Mikau: Hey everyone! Okay, so I didn't do what I thought I was going to do with this chapter. I'm going to try something new next chapter for sure. It's going to be in a new POV, and I think it'll be insightful…or something along those lines….Anyway, here's the new chapter. It's not as long as some of the others, but I like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

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Dicey Dealings With A Demon

My head was positively throbbing when I woke up. Mrs. Faust was looming over me smiling as she saw me coming around. "M…my sister?" I barely got out my mumbled concern for Thorn.

Mrs. Faust pointed over to where her husband was treating my little sister. Thorn appeared to be at least half-awake, but she was obviously disoriented. It looked like she would be fine.

Eliza lay a cold rag on my forehead and went to go get Dr. Faust. He looked down at me and smiled warmly. "And how are we feeling Miss Star?"

"Headache. Some minor bumps and bruises. Other than a general feeling of discomfort and unwellness I should be okay. How's Thorn?" I wanted to hear it from him that she was okay.

"She woke up before you did. A few cuts and bumps, but she's doing fine. No worries. I have to finish getting a bullet out of Akira's leg, so sit tight and try and get some rest. No sleep though. Don't want you suffering from a concussion." He turned to leave but I stopped him in mid-step when I remembered something.

"What about Lucifer?"

He looked down at me as if considering what sort of lie to tell to comfort me.

"Is he…?" I swallowed hard, not quite sure why I cared.

"You're mother is tending to him, but none of us are quite sure what to do…he's not like a shaman or even a human. He's missing organs and his vein-system is…much more complex than anything living that I've seen before. His head injuries are extensive, and I…I can't do anything for him…I'm sorry." He tried his best to smile sympathetically at me, but it didn't help. "He's over there if you feel well enough to walk. You can use your own judgment." He walked off to treat Akira, leaving me to my own devices.

Once Faust was gone, I managed to sit up and take a look around the makeshift infirmary. Akira was screaming in pain as the Fausts removed a rubber bullet from his thigh. Thorn was resting, making a nice recovery, and my parents seemed to be having a major fight about something or another by Lucifer's bed. Ivy stormed out of the room followed by Hao a few seconds later.

Hana, who had his arm bandaged where Akira had slashed him, came over and sat by my bed. "So…how are you?"

"Fine. Don't you want to check up on Thorn?" I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I looked down at my hands as I played nervously with the trim on my blanket.

"No. Not really. It's kind of awkward, you know? The whole incest thing and all…I'm getting over it though. I'll be able to talk to her without blushing by Tuesday at the latest." He smiled bashfully, trying to make polite conversation.

"How are you?" I replied mechanically. "I mean are you okay?"

"Oh? Oh. I'm fine. I…I'm…never mind." He had wanted to say something. I quickly scanned his mind.

"I meant about the plan? How do you feel about the plan? Are you okay with it?" It was hard for me to be compassionate or sensitive, but I tried for Hana's benefit.

"Oh…well…I'm okay with it. Thanks, but it…Hosh, it doesn't seem to be working. Was this blood bath part of your plan?" He looked away, and I cast my gaze even further down, taking a great interest in the stitches in the quilt.

I hated not having control of the situation. I hated when my plans didn't work. It was almost insufferable. I was particularly embarrassed at not being behind ever twist in the plotline. "No. It wasn't in the plan. We'll have to make some minor adjustments, is all. It'll be fine." My voice was more confident than I actually felt.

"Anything I can do?" My cousin asked like a good henchman.

"No. Not yet. I'll inform you of the changes later. The success of the plan all comes down to everyone involved not knowing every single part of the plan." I let the quilt slip out of my fingers as I lay back down on the bed.

"Sure. You are the mastermind after all." He smiled at me, but I'm not sure if it was to reassure me or himself.

I nodded and returned the smile. "Actually…Hana, help me up." He did as he was told, helping me lift myself from the bed and making sure I could balance on my own. I almost fell over, but I caught myself, grabbing on to his shoulders. His hand flew to my waist and we both smiled uneasily at our position.

"Uh…you okay?" He chuckled nervously.

"Um…yeah. Thanks." I let go of him and walked slowly over to Lucifer's bedside. I had an idea. I sat down carefully next to him on the bed and gently rubbed his cheek. His eyes flickered open and he stared weakly up at me. His eyes really didn't register that it was me there beside him.

