TAMAO'S P.O.V (my fans please forgive me)
Pitch black.
That was all I could see. It's like one of those dreams you have where all your senses are robbed of you, you hear, see, feel, and taste nothing.
Something like what Master Yoh had to go through in the Yomi cave.
But I am not dreaming and I know I'm not inside the Yomi cave…
Then why am I without my senses? I know I'm not as smart as Miss Anna, but I know that this isn't normal, that this…that this isn't…right.
Was it that dream? Am I awake? Of course I am don't be so dumb Tamao! Even you know that when you have a nightmare you always wake up.
What was it in that horrible dream that supposedly woke me up? All those yells… they were scary.
I know I am away from my nightmare because I feel pain.
...
Now that I think about it…why do I feel pain? Why couldn't I move? Why couldn't I scream?
My mind was unbearably clear –sharpened by the fierce pain- I couldn't find an answer to any of my questions.
The pain was bewildering. I couldn't make sense of why I had it
I felt a sharp pain, a burning sensation around my whole body I believe… something is wrong.
It felt like I was cut by an enormous blade in half, trampled by wild animals and dumped into acid, all at once. I felt my insides twist and flip while my outside, impossibly, stood as a rock.
Was I burning? If I am how come no one is coming to help me?
Kami-sama please forgive the rude behavior I am showing, I know, I know, I must be strong but…! Do they not see the fire? It burns! My body, my wrists, my ankles, EVERYTHING!!!!!!
I feel it, I know it's real! They burn as if I was sent into a grand flame of fire and it was devouring every aspect of my body.
Please help!! Manta! Ryu! Amidamaru!!
Why can't anyone hear me?!!!
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mentally wailed.
I felt my body jolt. Have I regained the ability to move?
Though I still can't see. I want to see! I gritted my teeth to hold back the screams I wanted to let out.
But then I realized I just gritted my teeth. So could I move?
Yes it appears I can move now. I opened my mouth hoping a sound would come out of it.
This pain was excruciating! If I couldn't scream how could I tell them what was wrong? How would they help me? How?
I could feel the tears begin to form in my eyes. Why did I have to be such a cry baby?
That's when sound escaped my lips, a scream.
I heard it, a scream of pain "AHHHGG!!!"
That's all that came out. All. I couldn't say much more than those sorrowful wails of excruciating agony I felt.
Then I heard a voice, I knew it immediately, I knew it because it reminded me so much of Master Yoh's voice.
It was Mr. Hao's voice.
"What. The. Hell?" I heard him say.
Relief began to wash over me, did he hear my scream?
"Did you see it as well?" I heard Ren asked.
See it? What did they see? Does that mean they didn't hear me? I had my hopes up, a true sign of my weakness.
I am weak. I am weak. Why I am I weak!
Water came down from my eyes, wetting my cheeks, I could feel it.
But how long could this rage of flames go on? How much worse could it get?
That was my mistake. Pure irony. And because of irony it came.
It was an agonizing change.
And change came to my body when suddenly, impossibly, my pain was doubled. The lower half of my body was on fire as well. Some broken connection had been healed –knitted together by the scorching fingers of the flame.
The endless rage burned on.
I heard Hao's voice again. "What did you see?" I heard him ask.
"Possibly the same thing as you and the rest of us." I heard Lyserg reply.
Lyserg was there too? Who else was there with them? Was everyone there? Maybe someone, one of them could hear me if I scream loud enough.
But before I could open my mouth to scream, or yell for help; I heard another scream, an agonizing goose-bumps-down-your-back wail of hurt…though it was not mine.
My motherly worrying instincts took over me. Someone else was in pain besides me, but who? Who?
I wanted badly to know maybe knowing who it was would give me courage and let me retrieve my senses so that I could help them.
I wanted badly to be of some use.
I wanted to help.
"AHHHG!!" the person shrieked leaving a deep ringing in my ears, I felt goosebumps rise on my arms, who ever was screaming was in just as much pain as I was…maybe worse.
There was a strange movement in my surrounding as those shrieks got through, like if everything was being shaken harshly…like if an earthquake had come.
"Annaka!" I heard Mr. Hao gasp.
I heard his rushing foot steps as he ran to his assigned room. I heard him as he asked Miss. Annaka what was wrong.
That made me teary.
Why didn't I have anyone to worry for me?
