Author's note: Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm glad you all liked it…anyway, here's the 2nd chapter…once again, please review and give me your comments on how you found it and how you think it can be improved…hopefully, you all enjoy this chapter as much as the first. Oh and I put both Yoh and Ren as Shaman King because I thought that it would be cool to try something other than the usual YohShaman King style. Oh and snow-angel-anna has updated too, so check it out!
Chapter 2- Under the eyes of the heavens
"The Shaman king is…Asakura Yoh!"
The crowd roared their approval.
"And…Tao Ren!"
Dead silence…
Kaede heard Lyn gasp in surprise. She agreed with how Lyn felt. It was unexpected that there were two shaman kings. She herself had expected Asakura Yoh to win.
"It is surprising, isn't it? I had expected my younger half to win…" Kaede let out a gasp and turned around only to see Hao leaning forward. She stared at him, her eyes wide open in shock, and he smiled at her. Kaede flushed and whipped her head back, but she could still feel his steady gaze on her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, biting her lips nervously.
"Leave her alone already! Can't you see that she's uncomfortable with you staring at her like that!" Lyn turned around and growled at Hao. Kaede looked at her in surprise. It had been a long time since she had seen or heard Lyn so annoyed. Lyn turned to her and grinned, then turned back to the front. "Hooray for our Shaman Kings!" Lyn began clapping and cheering.
Kaede felt her cheeks grow hot as all eyes turned and stared at Lyn, but one by one, people started joining in the clapping and cheering. Soon, Kaede found herself clapping along while laughing at Lyn. Lyn was the only person she knew who would do as her heart told her to without a care for what others thought. It had been that which had caused her to start looking at Lyn as a younger sister. As if she could read her mind, Lyn turned around and gave her a wide smile.
"There will be a barbeque party tonight in honor of our Shaman Kings. Tickets can be purchased at all restaurants for ten patch each. Please note that all restaurants will be closed at night, due to the celebrations."
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That night, Ren stood quietly with Yoh and the rest. They, along with all the friends they had made during the first Shaman fight were all congratulating Yoh and him. Yoh was thanking them modestly, but Ren simply nodded, his face showing as much expression as a stone would.
"Hey guys! Congratulations on becoming the Shaman Kings!" Ren gave a slight start when he suddenly heard a cheerful voice behind him. He turned around to see Lyn grinning at them, and Kaede standing beside her. "Yes. Congratulations…" Kaede said, smiling gently now. "Thank you!" Ren heard Yoh say, and he nodded to Kaede, ignoring Lyn.
"I'm going off now…" Ren said quietly in Yoh's ear. Yoh looked up at him, ready to ask him why he was leaving so early, but when he saw the sad expression in Ren's eyes, he nodded. "Yea, sure. Are you going to come back soon or do we head back to the inn without you?" "You guys head back first…I don't know how long I'll be…" Ren replied before turning and walking away.
"Hey…why did you just walk off in that match with Ren?" Lyn turned around and saw Hao and Yoh. She grinned and opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Him. "Tell that old man to give it up and stop sending assassins after me. And if you continue getting in my way, I swear I will kill you with my own hands…" He whispered in her ear. Her eyes widened and she stared at him in shock. He patted her shoulder and smiled before walking away.
"Who was that? What did he say?" Kaede asked, peering anxiously at Lyn's face. "Umm…it was nothing…I just need to be alone for awhile. Sorry." Lyn replied with her head lowered. She then turned and ran away. "What was that all about?" Hao asked, looking at Kaede questioningly. Kaede shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't know either…"
You're so different from what they say.
You're so kind…so gentle…nothing like what they say at all.
No longer a ravaging wildfire, instead, a gentle flame.
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Hao was pleasantly surprised when he saw the Hanagumi heading towards them, Machi running ahead as usual. He smiled sadly and waited until they were closer before greeting them. "Yo." "YO! MASTER HAO!" Machi threw her arms around him, causing him to stumble back. "Long time no see, Master Hao…" Mari said shyly, her head lowered. "Yea…it's been a long time." Kanna said, looking away from the corner of her eyes.
I tried to use their souls for the spirit of fire.
And yet, unlike the others, they've stuck by me.
They still treat me as their Master.
The powerless me.
"YO! CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING THE SHAMAN KING! And that purple haired guy with the spiked hair…Len, was it?" Machi shouted, grabbing Yoh's hand in hers and shaking it so vigorously that his head trembled along. "Mari congratulates Master Yoh…" Mari added in her usual monotone. Kanna sniffed and looked away, but held her hand out anyway. "Thank you!" Yoh replied, grinning as he shook her hand.
"Where is Ren anyway?" Kanna asked Yoh. "Umm…I think he should be looking at the stars at the usual spot…" Yoh replied, scratching his head and staring stupidly at the sky. "Mari…Mari doesn't think we should disturb him…if he's looking at the stars…" "WHATEVER! Let's grab some FOOD before we STARVE TO DEATH!"
