Kiseki

I'm so, so sorry about this taking so long! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! I made one of my reviewers cry because it took me so long! Please, please allow me to explain before you all tell me how much you hate me! You see, my computer completely died. As a result, I had to wait a month to get a new computer (which is my cousin's old computer, so it's not exactly new) and then for the past two weeks Hao was being evil. Every time I tried to write, he refused to let me. But I've tried as hard as I can and this chapter's a bit longer than the rest. Please take this and the fact I promise to put up the next chapter as soon as possible as apology.

Pirika is up to her schemes and is dragging poor Horo into it. And without Horo there to distract Hao, the fire shaman is starting to return to his less than friendly nature. Will he able to swallow his pride and apologize? And who is this doctor that Faust has found to watch over Lyserg's pregnancy?

One reviewer asked how old I was. The answer is I'm eighteen and will be turning nineteen in late April.

Disclaimer: If I owned Shaman King, I would have enough money to move down south with my friend and her husband to open an anime café. Since I instead will be starting school shortly to deal drugs (pharmacy technician), this is obviously not the case.

Chapter Four- Gomen, Sorry

Horo groaned. It was still early when Pirika had decided to drag him from the warm cocoon of a bed he had set up in Ren's room. Yes, he was still avoiding Hao; much to the fire shaman's displeasure. It wasn't the best for Ren either. The Chinese shaman was quickly becoming annoyed with his newest shadow. Ren liked his privacy. If things didn't improve soon, Ren may have to take things into his own hands.

Something that didn't bode well for anyone involved.

"Remind me again why we had to leave at the crack of dawn?" Horo managed to say before a large yawn escaped.

"Because we need time to set up the surprise."

"What surprise?"

"You'll see Nii-chan. Oh, I'm so excited!" Pirika burst into another, slightly maniacal, giggle. "There's gonna be a baby! A beautiful, precious, new, little life will be here soon." She sighed. "Isn't it so sweet Onii-chan?"

"But, there's still, what, eight months until Lyserg's due?" Eight months was the better part of a year. How could anything that far away be soon?

"Exactly! There's so much to do and so little time to do it! Now come on Nii-chan, let's go!" Grabbing his wrist, Pirika pulled Horo to the first stop of many.

"'The Store...'" Horo read blankly. "What the hell kind of name is 'The Store' for a store anyway?"

"You'll see." The evil giggle sounded once again before Horo was lead to see precisely what kind of store The Store was.

:-:-:-:-:

Lyserg groggily entered the kitchen. Plopping down in a chair, the British dowser laid his head against the cool wood. Yoh was gone for the moment. Apparently, the silent treatment Hao was receiving from Horo was starting to irritate the pyro. Said shaman had stalked out earlier that morning. Yoh had followed to make sure no innocents suffered Hao's wrath, asking Ren to watch over Lyserg.

A 'thunk' was made as Ren placed something in front of the dowser. Lifting his head he saw a glass of milk resting before him. When he turned to look at the Chinese shaman with sleep heavy eyes, the other merely turned away.

"For the baby." He explained. "Milk is filled with essential vitamins and nutrients. You should try to drink as much of it as possible."

Thanking Ren, Lyserg drank the liquid, grimacing slightly at the taste. He was not used to milk first thing in the morning (even though it was near noon).

Ren lifted his Kwan Dao. "I'll be outside training if you need anything."

With Ren outside, Lyserg was left the only living occupant in the house. Morphine appeared next to him. Resting on her master's arm, she asked again about his health and the baby.

"I feel fine Morphine." Stretching he rose from the chair. "We have the house to ourselves and nothing to do… How does reading a book sound?"

Nodding her head, Morphine paused to lift an apple roughly her size. With slight difficultly, she managed to carry it to Lyserg and drop it in his hands.

The British shaman chuckled. "Okay, a book and a snack." The two traveled to the living room, completely unaware of the pain and torment being inflicted upon Lyserg's lover on the other side of town.

