Tsumi – Amethyst: Thank you to the only reviewer. You know who you are, obviously, because you'll be the only one reading this!! … Anyways, this is for you, sweetheart!

Mikihisa turned sharply, resuming a sitting position on the sofa opposite his son. He did not say a word.

Yoh swallowed, knowing that he was faced with a difficult decision. He could tell his father that Ryu had been the one to pose as his legal guardian for a few minutes… Or he could lie, hiding the truth and taking full responsibility for the event, taking the honest way that would probably destroy his social life for a year.

Both solutions seemed as bad as the other. Yoh was not disloyal to his friends, and so would never want to get Ryu into trouble… But on the other hand, this was his Father he had defied. His punishment would be harsh, he knew it, and as much as he didn't like it, Yoh would have to accept it without question.

Still wearing his ill-fitting battle costume, Yoh breathed deeply and sat down, feeling the presence of his spirit guardian enter the room and sit beside him on the sofa, purely for moral support. Amidamaru said nothing and smiled politely at Mikihisa, a silent gesture of respect.

It went unnoticed by the seething Shaman.

"So, Yoh," Mikihisa began, his voice low and cold, "How long have you been hiding this from us?" He waved his hand in the direction of Yoh's stomach.

Yoh stared at his father's mask directly, thankful that he could not see the anger on his father's face. He could hide behind that obstacle at times such as this, and formed himself a pocket of solace from this. He was also vaguely aware that his father was refusing to look at the jewellery that had pierced his son's body, and for that felt a slight surge of pride.

He had grossed out his father.

"I've had it for two weeks now," Yoh answered confidently, pleased that his voice had not showed any signs of fear... For now, anyway. His eyes displayed his emotions well enough, but before Mikihisa could check, Yoh had averted the gaze.

Mikihisa nodded slowly, processing the information slowly. "And when were you planning on telling us that you've had… It… pierced?" His voice was unnaturally low and quiet, so Yoh had to strain to hear him properly.

The Shaman King flinched, prepared to do battle with his father if things resorted to that. He did not regret having his navel pierced at all, and whether his father approved of it or not, it was there, and nothing he could do would remove it from the boy's body.

Well, he could try to wrench it from his son's body, but Amidamaru would still the man's hand before it got within reach of his liege. No matter how wrong Amidamaru believed the situation to be, if someone harmed his master, they would pay. Yoh grinned, grateful all of a sudden for the protectiveness of the samurai. Although it had proved to be a burden on more than one occasion, the renegade's heart was in the right place. It was nice to have someone who supported you, even if you were, technically, in the wrong.

"I wasn't," He replied truthfully, shrugging. He hadn't decided when the best time would be to confess all, but his response had been easier to say. Quite simply, it was a more straightforward answer.

Mikihisa twitched.

Unfortunately for Yoh, that hadn't been the answer he'd wanted. "I'm going to take you back to the store," He said, leaning forward in his seat, his voice just above a hiss, "And have it taken out. And we're going now."

Yoh couldn't even get changed from his Battle Costume. His father grabbed the teen's wrist roughly, and took him outside, striding through falling leaves and wandering leave sprites in his anger. The sprites parted, hissing moodily at the retreating Shaman, both bemused and offended.

Yoh tried to reason with his father, staggering to keep up with Mikihisa's long strides.

"C'mon, dad, it's not like you've never done anything bad! I could've done something even worse, like gotten a tattoo or made someone pregnant!"

"You've broken the law," Mikihisa countered, "And I would never be so dishonest to my elders. Have I not taught you anything about manners? Where is your sense of family honour and responsibility?!"

Amidamaru, who had followed his young master, began to speak.

"With all due respect, Mikihisa-sama, it is not bad manners to have a part of your body modified. Yoh has simply been unable to do anything that he wants to for a long time, and this is one way that he has been able to vent these rebellious frustrations. It is expected of a boy his age, and I am sure that he meant no harm."

"True," Mikihisa thought after a moment, glaring at the samurai stonily. He hated it when he was proved wrong in an argument. "But he has deceived me. If word gets out, our uncontrollable teenage son will put our family to shame! I do not want his first act as Shaman King to be a stain on our reputation."

'Yeah, because Hao was really controllable.' Yoh thought to himself furiously, being forced into the small family car that his father owned. 'And everyone knew about that! But oh no, when it's the other son, the good twin, it's a different fucking story.'

Mikihisa haphazardly pulled out of the long driveway, scattering more leaf sprites with a smoky cloud of fumes as he went. He drove haphazardly down the gentle slope, turning corners so sharply that Yoh slammed his shoulder into the door when he wasn't paying attention.

