The brat's mother, you know who I'm talking about, is actually a whore. She went around doing that with every man she could find and get and she finally had that brat."

"Wouldn't that make him an illegitimate child?" one of his friends asked.

"A bastard, more like." Ashiru replied.

And the rumour started that way. His friends, who he knew were gossips by nature, quickly got the rumour spread around, until every child knew about it. They started to give Hao strange looks and the more daring ones called him names like 'bastard' and a few rare ones started to pick on him. The adults never knew about it because the children knew how to keep secrets from adults. Ashiru was also careful not to let Mokoto know. He knew that she would tell the teachers and that would spoil the fun, would it?

Hao, being young and innocent, as any four year old would be, did not understand why the rest of the children were treating him that way. He had already gotten a few bruises and called names, all in one day. Confused, he went to ask Mokoto why, she was his trusted big sister after all, and that was how Mokoto knew about the nonsense.

"Mokoto nee – san, I don't understand something…" Hao approached Mokoto four days after the rumours started.

"What is it, Hao - kun? I'll be happy to help you." She thought he was having trouble with his lessons.

"The other children… they're acting weird."

"In what way?" Mokoto started to get suspicious.

"They're calling me things I don't think I am… I don't understand what they mean… They're giving me strange looks… And… they're hitting me again…" Hao said haltingly, trying his best to reorganise everything that happened the last few days.

"What!" Mokoto exclaimed, enraged by the 'hitting' part. It took her a while to calm down. "What did they call you?" she asked in a calmer voice. She thought that being angry would just scare the timid child.

"Um… I think it was bastared… or something like that." Hao said, getting even more confused by Mokoto's reaction.

"Huh?" Mokoto said, confused as well. Then she started processing everything that Hao had said so far. If they called him a bastard, then the children thought he was illegitimate. But what would make the rest think that way? It didn't take her long to figure it out. No one else in this school compound would spread a rumour so quickly except the one person she knew very well…

"Ashiru! What is the meaning of this!" she had stopped him outside the school when he was walking home with his usual group of friends. Hao had gone home earlier with his mother.

"What is the meaning of what, Mokoto?" Ashiru asked, failing to hide the smirk forming on his face.

"You know very well what I mean, Ashiru. Why are you spreading rumours about Hao – kun?"

"Oh you mean that rumour? It's just my way of getting back at that brat, as well as the teachers. After this, they would learn not to mess with me. You're included of course, Mokoto – chan." He added deliberately, knowing that she didn't like being called that.

Mokoto was about to lose her temper, but she controlled herself and said, "I'm going to tell the teachers. You're going to regret it."

"So what if you tell the teachers, they won't be able to stop it anyway. They got no proof."

"What do you mean by that?" Mokoto asked before she could stop herself.

"That 'Hao – kun' of yours got no father to start with. I mean, he had one, but he was abandoned. Why do you think he only lives with his mother?" Ashiru replied, with a smirk on his face.

Mokoto's eyes widened and her thoughts started to run wild. Hao – kun had no father. The adults have no proof. What if Ashiru was lying? But it all made sense, since only Hao's mother came to take him home… The rumours… the bullying…Kyomi had to know, wait…she had to tell the adults…

Mokoto turned around and went away quickly, not wanting to faint from the sudden rush of thoughts.

She arrived early the next day, wanting to talk with Kyomi. She had to confirm some things before she got more messed up from her thoughts, even if she might seem like a busybody.

"Aunt Kyomi, can I ask you something?" Mokoto asked Kyomi after Hao went into the house to meet his grandparents.

"What is it?" Kyomi asked.

"Um…I heard from one of the children that you're husband abandoned you… Of course, if it's a lie, you don't have to take it seriously…I just heard and I… err…" she couldn't continue.

Kyomi was shocked by Mokoto's sudden question. How had the child known about that? But she decided to answer her anyway.

"Mokoto, calm down. I'm not going to get angry at you. It's true that my husband abandoned Hao and me, but that is all in the past. I have already moved on, or at least I'm trying my best. Why do you ask?"

"There are some rumours spreading around and they said that Hao was illegitimate and you are a… whore?" Mokoto said uncertainly, her voice trailing off at the end.

Kyomi frowned this time. "Who started it?"

"A boy I know. The same one who bullied Hao last time… I wanted to tell the adults but he said that they would have no proof since you have no husband and everything."

"Either way, we would have to put a stop to it." Kyomi said. "Hao may not have told me, but I noticed the bruises that he got lately and I was wondering where he got them from. He wouldn't tell me when I asked though. He prefers talking to animals and plants and rocks now…" Kyomi gave a sigh at that. "Thank you for telling me, Mokoto. I'll tell the rest of the adults, it would seem that they are as clueless as me about what is happening the past few days. Meanwhile, can you watch over Hao? I don't want to get hurt anymore then he already is."

Mokoto nodded. She hoped the whole nonsense would stop soon. It was spoiling Hao – kun's innocence.

Pika318: I shall stop here for the time being. My brain doesn't seem to be functioning anymore. :P Review if this chapter pleases you and to the readers who have not read my other shaman king story, pls read it if you can. My sister wants some more feedback…