Mikau: Hello everyone! Sorry for the slow update yet again…sigh things have gotten really busy…Thank you all for being so supportive and understanding. For those who are curious: I don't know if I made call back for the musical yet. They posted who made the main characters, but they haven't posted ensemble yet. I'll find out Tuesday morning.
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.
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Masquerade Ball
"AN-NA! Anna, I don't want to do this! Please don't make me go! Please; I'll do anything you say, just don't make me go to this stupid Masquerade Ball!" I whined at my sister as she sat behind me on my vanity's bench trying to make my tangled and unruly hair presentable.
"So now my Masquerade is stupid, is it?" She yanked the brush hard, and pulled out several strands of silvery hair.
"OUCH! Hey! That hurt!"
"Oh, shush…your body isn't suppose to be able to feel pain." I saw her through the reflection in the mirror rolling her ebony eyes at my stupidity.
"Well…it does…" I sighed and just let her have her way with my long sliver locks. "Why did you have to invite him?"
"Who? Ivy, you can't just go off talking about random topics all of the sudden." I lowered my eyes to look at her icy blue dress. She knew exactly of whom I spoke, but she tortured me by making me say his name.
"You know who…" I insisted, my blue eyes lingering on the ornate mask resting upon her face. It was a full-face mask, and it looked absolutely gorgeous on Anna. The middle and lower halves of the mask were a metallic ivory color, but the top was a glittery and sparkly ice blue. The lips of the mask where the same blue as her dress, and her eyes were framed in a lighter shade of the blue color. Diamonds decorated the bottom corners of her eyes, and all along the top following the eyebrow line. On top of the mask, long spikes, imitating a crown, were decorated with ice crystals and snowflakes. She truly looked the part of her age-old nickname: The Ice Queen. There was no way I could describe with words the beauty and majesty of the mask my twin wore.
"Ivy, you know I had to invite Hao…It's for your own good. You can't run from him any longer. You love him, he loves you, and I keep telling you that he won't care that you don't have a body of your own…he loves you, not your body…" Anna gently rubbed the spot where she had pulled out my hair. "I wish you could understand that imouto…"
"Anna…" I paused, taking a deep breath. "I know…I just…I've been gone so long, and he doesn't seem to recognize me…I'm so nervous around him. I'm afraid he'll be mad at me for lying to him. I just…Never mind. It's not important."
"I think it's important." A new voice interjected from the doorway.
I turned to find Yoh smiling happily at the two of us.
"Hello Honey, how was your trip to France?" Anna didn't even bother to look up at him.
"Hey Yoh." I winked, happy to be distracted.
"Hold still Ivy." Anna instructed firmly, jerking my head back to face the front.
"Yes ma'am." I sighed, holding my head perfectly still for my big sister.
"My trip was fine Anna." Yoh placed a quick butterfly kiss on Anna's lips before turning toward me and kissing my cheek. "What's up with the new look Ivy?"
"Well…I'm not exactly sure what chemicals I mixed, but they blew up and this is the result. I don't think it looks too bad, but…hmm…I just want my old look back." I subconsciously had moved my head again to look at Yoh, and Anna had to jerk my head back into place so that she could style my hair.
"Hmm…I think it looks sexy on you." Yoh sat down on the stool next to my vanity.
Anna kicked the leg of the stool, making it tip over, sending Yoh to the floor. "Hao seems to think so too. He couldn't keep his hands off of her the other day when he came to pick up Thorn."
"Gomen nasai, Anna-koi! I didn't mean it that way." Yoh apologized to his wife and set the stool back in an upright position at the same time.
"You're forgiven."
Yoh's bright smile reappeared on his lips. "Arigatou…uh, Ivy?"
"Hmm?" I was careful not to move my head; instead I made eye contact with him in the mirror.
"I heard about what happened the other day…with Hao and Thorn?" He hesitated to go further into the subject in case it would upset me somehow.
"Go on." I replied flatly, sounding more like Anna than myself.
"Well…good luck pulling this whole Valerie thing off. Hao really misses you; he tells me so all of the time." Yoh always had a knack for making me feel better on an off day. He handed me a mask wrapped in tissue paper.
