Thanks for your reviews, guys. I'm glad you like the sequel; I was worried the "infidelity" thing would turn you guys off (especially YohxAnna fans), but no worries. Everything will work out right in the end. You know what kind of guy Takeshi is; upright and moral. He'll make it all right, don't worry. There's a reason why the genre to this fic isn't romance, but friendship. It's talking about the relationship between Takeshi and Anna, and partly the friendship between Yoh and Takeshi.

It'll make sense once the whole fic is over. ;)

P.S. I changed the genre of this fic from Friendship/Humor to Friendship/Drama. I think that's more appropriate. Also, I was listening to Megumi Hayashibara's "Omokage" (the second ending theme of Shaman King) while writing this chapter and while rereading it. It felt nice. So I suggest you do that, too.

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"No…!" Anna tried to gently pull Takeshi's body up, but his weight was making it a little harder to do so. "Takeshi…!" Her voice was strained, cracking…as if trying hard not to panic. "Takeshi! Are you okay?"

There was no response. Anna panicked inwardly. He's been shot—is he dead?!

A few seconds later, there was a small chuckle and a loud cough from Takeshi—blood spurted to the ground before him. "W-What's it look like to you?" he joked.

Why's he joking around—at a time like this?!

"Shut up, Takeshi!" she said reprovingly. "Stop talking—it'll make you worse!"

Anna summoned all her strength and heaved Takeshi's arms up. She quickly looked around, scanning their surroundings with caution…and fear. "Who's there?!" she cried.

Nobody answered. Anna felt a bad feeling down the pit of her stomach. Something's not right here…

Takeshi felt likewise. He didn't know who was behind this; after all, he had just arrived—it was near-impossible for anyone to have a grudge against him. It could've been Hao, since he had humiliated the guy seven years ago, but frankly, shooting people with man-made guns and bullets isn't exactly his style. Now if he had achieved third-degree burns, then that would've been more understandable—that was definitely Hao.

But this was different. There was something human about the ambush—at the same time, there was something weird about it, too.

Takeshi felt dizzy. It was hard to think straight, with his lung probably failing and him losing blood with every second that passed. But amidst all that, he knew what he had to do.

He had to get Anna out of there.

"A-Anna…" he said, his voice trembling.

The itako immediately turned her attention to him, worry evident on her face. "Don't talk!"

Takeshi ignored her small admonishment. "Anna…you…you have to get out of here."

"No, we have to get out of here," Anna sharply corrected him. "Now let's go—"

"No, I have to stay here and hold this guy off," Takeshi said, trying to sound more urgent. "We can't outrun him; you might get hurt."

"Wha…what guy? I don't see anyone else here but us!"

Takeshi coughed. Dammit. "I know you're not stupid, Anna. We were ambushed. You know there's someone right here with us, who won't rest until one of us is dead for sure."

Anna was about to answer back with an angry retort, saying she's going to save them both, when all of a sudden, a mysterious, raspy voice called out, echoing in the shadows, "I see you're still alive."

Anna shivered. "Who…me?" she found herself unconsciously asking their assailant.

There was a small, evil chuckle. "Not you. Him."

Anna immediately darted her head towards the heaving Takeshi. She felt her blood run cold.

Suddenly, they saw a muzzle of a gun emerging from the shadows. Takeshi's instincts flashed the loud, warning signal. Ignoring the burning pain the first gunshot had caused, he stretched out his arms and, the same, exact moment the gun went off, Takeshi pushed Anna forward, opposite his direction. The force was enough to push both of them towards opposite directions, hitting the walls behind them. The impact to Takeshi's back made him cry out in pain. His eyes shot open; his breathing grew shallow.

The bullet hit a wall, forming a small hole. It had flattened by the sudden impact.

Horror-struck, Takeshi shouted, "Anna! You have to leave—now!"

Still Anna remained steadfast to what she believed was right. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

"Don't be stupid! You'll just get hurt! I'll hold him off!"