:-:-:-:-:

"Um, Aniki? Aniki?" Yoh hovered carefully behind Hao.

"What is it Yoh?" the fire shaman spat out the reply.

"Please tell me you aren't planning on roasting those innocent picnicers over there."

"They are irritating and excessively happy. Not to mention that they are human and therefore, should be annihilated."

"Everyone has their own opinion, but let's put away the Spirit of Fire for a moment and go where there aren't any humans instead. Okay?"

With a grumble, Hao reluctantly called back the Spirit of Fire. He turned and followed his younger brother away from the cheerful mortals to a place more secluded.

Once they were a place a safe distance from human life, Yoh told Hao the dreaded truth.

"You know, Horo would forgive you if you apologized."

"I did nothing wrong." Hao narrowed his eyes. Horo was his; his to do with as he pleased when he pleased.

Yoh sighed. Hao was going into overly possessive mode. "He's not one of your minions Aniki. He's not going to obey your every word."

And Hao fought with this fact. No, despite how much it hurt his pride to admit it, Horo would not obey him without question. If Horo wanted to, he could leave the fire shaman and never look back.

And that was something that Hao did not want to admit.

Yoh frowned at his older brother. He and Horo really made a good couple. They were fire and ice; and after all, didn't opposites attract? They really didn't know how much they affected each other. Just as Hao didn't notice Horo beginning to build walls around his self, Horo didn't notice Hao slowly returning to his homicidal nature.

Yoh hoped the two would get back together soon.

:-:-:-:-:

The first thing Yoh heard when he arrived home was Lyserg talking on the telephone. The conversation was quickly over, ending with the words "I'll be there tomorrow."

"Who was that?"

Lyserg jumped slightly, not having heard Yoh enter. "It was Faust. He said that he found a doctor to watch over the pregnancy. She's flying in from Korea tomorrow to meet us."

Well, that made sense. After all, Faust may be a doctor, but he wasn't trained to deal with pregnant women (or men in this case.) "Who is she?"

"Her name is Hotaru Baek. She's a shaman too, so that won't be a problem. Faust said she's been sworn to secrecy… And that we should keep her as far away from Hao as possible."

"Why?"

"Apparently she's a pyromaniac."

:-:-:-:-:

Horo groaned. He had just managed to collapse on his current bed in Ren's room after spending the entire day (The ENTIRE Day!), in that one, frickin, store. Apparently, The Store was a crafts store. Not only did he have to spend hours commenting on different fabric patterns and listen to Pirika endless ramble (Which do you think is cuter Nii-chan? Should we go with blue or green? Or maybe orange would be best? Oh! Look at those adorable teddy bears! Doesn't the one with the pout look just like Ren-kun? Which do you think is better, bunnies or stars? Feel this fabric; it's so soft! What do you think the baby's going to be? I hope it's a little girl. That would be so darling! I wonder if she'll have Yoh-kun's eyes. Or maybe Lyserg-kun's! He has the prettiest green eyes I have ever seen. Don't you think Lyserg-kun has pretty eyes Nii-chan? Only eight more months left. I can hardly wait! Oh, and her hair! I bet it'll be like Lyserg-kun's; soft with the color of emeralds, falling with the most darling, little curls. And her smile will defiantly be Yoh-kun's smile. Maybe she'll have Lyserg-kun's nose? Oh my gosh! Look at this pattern Nii-chan! Isn't it the most adorable thing you've ever seen!), but he had to carry the massive bundle of materials home, and hide it in Pirika's room before anyone noticed. Muttering under his breath, he cursed everything he could think of for his miserable experience.

Rolling onto his side, he wondered if he should go downstairs and scrounge up some dinner or simply go to sleep. As exhausting as his day was, once his stomach heard about those thoughts, it voiced its complaints. Loudly.

"Horo, if your belly is going to whine so loudly, go eat something. I will not have you spend the night in my room with that endless pit you call a stomach demanding attention."