"Rage is blinding you," Mikihisa grumbled beneath his breath, making Yoh unsure of who he was actually referring to, "Don't let it control you, overcome it, rise above it, now push it into the back of your mind… Don't let it be in command of you, just let it all out…"

Yoh rolled his eyes. If their family wasn't so honour and tradition bound, they wouldn't be afraid of progress. They would not have any problems with allowing their son to have a piercing or two, because it was normal for a teenager to modify his body in such a way.

"Has another one of your friends had something pierced?" Mikihisa asked suddenly, eyes fixed on the road in a fractious glare.

Yoh nodded, telling himself that letting his father know would hurt nobody.

"Horo is going back next week to have his lip pierced… But has just had three ear piercings. With his parents consent," He added, before Mikihisa could chastise him, "And Ren had just one in his left lobe, but that was just to prove he wasn't a wimp. I think he might be going back soon though, and I know for certain that Faust is getting the Industrial before he goes back to Germany."

Mikihisa growled.

"Faust is a grown man," He said between gritted teeth, swiftly overtaking the car in front, receiving a melee of angry horns from various frustrated drivers. "And as for Horo and Ren, they are none of my concern. You are my concern and this is most unlike you. You ought to be ashamed."

Yoh blinked at his father's antics. 'Uncharacteristic? Take a look at yourself old man, you're the one driving for a change, you're the one giving me the bollucking of a lifetime.'

Amidamaru tried a different tactic.

"Mikihisa-sama," The samurai began, ever the formal one, "I think you are being a tad irrational. I highly doubt that having a piercing will decrease people's respect for you and your family. They may even respect Yoh-dono more for having the courage to get it done!"

"That is not the point," Mikihisa ground out, stopping abruptly at a red light. "The point is that he has broken the law, and that he has gone against all that is moral."

Yoh rolled his eyes. There seemed to be no reasoning with his father. He hoped that the man would calm down when they arrived at the store.

Amidamaru was wise enough not to question Mikihisa further.

Five minutes later

Mikihisa strode over to the counter, his son's hand clasped tightly in his own. He pulled the boy's battle costume top up, and pointed to the boy's stomach.

"What the HELL is that?!"

The man behind the counter looked at the piercing incredulously.

"I believe it is a navel piercing."

"I am well aware of that." Mikihisa snarled, yanking his son's shirt down again roughly, almost ripping the newly sewn material. "What I ask of you is why you did not think to ask this boy for ID when you… Inserted that… That thing… Into his body!!"

Yoh glanced around the shop. Everyone had quieted to watch the showdown, and he looked down, embarrassed. The nearest even had brought out her videophone, intent on recording the entire ordeal. It made Yoh's cheeks flush redder.

The man behind the counter, who also happened to be the one who pierced Yoh's bellybutton, gestured to Yoh.

"He seemed happy enough to have the piercing. That's all that matters." He commented, flicking his unusually long hair over his shoulders. The man himself, Kenji, happened to have a variety of interesting piercings himself. The ones Yoh could see were three lip rings; five piercings in each ear and an eyebrow bar, seemingly very recent – The skin surrounding the bar seemed a bit swollen and red.

Mikihisa growled, tugging on the boy's collar. "Do you have any consideration for the law?" He growled, "This boy is only fourteen! How dare you corrupt him?"

'Shut up, shut up, shut up…' Yoh prayed in his head, not allowing himself to look behind him, just in case he couldn't contain his laughter anymore.

His father was losing it – There was no other logical explanation for it. His cheeks had reddened in his fury through the mask, his fists slamming onto the counter before him, his teeth gritted so tightly you could hear every intake of breath whistle between the gaps. Besides, who would ask such stupid questions? And of course the assistant was going to be sarcastic with him! The answers were obvious, and that was what had enraged Mikihisa further.

Kenji shrugged. "Sir…" He began with a sigh, his mind skipping back to a part of his training that had taught him how to deal with awkward costumers. Namely, furious parents or carers. "It is not illegal for a child under sixteen to get a part of his body pierced with consent of the parent. Whilst we now are fully aware that your son didn't have parental consent, we apologise to you and understand your anger, but there is nothing we can do about your son's body piercing. It has been done."

Mikihisa continued to glare at the man.

"Take it out."

Kenji blinked a few times. "Sorry?"

"Take it out," Mikihisa repeated, straightening his back. His voice had risen in volume until he was practically screaming it. "TAKE IT OUT!!"

Tsumi – Amethyst: Ooh, Mikihisa is pissed. :D Wonder what will happen next?

Please review.

XXX