A/N: Given the fact I've had this chapter sitting around for a bit, I figured I'd finally post it. Having to watch both versions of the anime, cross-reference the manga and try to keep to the story itself is kind of difficult. But it's been pretty rewarding writing an outlier like Azalie getting involved in events she knows of but can't actually change because it's not a 1:1 of what she remembers. Things are different, but I'm trying to keep as close to the personalities of the characters as possible.
That nagging feeling in the back of my head couldn't be ignored.
I found myself walking to the cemetery again, this time in a different direction. With Snowbean around, I could find my way easily with her directions… which was a godsend, in all honesty. Don't know how I'd get around without her, as this place was confusing in the best of times. She disappeared into the ring on my left hand's index finger once we were there, and that's where I saw Yoh and Ren fighting each other.
Remembering that I needed to get out of dodge, I ran and hid behind one of the bushes nearby… the same one that Manta and Ryu were hiding behind. Watching them fight was different, especially up close. My presence really wasn't contested, besides a look from Manta that asked what I was doing here that I couldn't quite respond to.
The battle came to a head, and Yoh was injured in the fight.
"I tell you what, that 'Ghost as a Sidekick' thing must be real. There's no other way that little guy in short pants could fight like that. It's got to be some sort of sorcery situation." Ryu said as we sat there in the waiting room. I twisted one of the rings, wishing that Yoh would wake up soon. We had school tomorrow, and I had… skipped today. I was probably going to hear about it tomorrow. That was fine, I could just explain the hospital thing.
If they'd believe me. Probably would think the American student was being lazy and making up an excuse.
"He's a Shaman." Manta said to Ryu.
"But he still got hurt." I shook my head. "Just because he's a Shaman doesn't mean that he… is immune to getting hurt physically."
"She's got a point." Muscle Punch said. "So if your friend sees a ghost again, just tell him to run."
"I can't do that!" Manta shook his head. "I can't just tell Yoh to run. I doubt he'd want to."
It wasn't too long after that Ryu and his gang left the hospital, leaving it just to be me and Manta. Worrying about when Yoh would wake up, and hoping he'd pull through okay.
"So why were you there?" Manta asked as the two of us got up to head to Yoh's room.
"Literally a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I couldn't ignore. Tried to, it didn't work. I'm also probably going to get into a world of trouble at school tomorrow for ditching without calling in… or however absences work here."
"You'll probably just get a slap on the wrist."
"That'd be great for my first offense, but honestly? I'm betting they think I'm a dumb lazy American who doesn't want to put in the work."
"I doubt it. You don't seem the type to be lazy."
"And you'd know all about that?"
"I mean, you're not Yoh."
"...Point made. Point made, little man." I pushed the door open to Yoh's room, and noticed the light was on. Taking a seat in the other chair that Manta didn't occupy, I listened to the explanation of what happened after Yoh had gotten injured. Ryu's gang had gotten onto their bikes and Ryu had pulled Yoh onto his before they got out of there. I remembered that, having to ride with one of them to get to the hospital.
Not that I'd say anything.
It was around the time I was lost in my own thoughts that a voice broke through them to jolt me back to reality.
"What's with all this racket?!" All four of us looked over to see the scariest teenage girl on the planet. "I've travelled a long way to see you. I heard you were hurt and brought to the hospital. However, this noise says otherwise."
As she spoke, the girl– Anna– walked into Yoh's hospital room.
"Excuse you!" Manta pulled himself onto the bed and then jumped off the other side. "Just who do you think you are?! I think you've got the wrong room, honey!"
"Stop– Wait, Manta, look out!" But it was too late. Without giving Manta time to react, Anna narrowed her eyes at him and slapped him hard across the face. She hadn't seemed to notice me, so I was safe for now. A little uncomfortable, due to knowing how she generally reacted towards other girls being around Yoh, but otherwise things were generally okay for now. It would give me the chance I needed to talk to Anna about potentially training me alongside Yoh, and entering into the Shaman Tournament. I knew it wouldn't be easy, given the fact of her temperment, but I had to give it a shot.
"If she had the wrong room, I think she would've realized that by now," I said, vacating my seat. It'd do me little good since there was only two chairs and Anna had probably been walking for a while.
That had been what got Anna's attention on me. If looks could kill, I knew I'd be dead by now. Raising my hands up in a show of surrender, I had to think. Anna and Yoh were engaged to be married, and she could get jealous and take it out on Yoh. I didn't want him to get into trouble just because I was there, so I had to think of something quick before both he and I got thoroughly eviscerated by her. It wouldn't even take much, I just had to solidify that I wasn't interested in Yoh romantically. I was just lucky I knew beforehand of their relationship.