"Look who's talking!" Anna screamed back angrily. "You're the one acting stupid here! You said it yourself—you don't have your powers anymore! How do you intend to take this guy on?! You'll just get yourself killed!"

Takeshi fell silent. Urgh…! He forgot about that.

"Unless you had been lying to me all this time!" Anna added, quietly wishing that was true.

"No," he said quietly, "I wasn't lying…shit…"

Anna flinched; he was indeed powerless. He was no different from Manta—human, ordinary…and vulnerable.

"But don't worry!" he yelled. "I'll find a way to hold him off so you can escape!"

Takeshi immediately forced himself to stand up, blocking Anna from the direction of their attacker. A sharp jolt of pain shot through his back and he swayed around side to side, dizzy with pain.

"Takeshi, you're acting like an idiot!" Anna haphazardly got up and tried to pull him back. Takeshi was weak, but he wouldn't budge. "Now take my hand, and let's go!"

"No, he's after you!" Takeshi suddenly found himself shouting back. "He'll follow us and won't stop until he kills you!"

"He's after me?!" Anna blurted out in disbelief. "You're the one he shot! And haven't you been listening?! He said he was after you!"

The stunning truth almost knocked Takeshi down to his knees. She's right…crap. Crap. Crap.

"He…he can outrun us…he'll catch us…" Takeshi whispered.

"Maybe," Anna said with conviction. "But I can save us both! When we defeated Hao years ago, I used the GoumaChoubuku to gain control over his shikigamis, Zenki and Kouki. They're now my guardian spirits, and I can call for them to take this guy down!"

"Don't…!" Takeshi coughed. He glared at Anna. "You said it yourself; this guy is after me. Stay out of my fight!"

There came another chuckle. The same, evil chuckle from minutes before. Suddenly, a cloaked, ghoulish figure emerged from the shadows, holding a gun and pointing it at Takeshi. They couldn't see the guy's face; it was completely hidden beneath his hood.

"He's right, itako…" the man said in a raspy voice. "Stay out of his fight."

Anna narrowed her eyes. He knows I'm a medium? "Who are you?!" she demanded. "Tell me who you are and what you want with Takeshi!"

The voice became icy cold. "I am not entitled to answer your questions." He turned to Takeshi and sneered, "I thought a single bullet would've been sufficient to kill you; after all, you no longer have your powers. I realize I was wrong."

"It takes more than one stupid bullet to—" Takeshi began to say, when to both Anna and Takeshi's horror, the cloaked man fired his gun once again…and the bullet hit the right side of Takeshi's abdomen.

"A…ah…" Takeshi was trembling violently. "Sh-shi…" Blood flowed from one side of Takeshi's mouth. His clothes were quickly getting soaked up in the enormous amount of blood he was losing.

"No!" Anna screamed. Her eyes suddenly began to well up.

Takeshi, although gravely and fatally wounded, shouted at Anna, "Quick, Anna! Leave, now! I…ugh…I'll take care of him!"

"You're not a hero, Takeshi!" she shouted back, on the verge of tears. "So stop trying so hard to act like one! Because things have changed! This time, I don't need a hero--it's you who needs one! So let me take care of this!"

She darted his gaze to Takeshi's attacker and cursed him. "You—!" She was about to call for her guardian spirits, when three more consecutive gunshots rang out. Two hit Takeshi smack in the stomach, while the other one missed and hit a wall, falling on top of a trash bin with a loud clang.

Takeshi's eyes dimmed and his face lost color. "D-Damn…it…" He fell to his knees. His mouth was half-open. Takeshi had never felt so helpless…so weak…his whole life. No way…this can't…this can't end like this…

He collapsed to the ground, on a pool of his own blood.

Anna felt as if her insides had just disappeared. No…this can't be happening… Suddenly, her insides had come back and was replaced by inconceivable rage and anger. The pain in her heart at what happened to Takeshi grew stronger. She clenched her hands tightly, her fingernails digging deep into her palms. She yearned for revenge. She longed for the death of Takeshi's assailant.

"You…you'll pay for this!" she screamed at the cloaked man. She pulled her beaded spirit necklace, the 1080 beads, over her head and cried, "Zenki! Kouki!"