I nodded my thanks, and he left putting on his own mask; it was covered with crisp green leaves and sakura blossoms. It was simple, yet exquisite in its own way…sort of like its wearer.
"Done." Anna smiled in satisfaction at her job well done of my hair. Soft, moonbeam-colored curls rolled down my shoulders and swung around my waist seemingly of their own accord. Normally I just let my hair do whatever it wanted, and I had forgotten how good it looked when I actually combed it. She had curled it and parted it on the side, separating my bangs so that some hung down in my face, framing it perfectly.
"Hao won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Anna cooed, sounding as if she was the one who looked like an angel. I simply nodded, for she would have killed me if I completely ignored her. "You don't seem too happy…Why?" It wasn't really a question, but she still insisted on phrasing it like one. She wasn't asking for an answer; she was demanding one.
I played the obedient little sister and told her what she wanted to hear: "Yesterday my heart started beating."
"What!" I think for the first time in a long time, I had shocked Anna. "Ivy, that's impossible…that body is dead—a corpse—a kyonshi! Its heart isn't capable of beating."
"I know that." I looked up at her out of the corner of my eye. "But that doesn't change the fact that it did…when he kissed me back…my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. I don't know what he did to me, but I could feel a heartbeat. It stopped when he pulled away though…I don't know what happened, but there's just something about the way he looks at me that makes me feel truly alive again. I've just felt so dead all this time I've been away from him, my kids, and his followers—my friends. I suppose that seeing him again and being so close to him…It's doing something to me…"
She looked at me as if I was insane. I shook the dreamy look from my face and centered my eyes on the mask in my lap.
"Maybe you're right…you do seem different. You definitely have been more animated since yesterday. Who am I to question the Shaman King's power?" She looked distastefully down at me as I sat staring at the mask, still wrapped in tissue paper. "Are you going to just stare at it, or are you going to put it on and come to the party?"
"Must I? I would much rather be in my lab—"
"—Blowing things up while there are hundreds of people present? I think not. Be downstairs in three minutes or I will tell Hao who 'Valerie' really is." My beloved big sister quickly dashed all my hopes of getting out of going to this pointless affair. She exited with a dignified and graceful air, sliding her mask down over her face and closing the door behind her. "Three minutes, Ivy!"
I let out a defeated sigh and put on the mask, then stood and inspected myself in the mirror. I hardly recognized the girl looking back. Sure she was gorgeous—I was use to that, but I couldn't help but hate her. So this was Valerie…I couldn't understand what the heck he saw in her. Was she prettier than I was? Did he like me better this way? "Dirty tramp!" I threw a sock at the mirror. "How dare you steal my husband from me!" Another sock bounced off of the cold, flat surface of the looking glass.
The white-haired witch didn't even flinch at my assault. I stopped attacking my reflection and instead, opted to stare at it. In the mirror stood a beautiful creature with silvery locks and stormy eyes. She wore a bright red shade of lipstick matching the color of her dress. The dress was slit up to her thigh, and the neckline plunged low. A string of fiery rubies surrounded her neck and her waist like a belt. A strip was cut out of the gown right around her bellybutton to show a little of her flat stomach. If this dress was enough to drive Yoh crazy (he had been the one who picked it out while in Paris), then what effect would it have on Hao? I pushed the thoughts aside, knowing perfectly well what my perverted husband would think.
"You slut…" I looked away, not wanting to gaze at her anymore, but something made me turn around and look again. The mask. It was made of red velvet with rubies framing the border. It looked as if the mask were on fire because of the scene printed on it. Flames: a wild fire burning away at the mask. As if this were not enough, streaming down from the mask's eyes were diamonds. They looked like glimmering tears when light touched them, and it looked as if I was really crying. It was beautiful.
"Valerie!" Anna bellowed from down the stairs. She called me by my alias, so that meant that guests had started to arrive. I adjusted my hair and dress, and journeyed down the steps to the party.
"Coming!"