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Ren leaned against the tree, looking at the stars. He let his memories wash over him. He had come so far, changed so much, all of that thanks to Asakura Yoh. And yet, he wanted nothing more than to defeat him. But even now that he was the Shaman King, he still had not beaten Yoh. He clenched his fists. "Why can't I beat him?" He growled through gritted teeth.
Ren's ears pricked up as he heard the sound of running feet. The next thing he knew, he heard the crashing sound of someone falling to the ground. He jumped up and saw Lyn sitting on her bottom. "Ouch!" She tried to get up but grimaced in pain.
"Where does it hurt?" Ren asked as he walked towards Lyn. She looked up, surprised to see him. "The left ankle…" She replied, biting her lips. Ren squatted and lifted her leg onto his. He untied her shoelaces and gently slipped the shoe off. "Oww…" Lyn bit her lips and clenched her fists. "It hurts that badly?" Ren asked her doubtfully. Then, the shoe came off and he realised why it hurt so much. Her ankle was as swelling very badly.
"Come on…let's get you back to the inn…" Lyn looked up at Ren and shook her head. "No…the whole reason why I came up here in the first place was to look at the stars. Ren raised an eyebrow questioningly, but left it at that. "Whatever it is…just tell me when you're ready to head back. I'll be right here."
What am I thinking?
What am I doing?
Is this really me?
Me, concerned for another?
"What did you trip on anyway? The ground here is flat, and there doesn't seem to be anything to trip on. Lyn flushed when Ren said that. "I tripped on my own feet…" She stared indignantly at Ren when he began chortling. "Are you always such a klutz?" Ren asked, still laughing. Lyn punched his arm indignantly. "So what if I am?" She asked, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Why did you just walk off like that during our match?" Ren asked, looking at Lyn questioningly. "I…I had no intention of becoming the Shaman King. But I decided that since I had made it so far, I would just confirm for myself that the person who stood a chance of becoming the Shaman king was strong enough…" She replied, grinning. "That's not the only reason, right? There's something else…" Lyn nodded her head, her face grim.
"What did you come here for? To look at the stars? Why?" Ren looked up in surprise. "I was thinking of how Yoh and I are both the Shaman Kings now, and yet, the stalemate between us still exits. I'm just frustrated. I want to defeat him more than I want anything else. And I was also thinking about…my past…" Ren said, looking towards the stars for comfort. "Painful memories, huh?" Ren nodded. He expected her to ask what exactly had happened, but she didn't.
He looked into her eyes, and suddenly, he felt like he could pour his woes out. He told her of the tattoo, the curse of the Tao family. He told her of the day he had seen the zombie army for the first time. Before he realised what he was doing, he had told her of the day he had first killed a person.
What have I done?
What have I told her?
Will she turn away in disgust?
Why…why did I tell her so much?
She doesn't ask, she doesn't probe.
Could she actually…understand?
"Why…why don't you say anything? Are you so disgusted by the fact that I killed a person? Are you going to ask me why? Ren asked, his voice hard and cold. "No." He looked up in surprise at her answer, and she smiled at him. "You're wondering why I'm not going to dig deeper? That's because I believe that if you don't say anything, it's because you're not ready. And I know how much it hurts, how much it angers, when people try to force the answers out of you. I believe that you will tell me when you're ready, and I'll be ready to listen when you're ready to talk." Ren looked at her, expecting to see pity on her face, but all there was in her eyes were sorrow, and…understanding. She smiled at him, a smile which warmed his heart.
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Lyn sat down for a little longer, looking at the stars. When she was younger, her mother had told her that the stars were the eyes of the heavens, the eyes of God. And wherever she went, they would be there, watching over her. Thinking about that always filled her with peace. She turned and looked at Ren, who was staring at the stars, his eyes peaceful.
Everyone has their own sad stories.
Their own sad dreams.
Even you.
But they will watch you, and they will guide you.
So do not be afraid.
You will never be alone.
"Ouch!" Ren turned around when he heard a sharp gasp of pain and saw Lyn trying to get up. "What are you doing? Come on…I'll carry you back…" He said, squatting down so he could lift her on his back. "No…I'm fine…I can walk on my own…" She insisted, even though she was breathing heavily from the effort of standing on her injured ankle by now. Ren sighed and grabbed her hands, putting them around his neck, then lifted her up on his back. "What are you doing!" Lyn gasped, pummeling his back. He started walking so suddenly that she nearly fell off and she threw her arms around his neck, breathing heavily.
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Kaede sat on a bench at the village square, staring at the splashing water of the fountain. As a child, she had loved water. It had seemed to her such an amazing thing, so gentle, yet so destructive at the same time. One day, she had been peering into the depths of a pond, and she had leaned out too far, causing her to lose her balance and fall in. She had nearly drowned and had been semi-conscious by the time she had been pulled out by her father. Ever since then, she would panic as soon as her legs could not reach the bottom of anything filled with water.
As she was deep in thought, a shadow blocked the light from the lamp beside the bench, and she looked up to see Hao. "Yo!" He said, smiling. "Hey…" She replied quietly, looking away from him and hoping he would just go away. Instead, he sat down next to her. "You didn't look very happy when you were fighting Yoh. Was anything causing that?" Hao asked, looking at her questioningly. "I don't…really like fighting…" She replied, playing with her hands nervously.