Her two guardian spirits immediately appeared out of nowhere. "Here!" they said in response.

Anna thrust her necklace towards the cloaked stranger's position. "That man ki…" Killed. She faltered; she couldn't say the word. He…he's not dead… "He hurt my friend! Make him pay for what he's done!"

Zenki and Kouki didn't hesitate. They turned their attention to the cloaked guy and attacked…only to meet…nothing. The man had vanished in a blink of an eye.

Anna shifted her position and desperately looked around. Where did that bastard go?!

She felt a sudden presence beside her. She quickly turned and saw the cloaked man crouched down beside Takeshi's fallen body. The man's hand was glowing red. He was clearly doing something to Takeshi, but Anna couldn't see what he was doing.

But she didn't have time to ask. Only time to react and tell her guardian spirits to attack again.

Zenki and Kouki lunged at the man. The man turned to see the two spirits flying towards him, and chuckled. Then he said, "The deed has been done. Takeshi Himura is dead." Then he vanished. Poof. Just like that.

No! He escaped! Anna ran and gazed out the corners of the alleyway, trying to pursue the man. But it was no use; he was gone.

Although furious at being outwitted by the stranger, Anna knew Takeshi's life was now hanging on the line. His life was in grave danger.

Anna ran over to Takeshi and crouched down next to him. She gently flipped him to his back. The guy didn't respond. His eyes were closed and he was not moving.

Anna panicked. No! You can't be…!

She quickly kneeled down and pushed her ear against Takeshi's chest.

His heart wasn't beating.

Anna felt pure horror sweep through her. No… "No!" she cried. "No, you can't die!"

She quickly turned to Zenki and Kouki and screamed, "Call for help, now!"

"Who do we call?" Zenki asked, shaking. "Master Yoh?"

"Ye—" Anna stopped. She hesitated. Yoh shouldn't know about this. "No…call for Ryu. Tell him to come here on his motorcycle—tell him our good friend Takeshi is gravely injured and he has to be taken to the hospital! Go!"

Calling Ryu wasn't exactly something she'd usually do in case of an emergency, but since she couldn't call for Yoh, Ryu should be the next most reliable person to ask for.

Zenki and Kouki nodded. "We're on it." They vanished…they left.

Anna immediately turned her attention back to Takeshi. What do I do? What do I do? She was literally grasping at straws. What do I do when someone's heart isn't beating anymore?! A thought suddenly hit her. CPR! Yes, that's right! CPR!

Trying hard not to go into further hysterics, Anna quickly unbuttoned Takeshi's jacket and haphazardly pulled it off of him. She flung his tie to the side and ripped open his shirt. Anna immediately felt her hands and the rest of her becoming covered in blood. But she didn't care.

She winced upon seeing the three gunshots wounds in Takeshi's bare torso. They looked horrible. She felt horrible.

Trailing her fingers down Takeshi's chest, Anna positioned her hands on top of Takeshi's heart and began to repeatedly press down as hard as she could. Please don't die, Takeshi…please…

She suddenly felt tears trail down her cheeks. She began to sob. She was crying.

You can't die…

After what felt like an eternity, Anna felt a heartbeat pulsate beneath her palms. Feeling a miracle in the works, she stopped the CPR and bent down to listen to Takeshi's heart again. Yes! His heart was beating! It was weak, it was slow and it was barely there, but nevertheless, yes, it was beating.

But Takeshi was still not moving. He still looked the same as when his heart wasn't beating. Anna felt her heart grow heavy. What now?

Another thought hit her. Breathing!

She placed her palm on top of Takeshi's mouth, grazing his lips slightly.

He wasn't breathing.

Panicking again, Anna feared the worst. Is his heart still beating? She pressed her other palm against Takeshi's chest. Yes, it's still there. But he isn't breathing, so how do I make him breathe again?

It didn't take long for her to discover the answer.

Mouth-to-mouth… "…resuscitation," she whispered.