I knew I was not as stunning as Anna-sama, definitely not as strong or brave. I couldn't even keep myself from crying over little thinks such as this.
I truly am weak.
That is why I was not chosen as Master Yoh's wife. Because of my weakness I would never be a good wife.
I felt my face getting wetter from my tears. Oh why do I always have to cry! Miss Anna told me good wives don't cry over little things. Oh dang these tears, just dang them!
"Why do you cry?" a heard a voice ask.
That voice seemed close as if it was in this very room, but it was not a voice I recognized.
"I know you can speak," -the voice said, it was a male voice, - "I did not numb your sense of speech."
My sense of speech? Numb? My body quivered in fear. I am such a coward.
But this…male had done something, something that according to him numbed my senses, I was frightened. I did not wish to know what else he could do.
I opened my mouth, afraid that the words I would say would shake.
I was right.
"W-who are y-you?" I quivered. My fear could be heard in those three simple words.
I heard footsteps, the male was coming closer, he was coming to the edge of my bed. When the footsteps silenced I was able to open by eyes.
And they grew from the blurred vision of who it was.
At first I could've never guest at whom it was, not until I saw those deadly golden eyes, and that enormous furry gray spirit of his glaring at me.
It was…it was…
NORMAL P.O.V. {after about 10 minutes}
"KKKYYYYYAAAAAAAAA!!!" someone screamed.
"What was that?!" Manta jumped, startled by the sound.
"It came from Miss Tamao's room!" Amidamaru shouted, grabbing his blade.
Ryu ran over to the room with Manta, Faust, and Amidamaru following close behind.
They reached the door and Ryu twisted the knob.
"Dammit it's locked!" he protested in anger.
"That is not a problem." Faust said mischievously, an evil grin on his face.
He reached into his coat and got out a skeleton head.
"RISE ELIZA, MY BELOVED, RISE!!!" he yelled in maniacal laughter. "MEPHISTO E!"
Eliza oversouled into her great oversoul of the MEPHISTO E, a great robotic like oversoul with demon like wings and tons of painful medical equipment in each hand. She stood tall with Faust standing on her shoulder continuing with his maniacal laughter.
Manta looked on in terror "Wait! Faust-"
"-and now my Eliza," -Faust went on, pointing to the door- "open that door my love!!!"
Eliza drew her arm back and formed her hand into a fist, and then launched her fist at the door.
"AHH! RYU LOOK OUT!!!!!" Manta shouted, frantically waving his hands signaling his friend to move.
Ryu got up and scrambled out of the way, and then with a CRASH Eliza knocked down the door.
Dust and pieces of wood and metal flew everywhere leaving nothing but a huge ditch in the wall.
Ryu suddenly entered Tamao's room, alerted by her screams of pain and fear; he went in as Manta began to protest.
"FAUST WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BRING THE HOUSE DOWN!" he shouted now waving his arms rapidly up and down in anger.
Faust scratched his head and studied the ditch in the wall. "I think I may have gotten a bit carried away." He lazily admitted to himself.
"AH! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Manta yelled, pointing a finger at him in anger.
Faust looked down at Manta and gave a soft lazy smile "Did you say something?" he asked.
Manta fell to the ground. "To laidback" he mumbled.
"Lady Tamao are you alright?" Amidamaru asked as Ryu threw himself to the side of the bed.
Tamao didn't respond, she held her pained hand tightly against her chest and was rolled into a tiny ball in a corner of the bed.
"Are you hurt"-Ryu asked-"shall I kiss it to make it better?" he puckered up his lips and began to lean towards the pink haired.
"You moron, don't you dare touch Tamao!" Ponchi yelled as Konchi appeared and kicked Ryu in the crotch.
At that moment Faust entered the room with Manta and Eliza behind him.
Manta looked at Tokageru who floated over his injured master.
"Hey skeleton man get over here and treat Tamao." Ponchi ordered, his arms crossed.
Faust walked over and leaned over the bed. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked in his professional tone of voice.
Tamao looked up at him; she showed him her arms and legs. "They burn." She childishly said holding back her tears.
Faust took a good look at them. Tamao's wrists and ankles each had a ring of burned skin around them, they were burned pretty badly.
Faust took out a first aid kit from his lab coat and applied some ointments and creams on Tamao's injuries then he wrapped them up in bandages.
"There." -He finally said- "Just try not to walk on your legs for a while and you'll be fine."