Anna escorted me around, introducing me to all her friends as 'Valerie Kyôyama' her cousin. My sister made sure that I was never without a dancing partner. Boys and men all stood in line, pushing and shoving to dance with me. I think Anna had arranged this as a method of stalling for time, making sure I didn't leave until Hao arrived.
"May I have this dance Miss?" One gentleman bowed and offered me his white-gloved hand. I nodded my concession and let him lead me out onto the dance floor. I had pretty much stopped paying attention to my dance partners by now, and just let them do what they wanted; I followed their lead blindly, and didn't put up much resistance. I was too bored to care anymore. The music was slow, the lights were low, and he held me close in his arms. I was too sidetracked to notice the intimate way he was holding me. "You're looking exquisite tonight Ivy."
"What!" I jumped at his use of my real name.
"Don't you recognize me, Darling? It's your Lucifer-koi." I took a good look at the man I was dancing with: He wore a white tuxedo complete with top hat and cape. His undershirt was blue, and he had a bright red tie. He looked like the Kaitou Kid from "Magic Kaito" and "Detective Conan". In place of a mask, a shiny monocle adorned his right eye. His eyes were a way too familiar chocolate brown, and his long mahogany hair was pulled up in a ponytail.
"What the hell are you doing here!" I hissed, glowering at him.
He only pulled me closer and twirled a few strands of my hair around his fingers. "I planned on finally doing you."
"Bastard. The only time that will happen is in your dreams." I don't know why, but I didn't pull away from him. I suppose I had gotten used to his perverted attempts to hit on me, and I no longer cared.
"Ivy, you're so stingy. Actually the real reason I'm here is to hit on your daughter Thorn. I brought her here, and am planning to get in good with her here at the party."
I didn't bother taking his threat seriously.
"What's the matter? You're not as fiery as you usually are…You haven't tried to hit me yet…Is something wrong? You're not sick, are you? Or maybe you're drunk?" Lucifer's hand slid up and down my thigh, trying to get me to slap him, or at least react by becoming a little mad.
"Lucifer?" I ignored his shallow attempt to make me angry.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think I look prettier this way?" It was an honest question; I needed to know his opinion. I couldn't ask Yoh, since he was such a nice guy, and wouldn't dare answer truthfully, afraid of angering me. Lucifer would give an honest opinion. The Devil didn't care who he offended.
"Ivy…why are you asking me this? You know I don't care what you look like. It's how you act, and right now, you should either be swooning over me, or clobbering me for touching you." Lucifer's hand brushed the inside of my thigh.
Instead of letting him get away with it like the other times, I grabbed his wrist and twisted it. "I'm asking because I need to know what Hao would think."
"God you're beautiful when you're inflicting pain on others…" A dazed smile won over the demon's face.
I smacked the sappy grin away and rephrased my question. "Who do you think Hao would like more: Valerie or Ivy?"
Gingerly rubbing his cheek, Lucifer answered. "Look Ivy, Hao, like me, doesn't care what you look like. We love Ivy because she is Ivy. The whole reason Hao is falling so fast for Valerie is because of how much she reminds him of Ivy. Now that that's settled…which way is your bedroom?"
I slapped him so hard that he fell over and conked his head on the hard, wooden floor. "Ouch…" He softly moaned, but then as he looked up at me, his nose started bleeding. He smirked lustily up at me, and seemed pretty content to stay on the floor.
'What can he be so pleased abo—OOOHHH! My stupid skimpy dress!' "Lucifer, if you don't get up here in three seconds I will murder you in cold blood in front of all these people."
"Yes m'lady." He reluctantly returned to a standing position. "So…Ivy…red underwear?" That earned him a kick in the groin. "OWWWWWWW! Oh GOD Ivy, I was just kidding with you!"
"Then I'd advise against kidding that way with me again." I smirked inwardly to see him in pain.
"Well, the song is ending, and I think it's some other lucky guy's turn to dance with you…Poor bastard. I suppose I'll be leaving." The devil pretended to not care. "But one last thing before I go…"
"What do you want Lu—" I didn't get to finish as he took me in his arms with my body almost parallel to the floor and kissed me heatedly.