Anna didn't hesitate at all. She knew what had to be done to save her friend's life and yes, she will do it. Anna gently placed one hand on Takeshi's chin, opening his mouth slightly.

Anna took a deep breath. In one swift motion, she leaned forward and down…and brought her lips down to Takeshi's.

She slowly began to breathe air into Takeshi's mouth. Anna pulled away and took another deep breath, leaned down and did the same thing repeatedly.

During her fourth attempt, Anna felt air from Takeshi's lungs breathe out. Joy and relief overwhelmed her. Yes…! He's…alive!

Anna felt him stirring lightly, but strangely, she didn't pull away at all. Instead, she gently placed her other hand on Takeshi's cheek and continued "resuscitating" him.

But this time, it wasn't first aid anymore.

Anna was kissing him.

She quietly deepened the kiss, trying to put as much of her feelings into it as she could.

Suddenly, after what seemed like an eternity (but was actually just a few seconds), Anna's eyes shot open. Oh my god, what am I doing?!

Anna immediately disengaged from the kiss and backed away in shock. She cautiously touched her lips, speechless and astounded at what she had just done. I…I kissed Takeshi?

Takeshi stirred again. Anna's gaze was drawn to his left hand. His fingers were moving.

Anna felt like a miracle had just happened. He's alive!

"A-An…" He slowly turned his head, only to see Anna staring at him, with a look of pure joy and relief evident on her face. Takeshi faltered. "Anna?"

Smiling weakly, Anna crawled back next to Takeshi and said in her most soothing voice, "Don't worry, it's going to be okay. You're going to be fine."

Suddenly, a loud honk filled the alleyway. A blinding flash of light enveloped both Takeshi and Anna. Takeshi shut his eyes. Anna raised an arm to block away the light.

"Anyone here called for Ryu?" came a familiar voice.

Anna had never been any happier to see him. "Ryu!"

"Ryu?" Takeshi found himself saying as well. He wanted to sit up to take a look at someone he hadn't see for so long, when he felt indescribable agony envelop him. He couldn't take it anymore. His eyes dimmed and he blacked out.

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I'm sure some of you (particularly the YohxAnna fans) didn't have a very good reaction to what Anna did. Well, I told you things will work out right in the end, so don't worry. Just follow the story as it goes. Watch what's going to happen next.

Oh and by the way. My apologies if I won't be able to update fast in the next few days (or even weeks!) or so. I've been spending a lot of time with this fic (which is just supposed to be my warm-up session before I add more chapters to my original novel) that I've been neglecting my novel, even forgetting what I'm supposed to write in the next chapter of it. So I'm going to go back to it and spend a little more time with it. When I need to get over writer's block, I'll come back and write for this fic.

But no worries. This fic won't be on a permanent hiatus, I assure you. I'll finish this, I promise. Just be on the "story alert mode" so you'll always know when the next chapter will be up.

So, yeah, that's that.

And please don't forget to review. I would really like to know your thoughts and feelings with regards to this chapter. This one is pretty controversial, as you can see by what had just transpired between Takeshi and Anna, so I want to know what you think.

Just no flaming. Thanks. ;)

Short Update:

There's something I forgot to say when I uploaded this chapter. I feel kind of stupid to have overlooked such important details.

I intended this fic to center on the Asakura couple and on a parent-son relationship. So just to clue you in on what's going to happen in later chapters... The TakeshixAnna romantic pairing is short-lived. Takeshi's going to make sure of it himself. That pairing will end sooner that you think, but seriously, that's okay, because I think if friendship is pushed between these two instead of romantic love, it's going to turn out a whole lot better than expected. The Anna OOC-ness will end by Chapter 5, and we'll see more of her "ice queen" side from then on. Also, I absolutely love the Hana and Anna mother-son relationship, and I think there's a lot of room for character and plot development there, so look out for that, too.

Watch out for those. I'm not sure if there are TakeshixAnna shippers here, reading, but Chapter 5 might be quite the big bummer to you guys. I hope not. :p After that chapter, things are going to take a new turn, but you'll love it. Trust me. You will. ^_^