"So…what are you doing out here? It's late…" "I'm…umm…I'm waiting for Lyn…" Kaede replied, biting her lips nervously. "Oh? She's not back yet?" Hao asked with interest. "Yea…" Kaede replied, staring at her feet and shifting uncomfortably.
"Am I really that scary? You always seem so uncomfortable when I'm around." Kaede looked at Hao, then shook her head. "No. You're nothing like what others say at all. Maybe you used to be cruel, but you're kind now." Hao gave her a wide smile. "Thank you. You're the first person to say that to me. Besides Yoh, of course."
"Are you always this quiet?" Kaede gave a start, then nodded her head. "I find silence comforting. I even used to find laughter annoying, before I met Lyn. She taught me to laugh, to smile." "Why? What made you think that way?" "When I was younger, before my parents divorced, I would hear them quarrelling constantly. It seemed to me that every time they spoke, it was to find fault with one another. After awhile, I got in the habit of shutting out all sounds when they were fighting, so it would just be me and that comforting silence…and when I saw others so happy with their family, I would feel annoyed that they had the love and joy I did not…" Kaede took a deep breath, then made herself stop playing fidgeting.
"Do you always find it this hard to relax around strangers?" Hao asked, laughing amusedly. Kaede flushed. "Yes. I was an only child and I grew up alone, so I get uncomfortable around people I don't know."
Why did I tell him so much?
I don't know him…and yet, I'm opening up.
"Lyn…she's a joker, isn't she?" Hao asked, his eyes distant. "Don't see her simply as a joker. She can be serious when the situation calls for it…" Kaede replied, studying his distant expression. "She's like a younger sister to me…I know it's weird because I just met her, but that's just the way it is…" Hao added, smiling peacefully.
"DAMN IT! I told you to put me DOWN!" Hao looked up when he heard someone shouting, and saw Ren carrying Lyn on his back, with her pummeling his back furiously. Ren stopped and sighed. "Will you STOP that already? You can barely walk and you KNOW it…" he growled impatiently. He then started walking again, so Lyn had no choice but to put one arm around his neck or fall off. Hao saw Ren's eyes filled with a warmth not normally there, and knew that despite his harsh tone, he cared. However, seeing how close they were, he felt a twinge of jealousy.
Why am I feeling this?
This sour feeling inside of me…
"Lyn!" Kaede called and ran after Ren and Lyn. Hao slowly followed behind, listening to the conversation. Lyn whipped her head around and started flushing furiously when she say Kaede and Hao. Her hand slipped off from around Ren's neck and she lost her balance, falling backwards. She started waving her hands wildly in a desperate attempt to regain her balance, but to no avail. Ren removed a hand supporting her knee and caught her back before she fell over. "I told you to hold on! He turned around and growled, his voice harsh. He turned back to the front and Lyn stuck her tongue out at his back. They then continued walking in a tense silence.
"Are you alright?" Ren finally broke the silence. Lyn nodded her head. "Yea…' "What happened?" Kaede asked concernedly. "She tripped over her own feet and sprained her left ankle." Ren replied, chortling. Lyn scowled and whacked him on the back. "Ouch! What did you do that for!" Ren turned around and glared at her and she grinned, looking at him innocently.
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"Ok…we're back at the inn. Can you put me down now?" Lyn demanded impatiently. "And leave you to climb up the stairs on your own?" Ren said, raising an eyebrow. Kaede smiled as she heard Lyn protesting as Ren carried her up the stairs. She turned around only to see Hao still standing at the entrance of the inn, deep in thought. "Hey…Hao…" He gave a start and looked up at her, a strained smile on his face. "Thanks…for listening…" He smiled again, a smile which made him look as if he wanted to cry at the same time and gave her a half-hearted thumbs up. She cast him one last worried look before she walked up the stairs to her room.
You looked so heartbroken.
And I didn't even know why.
All I could do, was watch helplessly.
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Hao sat on a chair at the balcony of the room he shared with Faust, looking at the stars and thinking. Where had that jealousy and dislike for Tao Ren sprung from? Had it been because of Lyn? But why would he feel that, simply over her? What he felt for Lyn…maybe it wasn't as simple as loving her as a younger sister. This was the first time…he had felt this way about anyone. Suddenly, Hao stood up, a determined look on his face. To clear his doubts, he would have to settle things with Tao Ren.
Hao climbed up to the roof where, as he had expected, Ren was sitting and staring at the stars. "What do you feel for Aizawa Lyn?" Hao asked abruptly. Ren looked at him, stunned. "Nothing." He replied after a second's hesitation. "Then why did you carry her all the way back?" "So I should have just left her to walk back alone?" Hao nodded opening his mouth as if to ask something else, then closed it and turned and walked away.
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Ren smiled as he heard Hao's footsteps getting softer. He had no idea what it was that made him feel differently for her, but it was definitely not love. He looked back up at the sky and saw a star that seemed to be brighter than the rest.
They will watch us,
And they will guide us.
Give us hope,
Teach us to believe in love.
They, the eyes of the heavens.