He shut his eyes and nuzzled my hand fondly. "Hey." His voice was strained, and I felt bad that he had gotten hurt defending me.

"Thank you." I mumbled, not too keen on getting familiar enough with him to be greeted with 'Hey.' He was the devil and everything.

Lucy opened his eyes and looked glassily up at me with a thin smile. "It was nothing. I couldn't let him say those awful lies about you."

"I was just thanking you; you should accept my thanks and let that be the end of it. You needn't make it into anything more than it was. You're no great hero, and I'm not here to give you an award." My voice sounded harsh even to my ears, but I refused to let myself get on any sort of friendly terms with the demon.

"O-kay…don't you think you're being a bit snippy?" He closed one eye and looked me over, especially my face, carefully.

Despite my firm resolve not to get involved, I couldn't help but agree with him. "Actually, yeah. Thank you for sticking up for me. You really shouldn't have. And why were you in that cat form!"

He blushed but tried to cover it with an amused smile. "Actually I was here as that cat this morning to spy on your sister. It's your own fault that you have a weakness for cats. You shouldn't go around picking up and adopting strays."

I blushed when I realized he was right. I had found a small tabby cat outside on the front porch that morning and had brought him into the house myself. "What do you want with my sister?" My protective instincts for my younger twin kicked in and I looked him over suspiciously. I did not trust any man with my baby sister.

"Nothing. I like 'er is all." Both of his eyes shut and he smirked smugly. "Or maybe I have a hidden agenda."

"You're bluffing." I smiled in a superior manner.

He quickly opened his eyes and looked up curiously at me. "And how would you know that?" He glared defensively.

"I can read your mind. I thought you being the all-knowing Lucifer would know that."

He nodded grudgingly and returned to resting. "Fine. Then you know I was spying on her because I like her. What did you want to talk to me about?"

I nodded and got down to business. "I know that God isn't allowed to mess with free will, but what about you?"

He 'humped' indignantly at me. "I'd like to think that I'm good enough at my job where I could mess with a little free will."

"Good. Then I need you to do a little job for me." I paused, waiting for him to ask for something in return for my favor.

"You and I both know I'm not going to do this for free. I'm the devil. I don't give freebees." He sat up in bed, clearly regaining more and more of his strength by the second.

"I'm not selling you my soul, doing you any sexual favors, or anything of the like." I knew he would try to make a deal with me, and I quickly set up the terms, closing off all manner of loopholes.

"Fine. You really are no fun Hosh." He rolled his eyes playfully at me acting upset.

"Don't call me that." I chided.

"Right. Hoshi. Sorry." I swear he rolled his eyes at me again. "All right, you owe me one if I do this favor for you. Agreed?"

I was hesitant. I hadn't thought that he would agree to help a silly teenage girl so easily. "Agreed." I bit my bottom lip and chewed nervously on the inside of my cheek. 'What did I just agree to?'

"So what's the favor?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

I took out a crumbled sheet of paper from my back pocket and handed it to him. He looked it over and looked at me suspiciously. "Tomorrow are the auditions for Grease the musical this year at Shinra High. I don't care how you do it, just make sure that these people are cast for those parts."

"Don't you think you're taking a huge risk here? Making a deal with the devil often blows up in your face. I'm dangerous you know; I could turn on you at any time."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know. You're like a tiger consenting to be led around on a leash by a little girl. But you wouldn't dare go back on your word. We have a deal." 'I'm trusting you Lucifer.'

"We have a verbal deal. You've yet to seal it." I could have slapped him. Who was he to speak to me in such a taunting way?

"What do I have to do?" I replied, growing tired of his games.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He was toying with me.

"Yes! Now what do I have to do?" I was so close to strangling him. Somehow I just didn't have any patience when it came to Lucifer.

"Come closer." I leaned in toward him. "Closer." I reluctantly got within a few inches of him.

"What?" I glared at his annoying habit of taking his sweet time.

"This is gonna sting." In one fluid motion he pulled me almost on top of him, pressing our lips together in a kiss, and biting into my bottom lip, drawing blood.

I jerked back in a mix of shock and pain. I wanted to scream, but when I opened my mouth nothing came out but a pathetic sharp intake of breath. 'WhAt ThE hElL?'