Horo flipped onto his back and looked up at the shaman. "Hey Ren. What are you doing in here?"

Ren turned his back to the shaman, trying to ignore the spasm the muscle near his right eye was having. "This is my room."

"Oh yeah! Is it, isn't it!"

Deciding that tearing the baka Ainu's head off was a bad and rather messy idea, Ren did what man kind has done for many years to avoid unpleasant situations; change the subject! "Where were you all day anyway?"

"Uhnnnnnn." How did Horo manage to groan like that? "Don't ask. Pirika has sworn me to secrecy."

"She's found a way to keep that gigantic mouth of yours shut?" Ren raised an eyebrow. "What did she threaten you with?"

"Making me go to that evil place again! I swear, there must be some evil conspiracy somewhere that makes sisters take their unwilling brothers shopping just to torment them!" The ice shaman's rant would have continued if his stomach did not make another noisy demand for attention.

"I will not say it again Horo. Either go eat or you will be sleeping outside tonight."

While the night weren't getting too chilly yet (at least not for a native of the north), spending it outdoors was not a pleasant option. Horo decided to take the path and least resistance, and head down to the kitchen.

:-:-:-:-:

After inhaling the leftovers from dinner Lyserg had left for him, (god bless that pregnant man's soul), Horo grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. Taking and bite and turning, Horo planned on returning upstairs. Unfortunately, resistance appeared in the form of a flame wielding shaman.

Horo 'epped' and jumped when Hao suddenly appeared in front of him. Judging from the grip Hao had on his arm, he wasn't going to be leaving for a while either.

"We're going to talk. Now." The last word was growled with a level of maliciousness not seen since the shaman tournament. That is why Horo put up little resistance and followed the pyromaniac out the back door and into the yard.

:-:-:-:-:

"What do you want Hao?" Now, most people would know better than to address Hao with that tone of voice. Most people wouldn't address Hao at all when he had that frightening look on his face. But Horo wasn't most people. Horo had something most people didn't. Hao cared too much for Horo to simply destroy him because of a little emotion like anger. At least, Horo really, really hoped he did.

"You've been ignoring me." Hao stated simply.

Horo sputtered. "Of course I've been ignoring you! I'm mad at you! You groped me in front of my sister!"

"And your point?"

"Forget it Hao! If you haven't figured out why I'm mad at you by now, you'll never figure it out!"

As Horo turned with ever intent of stalking back into the house and never speak to the pyro again, the ice shaman's arm was again grasped.

"Damn it Hao! Let go!"

Growling in frustration, Hao brought the shorter shaman closer. He wrapped his arms firmly against the slightly smaller body and waited for the struggling to stop. It took a few minutes, but Horo eventually realized that he wasn't going anywhere and surrendered to the embrace.

"Are you finished with your temper tantrum?"

When Horo did nothing but glare, Hao continued.

"I don't know what to do with you." Hao said. "You insist on fighting with me every step of the way. You don't listen to me, and set up ridiculous rules you expect me to follow. Did you honestly expect me to obey them when you made them up?"

"No." Horo muttered. "That would be expecting too much."

"So then, why do you get so mad when I break them?"

"Because I'm not going to do whatever you want me to! I'm not one of your lackeys, and I'm not gonna act like it just because we're dating! You can't do whatever you want and expect to get away with it! And I won't do anything in front of my sister like you seem so set on doing! I'm not your toy Hao!"

"I know."

"You can't- Wait, what?" Did, did Hao just say what he thought he said?

"I know that you're not my toy." Hao grimaced. Damn it. He had to swallow his pride, no matter how painful it was. After Horo was his again, he would need to demonstrate to Horo who exactly it was in charge. "I will admit my actions were misplaced and will try to restrain myself in the future."

It took a moment for Horo to absorb the information. Not only because there were several large words present, but because that was the closet Hao would ever come to an apology. A large grin washed over Horo's features.

