So much stuff going on. New job (even newer soon), college and my computer crashing (lost all my stuff); I have had no time to write. Now, as I near the end of one semester and watching the entire season of Shaman King again (little by little) I write! Thank you for your reviews
Anna groaned and shifted as a fuzzy consciousness slowly began to drift back to her. Her body ached and was twisted in a very unpleasant position. Slowly she sat up, feeling cold, dirty and hard floor underneath her fingers. Her fingers caressed the throbbing in her head as she wearily and painfully opened her eyes. Darkness surrounded her only illuminated by a dim, flickering light. Anna moaned again, rubbing the bruise forming underneath her hair. What the…she thought, drowsily. Where am I?
"Nice going, Anna."
"Tao Ren?" Anna turned her head in the direction of the voice; her mind was a foggy mess of ache and pain. The purple-haired shaman emerged from the darkness, his pale face set of his yellow eyes. Gradually, HoroHoro, Chocolove, and Faust dissolved out of the shadows. Their faces were pale and intent on her. Anna squinted, her eyes ached and her throat was parched. The friends surrounded her, sitting around her in a circle. Anna pulled her knees toward her chest and rested her heavy, throbbing head on them. She closed her eyes blissfully. She wanted to go back to sleep.
"Where am I?"
"We are in the dungeon," Ren answered, hostilely.
"Dungeon? How cliché," she murmured, sleepily.
"What is wrong with her?"
"She might have a concussion," Faust answered.
"A what?" Chocolove's voice, she distinguished.
"Concussion. She hit her head, hard. Anna do not go to sleep." Faust's large and slim hand was on her shoulder. Groggily, Anna looked up at him.
"Hao hit me," she said in a feeble, matter-of-fact tone. She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes for a moment. That was right. She had let Amidamaru and Bason go…Hao found out and he…he hit her and she blacked out. Shit…Anna buried her head in her arms, mutter incoherent curses at herself.
"WHAT?" All of the boys' voice mingled together in one loud comment of disbelief. Anna winced, waving her hand at them. She did not feel like discussing it now. Her head was tender from his blow and she felt the heaviness of defeat and dread deep in her belly.
"Why would he do that?
"What did you do?"
"Did he find out that you helped us?" They bombarded her with question after question, each time she shook her head in frustration. Anna finally covered her ears and let out an angry shriek.
"SHUT UP! I DO NOT WANT TO DISCUSS IT!" They went quiet for a moment backing away from her. Tear threaten to fall from Anna's eyes as painfully gripped her eyes and chunks of her hair in her nails. Faust rested a hand gently on her shaking shoulder.
"It is okay, Anna. Calm down. You do not want to exhaust yourself." Anna lifted her head and cautiously removed her hands from her ears. The only thing she heard was the sound of heavy breathing.
"So, what happened?" HoroHoro asked and Ren throw a fist into his face. Anna stifled back a laugh. It was stupid and pointless violence but it made her feel some what grounded. She was surrounded by people she knew and it made her feel better. Even though she joined Ren's assault and gave HoroHoro with a swift kick in his groins. While he doubled over in pain, his hands covering the area were she had hit him, the rest gather silently around Anna. She sighed.
"No. He does not know I helped you. I did this on my own."
"What could you have possibly done for him to hit you and put you in the dungeon?" Faust asked. He was examining her carefully, gently touching the bruise of her head.
"He brought me?"
"Yes. He did not look happy at all. He laid you done and told us to make sure you were alright when you woke. Then he left."
"Oh."
"What did you do?" This time Ren was asking, sitting cross legged in front of her. Anna winced when Faust increased mild pressure on her skull.
"I…" Should she tell them? Would they believe her? Or would they just get angry? Actually, she did not care; it did not matter to her.
"Well."
"I went into a chest that Hao had. In it were Amidamaru and Bason. I…"
"LIAR! BITCH! BASON IS GONE." Ren stood up, towering over her, threatening her with a powerful stance and height. Anna pushed Faust off her and stood up quickly. Her footing was unsure and she nearly passed out again. However, she kept her balance and glared at Ren, meeting his rage with coldness.
"Believe what you want, Tao Ren but Bason is still here. He and Amidamaru were locked away in a box." Ren was breathing hard, his yellow eyes blazing with fury. Anna just sat back down, her head was swimming. A moment of contemplation passed between them before Ren sat down.
"Why would Hao keep them…on this plane," HoroHoro asked, slowly recovering from being assaulted.
"How should I know how his mind works? I do not fully understand what is going on even now. I am still figuring everything out."
"What do you mean?" Anna sighed. She wanted to mutter, long story and be down with it but that would not due. She knew that Yoh's friends would persist no matter what she said. Anna took a deep breath and began from the beginning.
An hour later
Everyone was soaking in Anna's story. She could tell by the heavy tension in the silence and the glassy looks in each of their faces. Anna felt herself dozing every now and then as she waited for them to say something. She was getting impatient. The time dragged on and Anna found her mind wondering. She needed a course of action. She upset Hao and though he was not going to harm Yoh, he was going to do some serious harm to her. It was better in the long run because if something happened to Yoh, then everything was truly lost. Finally, Ren spoke up, his voice unusually soft and uncertain.
"That is Yoh?"
"Huh? Oh…yes… unfortunately it is…well physically. That is what Amidamaru said and what I can remember, yes…"
"I cannot believe it. I do not remember anything like that," Chocolove said.
"It is true. It explains a lit bit…" The group looked up at HoroHoro curiously; his face was tinted with dark bruises. "I mean…why we are still alive…why any of us are. Why Amidamaru and Bason are still here as well. There is still apart of Yoh in there and he wants us alive."
"What about Manta? He was Yoh's first human friend." Anna asked. Another stretching silence passed between them.
"I do not know. I do not remember what happened to humans afterwards. I just knew they were gone," HoroHoro whispered. Collectively, the group sighed in one big exhaling breath.
"The question is: Now what?" Ren shifted so one of his knees was propped up. They exchanged glances and there eyes fell upon Anna. She was taken back for a moment then shrugged.
"I do not know. I was wondering that myself. I am in deep shit as it is. I doubt I can afford any other mess up. That is to say this was not my last."
"He will not kill you. Yoh will not let him," Faust said.
"Hao will not immediately do it either. He is attracted to you as well. Cannot figure out why, you are such an irritable, bossy and overbearing woman."
"Shut up, Ren."
"Must being interesting. Two souls in one body in love with the same person," Chocolove mused, chuckling to him at an untold joke.
"Quite odd and probably very conflicting," Faust commented. An idea dawned on Anna as the boys mused about the revelation of love. Conflicting…Yoh spoke to her when she was in danger or when she was fighting to remember or when Hao allowed. But that time Hao had been angry with her, Yoh had spoken to her. She doubted that Hao had noticed. He had been to…to blind with anger! Anna jumped up, her epiphany spawning a rush of adrenaline. All eyes were upon her, a questioning look was etched upon all their face. A triumphant smile spread across her lips.
"I just thought of something."
"Oh God…I am scared…she is smiling," Chocolove whispered to Ren. Anna gave him a quick, warning kick as a plan began to form inside her head, every detail falling into place.
"I think I have a way to get Yoh back…temporarily."
Yeah, chapter 16! It went a lot differently than I had planned so bare with me as I figure out what exactly Anna's plan is.