Lucifer smiled evilly, licking my blood from his lips. He got out of bed, apparently completely healed, and ran his tongue over the cut he had made in my bottom lip. I stood stiff as a board and let him. I was too shocked to resist. 'Why did I agree to this?'

When he was done I was surprised to find that my lip wound had completely healed, leaving a small scar. "There. Now we have a deal. Sealed with blood."

I finally regained my cool and managed to form words. "Was that completely necessary?"

He smiled fondly at me. "Not really. I could have slit your wrist to get the blood—actually, come to think of it, I could have gotten the blood from anywhere really—but I really wanted to kiss you."

I turned away blushing. I mentally cursed the blood rushing to my cheeks. 'Since when do I blush!' "Wh-whatever. Just make sure you get the job done. Now get out."

The demon shrugged indifferently. "Whatever you say witchy. I'll make sure your little show is cast properly, but when the time comes, don't forget your end of the deal."

"Right, right. Your favor. I won't forget." 'Not after what you put me through getting my blood…' I shuddered as cold chills ran up my spine remembering his lips on mine. "And don't call me 'witchy'."

"You really do disappoint me though Hosh. I would have thought that you'd be more careful than most. What were you thinking? Making a deal with the devil and not bothering to close off the loopholes? That's not like the cunning Hoshi Asakura I know."

I turned on him. "What loopholes? I said no selling you my soul, doing you any sexual favors, or anything like that or of that nature." My heart skipped a beat. I had been careful, hadn't I? He had to be bluffing.

"True. You said that. You did rather well actually. Better than most. You protected yourself pretty well but you didn't think of everything." The smile on his face scared me. 'What did I forget!'

"You're lying!" His torture tactics quickly reduced me to a scared child having a tantrum.

"Am I?" I swear I was about ready to cry.

"You are! You can't do anything to me!" My eyes went tunnel vision and I felt faint.

"No. I can't do anything to you. You're completely protected from me." I let out the breath I had been holding in a soft sigh of relief. "It's more a matter of 'what can I make you do to someone else?'" The relief I had felt only moments before hand was washed away in a flood of fear. "You're completely safe…until the police lock you up for murdering your precious little sister in cold blood."

His malicious smile was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

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Mikau: Yeah…So, I know what you're thinking: 'Lucifer is evil.' Next chapter should prove to be interesting. I tried out for Into the Woods yesterday. I was the only Sophomore, and the rest were all Juniors and Seniors. Well, there was one Freshman. The posted the callbacks list today and I didn't make it. I knew from the start that I wouldn't, so it's okay. I'm not cast for a major part, but when they post the final cast listing I may get a small part with no real dialogue or singing. If not I'm doing crew work and I always have me other play that I'm in. A lot of my Junior and Senior friends tried out. They are all so good! They have a lot more experience than me, so I figured that they would be the ones cast. I'm really excited for working on crew though, it'll be sooooo much fun!

Thanks To: yo wuz up, Touch of the Wind, Andrea Nefisto, MaiValentinefan, GothicShamaness13, and Dannie.

To MaiValentinefan: Hello! Yes, I'm still planning on the Façade fic, but I'm still playing with it. I've got the end down and a lot of scenes planned, but I don't know how much back info I'm going to be able to stuff into it since it's a rather complex storyline, with a lot of it taking place in the past. It will probably be my last fan fiction project that I work on before I leave and resume work on my novel writing. It's sure to be great when it's done. Thank you for showing such a great interest in it! Even I need a little confidence boost every now and again.

To GothicShamaness13: -bops you lightly on the head- Yeah, yeah 'bare feet' instead of 'bear feet'. I realized that when I was looking over the chapter again after I had submitted it. -glares- We can't all be perfect 100 of the time. You wanna write this yourself? LOL! Sorry for the dramatics; I'm just teasing. Though I better not do that because you can't hear me speaking and you might think I was serious and then you might be upset at me…Oh dear. I hope you're not…Ahem…anyway, if you want you should be in the musicals. There soooo much fun, but they're really time consuming. Only do it if you have the time and love of the theatre. It's worth it. Though I don't know about stage fright…how bad of a case do you have? You may want to consider working on crew if you have a huge major case…Good luck whatever you decide though.

Mikau: Hmm…not many reviews this time. Oh well! Keep on truckin'! I'm sure you guys are really busy and will get to reading my updates sometime or another. See you all when you have a spare moment!

PLEASE REVIEW!