"Now get your things from Ren's room and return to our immediately. And hurry. I don't enjoy waiting." With that, Hao released Horo (causing Horo to nearly topple over) and strode back to the house.

Horo was quick to run after. "You bastard!"

From the window, Yoh smiled.

"Are they done fighting Yoh?" Lyserg asked sleepily from the bed.

"Yeah." Yoh crawled in next to his lover and drew the sheets around them tight.

Can I apologize again for the late chapter? The Store is an actual store where I live. It is indeed a crafts store, but a rather sparse one. -.- That is the fate of those who live in a back water town where people can't tell half Asian from whole Asian.

In the next chapter, Hotaru (who is based off a friend of mine) will meet Lyserg and Yoh, causing the question of Faust's sanity to be revisited. What does Pirika have in mind for the expected baby? And how will it change once Jun decides to help. Perhaps most importantly, how and when will Anna strike?

All suggestions are welcome, but now I have another question. Should Kikyo and Mikahisa (I apologize profusely if those names are misspelled) find out about their newly expected grandchild?

And to note, under the author name Gemini Princess Fallen Angel, a Lyserg fic has been posted under the name Between Angels and Demons. It's a coauthor fic that Gemini Princess and I (Fallen Angel) have been working on. The style is very different from this fic, and has a much higher rating in later chapters. So please, check it out and send us a review please?

To all my faithful reviewers who have put up with my tardiness, I will instant message you. (Please not I have no form of instant messenger and therefore am not sure exactly what it looks like. .-.-. Please don't make fun of me for being computer literate. I know I'm bad.)

Kigen: Hi Divertimento. Thank you for your review. I too, am a fan of angsty fics and take not offense to your review. It was not a bother at all. There will be angst in later chapters, once Anna appears, so don't worry. As for your plot bunny, it has mutated a bit and latched onto me. It won't let go. ;.; So, thank you for the plot bunny. Itai…

Kigen: Kawaiikitsune, what a kawaii name! Gomen, gomen; bad pun I know. I understand the pain of being an English freak. While my spelling is quite atrocious, I too wince and errors while reading other fics. If you are offering to beta, I would be happy to welcome you aboard. HaoHoro's are A Dark and Rainy Night by Author-sama, and just about any fic that has the title Fire and Ice. Several Yoh/Lyserg stories are Heart of Glass, Ohaiyo by Sayama Xiah, Crystal shards and Together, Yet Farther Apart by Kira-chuu, and even though it's not a romance fic, I highly, highly recommend the beautifully written Bring on the Rain. Thank you for reviewing!

Kigen: Hey Pikagirl18. I decided someone other than Manta had to freak out about mpreg. We all fear Anna, but she won't do too much harm… physically… to the baby… Let's just say the baby will be born healthy, okay? u' Thanks for the feedback.

Kigen: Thank you for the suggestions Luna-san.

Kigen: e n t w i n e d d e s t i n y … Your name is difficult to type… Thank you for your comments. I hope this chapter was kawaii enough for you. The name and such you put in though didn't show up. Could you put it in your next review please? Thank you.

Kigen: Hi KuroUsagi. It never ceases to amaze me that there aren't many who think of Yoh/Lyserg as a couple. In the anime series, Lyserg is the only one who can really piss Yoh off. And Yoh, Mr. Antiviolence hits him, twice! And mpregs are sinfully good. Thanks for reviewing!

Kigen: Dark Angel of Hatred, truthfully I was expecting a different kind of review with your name (has no room to talk because she identifies herself with fallen angels). Although it was hilarious to see the look on my friends face when I said I got a review from Satan. (giggle) Thank you for your review, and don't hurt Satan too much with your hyperness.

Kigen: I'm glad you like this fic Sonseray. I try to aim for humor when Pirika is concerned. And Yoh would like me to tell you Lyserg is his, but you can have a plushie. Thanks for reviewing!

As a side note, Lyserg Plushies for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Thank you everyone for reading, and please review.

Ja min'na-san.