Tamao nodded, she opened her mouth to thank him but was interrupted by Marco's voice form the living room.
"Is there a doctor in the house?!" he yelled as he carried Jeanne in his arms, Lyserg following close behind.
Marco placed her on the couch down side up, the Maiden's back was spewing out blood.
"What happened to her?" Ren raised a brow at the Maiden's injury.
"We don't know. We went to check on her and she was screaming in pain inside the Iron Maiden." Lyserg informed them, his tone all worry.
"She probably just got pricked by one of the spikes in the Iron Maiden" a voice from above suggested. "I wouldn't worry about it."
They all raised their heads and saw Arisu walking on a metal bar in the ceiling. She jumped off and landed on her feet.
She straightened up and smiled.
"10/10!" Chocolove shouted holding up a white sign with the number 10 written on it.
Ren hit him with his Basontou spear, Chocolove fell to the ground, then the Tao got his spear and put it on his shoulder and looked at pixie girl.
"What do you want." He said in a relaxed but menacing tone.
Arisu blinked and stared at the Tao for a few seconds then she just smiled. "I just came to check on how well you all slept." She innocently stated –she turned facing the maiden- "I'm guessing not everyone slept well."
"You have a point."
Heads turned to face the cloaked "Heika" being followed by, an also cloaked, Nagehiko.
The midnight girl looked at her guest, her expression blank. "What exactly happened here?" she asked.
"Absolutely nothing." Arisu immediately replied.
"That's not what it appears to be," "Heika" noticed her eyes fell on the Maiden who was being bandaged by Faust.
"All is well," Jeanne said as she stood "I feel no pain, so there is no harm."
"No harm is an understatement Jeanne-sama!" Marco protested glaring at Wilhelmina and Emmetto who just came through the door.
"Heika" also eyed the two shamans who were just coming in. "Hmm,"- she turned towards the others again- "Where is Asakura Hao?" she asked.
"Hao-sama," Luchist began "is tending to Annaka-sama who also woke up in pain."
"Only the females?" Wilhelmina asked, her eyes always staring with a glare, her face with nothing but boredom.
"Yes."
Everyone turned heads at the sound of Hao's voice. He came in carrying Annaka in his arms. He walked past them and placed Annaka on the couch were the Maiden used to be.
"Whatever happened affected only the females…" he began, --he walked over and stood in front, facing "Heika", with Ren and Horohoro on each side of him, his face was being shadowed by his long brown hair.—"…including my wife."
He raised his head, the strands of his hair no longer his face…though if only it did. If there were any words to describe his anger these would be them:
Asakura Hao was pissed.
Emmetto glared at Asakura Hao's expression which could mean death itself.
"Em, don't you dare." Wilhelmina warned him in a loud whisper, when Jeikobu appeared beside his master.
"Let him." Horohoro said, -as he oversouled in his Nipopo Gauntlets; the two giant oversouled hand.- "I want to see this bastard try to do something to us."
"Horohoro please stop." Jeanne said as she past by them "There is no need for useless fighting in this case. We only wish for answers."
From the corner of her deep crimsoned eyes the Maiden noted Arisu, who just glared at her with fierce eyes of hatred.
Horohoro, on the other hand, flushed as the warmth of the Maiden's skin reached him as she walked passed him, only two feet behind Hao. "Yes Maiden-chan," he said completely dazed.
Ren prepared his fist, ready to punch some sense into his teammate. Chocolove beat him to it.
"This is no time to be drooling!" he yelled, slapping the lower half of the Ainu's face.
Horo grabbed Choco by the collar and held a fist back ready to punch him. "I told you if you want to live not to EVER do that again!" the Ainu yelled in rage.
Choco began to sweat and waved his hands in front of him. "Call down Horohoro"
"I'll kill you!"
"Hey, amateurs" Hao interrupted –he turned to them with deadly eyes, there was raging fire and burning rage in them, the true definition of deadly- "why don't you two shut up before I kill you both?" his entire expression was now as deadly and vicious as his eyes.
*gulp*
Horo dropped Chocolove to the floor with a thunt, both of them were frozen statues full of nothing but terror.
"Now…" Hao continued turning to "Heika", his voice menacing- "about those answers…"
The midnight girl's position was completely relaxed, a small smile formed on her face…it was a smile of amusement.