When he was finished, he stood me back upright, and walked off with naught but a perverted smirk.
"Goodbye and good riddance." I muttered, but secretly smiled once his back was turned toward me. After Lucifer, Anna made me dance non-stop with ten or twelve guys.
About half an hour into the Ball I spotted him. My X-husband was sitting on the sidelines, watching me dance with random men.
His eyes didn't release me from their sight as I waltzed around the room. After him just sitting there, watching me dance with the others for ten solid minutes, and him not asking for a dance for himself, I got sick of waiting. I broke away from one man in the middle of a song, quickly excusing myself, and casually sat down in the seat next to Hao.
He kept staring at me out of the corner of his eye, a lustful smirk on his face.
"You know, I bet your wife wouldn't like it if she knew you were looking at me like that." I smiled deviously, not looking him in the eye.
"And I'd wager that your fiancée wouldn't like you talking to me." He turned to face me, smirk still in place.
"I'm not engaged." I looked curiously at him, dropping my devious grin.
"And I'm not married." He smiled his million-dollar smile. "Just curious, but if you're not getting married, then why were you wearing a wedding gown the other day when I first met you?"
My mouth dropped: he wasn't married. I was busy plotting different ways to punish Lucifer, so I almost didn't hear his question. "Oh, I was just trying the dress on for my sist—er—I mean cousin, Anna. She has this obsession with making wedding gowns, and she uses me to model them. I was married once before, but it didn't last long…" I paused, thinking of how awkward this was, talking about our marriage as if I had been married to someone else. "What about you?"
"I was married before too…just once, and like yours, it just didn't work. Your cousin Ivy…she…Oh God I loved her…" Hao looked away from me in a desperate attempt to hide the tears that were threatening his eyes.
I rested a supportive hand on his thigh, trying to comfort him, but I drew back when I realized how cold my hand must have been. He caught the hand and held it to his face, smirking yet again.
"I'm sorry—I—" I started.
"—Your hand is so cold…" He pressed my left palm to his cheek, and rubbed it furiously with his own hand. "What do you do, soak them in ice water?"
"No…they're always that way…my hands—my whole body—I'm always cold…" I tried to move away from him, feeling like he was close to discovering my secret, but he wouldn't let go. I felt so self-conscious around him, and he wasn't making it any easier.
"Well, I'd expect that you'd be cold in a skimpy little dress like that…maybe I can be of some assistance?" Hao wrapped his arms around me so I was encircled in his welcome embrace. "A little body heat should do you some good."
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a lot of men in the room glaring at Hao as he hit on me shamelessly. I could only smile to try to hide my blush. "You're probably right, my body temperature feels like it's going through the roof; my entire body's on fire." I leaned in close to him, the tips of our noses brushing gently against each other.
"So is mine…" Hao whispered huskily into my ear before taking control of my lips. When he finally let go of me, he took a deep breath and asked, "So if you're not married, then why are you wearing that ring on your left finger?"
His eyes rested on the plain gold band on my left ring finger. "I work with a lot of chemicals, so if I wore my real wedding ring, it would get horribly messed up, so I just wear this one in its stead. I still love my husband, so I don't want to take it off. I see that you too are wearing a wedding band. What's your reason?"
"Same as yours: I'm still hopelessly in love with Ivy, so I can't bring myself to take the ring off." He sighed. "So, are you involved with anyone?"
"Nope." I answered truthfully; I hadn't been on a quote, unquote date since I left him.
"Don't lie. Who are all those guys glaring at me for talking to you?" Hao smirked.
I let out an embarrassed chuckle, and answered again. "I'm serious, I'm not involved with anyone. I just met most of those guys today." This seemed to appease him.
"Great. Well, since you're unattached, as am I, I won't feel any guilt when I ask you to dance with me…Will you?" His expectant gaze fell upon me, and I could do naught but give in to his request.
"I'd love to." And we danced…and talked…and drank a little more than we should have. By around two o'clock in the morning, the party was still going, but we were both hopelessly drunk. I think I was a little more intoxicated than he was though. A slow song started up, and I was practically hanging on Hao just to stand up straight.