"And who are you supposed to be? Have you been fooling around behind my back, Yoh?!"
"He hasn't! I'm a friend of Yoh's, and only that." I solidified, uncertain if Yoh thought of me as a friend. Manta was his first friend from that night... and I barely knew him! We were just classmates, and I shouldn't even know his name right now! ...Well, Manta had told me but that didn't change what I should and shouldn't know! Damn me, why did I have such extensive knowledge on an old series?! "I mean, we don't really know each other, but-"
"Yeah, she's a friend." I looked over at Yoh, who was sitting there with a smile on his face. "And we're classmates, too."
"Is that all?" Anna set her bag down on the chair I vacated before getting closer to me. Though she was only an inch shorter than I was, she was scary. I knew I didn't want to make her my enemy, because I knew what kind of hell she could unleash on me.
"Yes. I'm not interested in Yoh romantically. I'm content with just being his friend."
"Well, if you're his friend, then that means you have to do whatever I say. And that goes for you too, Shorty. Now go and get me a soda, I'm tired from walking around Tokyo all day." She took my vacated seat, which I didn't mind. Manta had some objections at first, but a stern glare from Anna had him stalking out of the room. Yoh, under the pretense of going to the bathroom, left the room as well. That left me with Anna. Alone.
I was kind of scared, in all honesty. If this went badly, there went my chance in the Shaman Tournament. Moving to sit in Manta's vacated seat, I thought of all sorts of scenarios that could happen. Given how much I knew about Anna, there were a lot of different ways things could go. She could slap me, tell me to screw off and leave Yoh alone... The only option I could think of was that I'd probably get slapped if I talked back to her like Manta did. This really wasn't going well already.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not get on your bad side." I finally said after an agonizing couple of minutes.
"Well, then you'll do as I say then, won't you?" Came the biting reply. I winced a little. Right, she didn't take well to other girls being close to Yoh in any manner. Hopefully that would change. She was decent with Tamao, but I knew that came from already knowing her and her status as Mikihisa's disciple. I wouldn't get any of that, and I knew I shouldn't push my luck with her.
"Of course. Though, if you walked all over Tokyo to find Yoh, I'm guessing you know he's a Shaman?" I fumbled with one of the rings on my hand as I spoke, trying to alleviate the fear bubbling up inside of me. What if this all went wrong? What if I couldn't get on a training regime that Anna cooked up for both me and Yoh? But I had to. I had to at least get that far. But I was competition. Why would she train Yoh's competition? This was nervewracking in all the wrong ways, and I hated it.
"Of course I know he's a Shaman! That's a ridiculous question to ask."
Another bit of silence. What was taking Manta and Yoh so long? I fidgeted with my rings a bit more, trying to figure out how to converse with Anna without making it obvious that I was competition for the title of Shaman King. I had to think. I really had to think. Though I knew of her from the manga and show, I didn't know much else outside of that. How was I supposed to figure this out?!
"And what's with you, anyway? The entire time you've been fidgeting with those rings!"
"I need to do something with my hands! You're kind of scary, honestly, and I don't want to get on your bad side! I also don't know how to talk to you because I'm terrified I'll say the wrong thing and you'll get really angry with me!" It all came out in a rush, unexpectedly. The silence after that was heavy, and I wondered if I screwed it up.
"Look, I'm going to be making Yoh the Shaman King. I can't afford to be lax." She said, which was unexpected. I looked back over to her. "If I'm soft on him, then he'll eventually get himself killed. I don't want that. I want him to succeed, so I have to be strict with him. And that means his friends need to understand where I'm coming from. Do you get that? I can't afford to be anything but."
She... was serious? I tried to find a lie in there, but couldn't find anything. "I guess since you were honest, I need to be too. I'm... competition in the upcoming Shaman Tournament. But I have no prior experience, and I need to train. It's the only way I'll be able to go home, and... I miss my friends, I just want to go home." I said, looking to my hands and the rings on my left hand. Fidgeting with them was keeping me grounded, at least a little. I suppose this was why I needed to have something to fidget with if I was ever in an anxiety-inducing situation such as this. "I didn't expect... well, any of this! I'm waaaay out of my element, and... Well, you're going to be training Yoh, right? If it's possible, could I get training from you as well?"
Silence. And then-
"I'll be putting you on my special intensive training program as well. Hope you can handle it. If you can't, you'll drop out of the Tournament. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes. We definitely have a deal."