"You seem a little tipsy there Val." He commented, not minding one bit how closely pressed against him I was.
"It's your fault that I'm drunk." I accused, resting my head on his shoulder, and talking almost into his neck.
"How do ya figure?" Hao laughed evilly at my wasted state.
"If it hadn't been for you, Anna wouldn't have made me come to this stupid party." I pushed him off of me playfully, but almost fell over with the effort of it.
He caught me, and kissed me quickly, grinning like a madman the whole time. "What do you mean?"
"Haven't you noticed Anna's trying to set us up?"
"I have, and I think she's doing a good job of it. You can't keep your hands off of me…but maybe that's just because I'm naturally irresistible to women." Hao bit softly at my ear, teasing me.
"Yeah right. You're the one who's all over me! You've been trying to get me in bed with you all evening!" I batted him away playfully.
"True…" Suddenly his catty grin changed into a serious expression. "So what do you say? Do you want to have--?"
"—Stop it Hao." I pushed away and turned my back toward him. He hadn't changed one bit in the past sixteen years.
"Sorry—was I being too forward again? Or don't you want to?" He flipped one of my curly locks half playfully, half sincere.
"It's not a matter of if I want to or not…I just can't. Not yet…" Things were moving way too fast between us. I had come to the party to see him again, and now here he was talking about having a relationship. I couldn't do it. Being so close to him, yet so far away… I'd die of depression. I couldn't allow myself to get involved with Hao and neglect my research. I was doing it for him after all…to get back to him…I had to get away from him. It was so tempting to just go along with him, but it would have been against my better judgment. It was best to just lay low and not get too involved with him just yet. Not until I had a real body and could be with him again as Ivy.
I broke away and turned my back to him. "You know it's getting pretty late, so you should probably go home…your daughters need you." I stumbled my way to my bedroom.
Footsteps followed only a few paces behind me. I opened the door to my room and stepped inside. The footsteps waited in the doorway for me to invite them in. "Yes Hao?"
"I'm too drunk to drive home safely." He made up an excuse.
I was about to suggest that he just teleport home, but then a thought occurred to me. "Well…we can't have you dying in a car accident can we? I suppose it would be okay for us to share a bed…as long as you don't try anything."
"But of course…" Hao slipped off his shoes, shirt, and jacket, climbing into my bed.
I rolled my eyes at the hopeless ladies man and took my spot next to him. "Goodnight Hao."
He lay his head on my chest and drifted off into a peaceful sleep in a matter of seconds, but before dozing off, he whispered: "Goodnight Ivy…"
I held him tight to my body, his head right over my unbeating heart. I cried myself to sleep knowing how close he was, and yet despite the lack of distance between us, I couldn't have him. 'Damn this useless body…I want to be Ivy for him again…Two days, and I'm already sick of Valerie.'
"Goodnight Hao…I promise to come back to you as soon as I can." 'As soon as I can make a body that works.'
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Mikau: I really don't like this chapter. I thought it would turn out really well since I spent so much time on it and worked so hard, but the end result just isn't what I hoped for. I hope you all like it more than I do…sigh…Oh well. I'm sure it's fine and I'm just being paranoid as usual. I hope this is the case anyway. I would hate to have taken so long and have the chapter be a disappointment…
Thanks To: animeren, glitter galz, KaZuYa MiNeKuRa, Hemila-Rose, Kiva Kyoyama, morgan000, Firebane5, MaiValentinefan, y0ur-w0rst-nightmARee, yo wuz up, Shamanbabe, Danny, ChibiAzn3, Andrea Nefisto, Kara, and Strawberry.
Kara: Hi! Responding to your question about Lucifer and the Great Spirits. I think the Great Spirits can look like whatever they want to. Since they are a congregation of spirits they should be able to take on whatever form they wish.
http // www dot getitfido dot com / pafiledb dot php ? action category &id 58 is where you can download SK episodes for free. Also, you can download all the episodes in Portugese here: http // www dot shamank dot com / principal dot php ?page episodios and the episode scripts are here in English: http // www dot geocities dot com / princessgarnet 117 / scripts dot html