She then spoke her voice as calm and relaxed as she appeared "What do you wish to kn-"
-Nagehiko got close to her and moved his lips to her ear, whispering something. From where she sat Annaka heard the words as they entered through Nagehiko's head.-
It was one word. 'Ari'
Annaka turned her head towards the pixie girl's direction; everyone who stood behind her did the same.
Arisu was a frozen statue staring off into space, her face was blank, and when Lyserg looked into her eyes she saw no soul as if it was lost in time.
'Just like that last time…' the green haired noted.
Chocolove, who noticed everyone's stares, went over to the statue and held out a finger to poke her with.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
The girl had no reaction.
"We lost her." The dark shaman said in a sad –but noticeably fake- tone. He then pulled out a shovel and held it to the air as he yelled with enthusiasm "Time to bury the dead!"
Ren was about to hit him across the face with the shovel until Arisu finally reacted.
Well sort of reacted.
"Duck" she said blankly, her position without change.
Ren dropped the shovel. "Duck?" he asked lifting a brow.
Luchist looked at Arisu, dumbfounded. "Duck?" he asked questionably, scratching his head with his gun. (A/N: good kids don't ever try that, and even if you're a bad kid DON'T EVER DO IT!)
Ari mindlessly nodded.
"Duck?" Marco asked, just as dumbfound as his "friend".
Opacho stared at the girl, searching her mind for the meaning of the word.
She found it.
"Hao-sama duck!" she yelled as she threw herself to the ground.
Then instantly two things happened at once. One) there was an explosion from the roof of the place bringing down groups of hard rock crashing down at the shaman.
Two) some arrow like weapon flew past Emmetto and "Heika", it missed them both by a quick inch.
Then it flew over Hao's head as he dropped to the ground, everyone behind him did the same, managing to dodge it. Everyone except for…
"Lyserg!" Ryu shouted, as he got up from the ground and ran over to Lyserg shoving him out of the way.
Lyserg hit his head against the wall behind him, causing him to go unconscious. And the arrow like weapon got Ryu in his stomach.
"Lyserg!"
"Ryu!"
BAMM!
There was another explosion from the roof and more rock came crashing down, creating a thick cloud of dust.
"I can't see!" Manta complained, blinded by the dust that was burning his eyes.
Ren stood nearby with his arm covering the bottom half of his face to keep him from breathing in the dust.
"*cough* *cough* Bason!" –Bason appeared beside his young master- "We *cough* must do version 2 of our oversoul now!" he ordered.
"But Bochima! That oversoul requires too much furyoku!"
"Bason just do it!" he yelled back.
Bason followed orders and oversouled.
His oversoul was an enormous giant of Bason with great and strong armor, Ren stood on his shoulder.
"Bason, keep the roof from collapsing on us!" he ordered.
Bason threw his arms up and held the ceiling up in place, keeping the structure from collapsing.
The dust was still thick, but it began to clear up, very very slowly.
It cleared up enough so that they were able to see a shadowed figure, standing in the mist, with two smaller ones beside of it.
Then in the blink of an eye they disappeared in the mist.
"Who are they?" Luchist asked, he looked over towards Wilhelmina and the others they were all there so it couldn't be them.
"Opacho knows it's not them." The small African girl said through the mist.
Luchist looked down at his tiny companion. "Opacho sees they are just as surprised as we are." She finished.
'Then who?' Luchist asked.
"Opacho not sure"
There was great irritation and worry due to the situation our shaman were in.
But suddenly in the middle of the thick fog a tiny light shined through, the shaman watched as the light grew and grew as if it had the rage of a burning fire.
In a way it was a burning fire, it was Asakura Hao.
He stood at the center of the room; his appearance was much like when he fought against team X-III in the shaman fight. His hair stood in spikes, his strong well figured stone chest visible, and his eyes filled with the almost vicious desire to kill.
"Cowards." He muttered under his breathe as the fire raged on growing and growing. "It makes me sick!"
Endless rage of burning fire went on increasing its flames by each passing second.
"Miss Annaka, it's…too…hot." Tamao weakly said, sweat was rolling down her face nonstop. She held her burnt wrists close to her chest 'Igai, it burns!'
"That bastard's gonna end up killing us all" the Ainu stated, his temper slowly ticking by.
"That's exaggerating too much, Usui." Annaka remarked while she was gasping for air. 'If he doesn't stop he's going to end up killing me……Hao.'
The blonde was on the floor, nearly gasping for air, her body was growing weak, and her heart was aching as its beats increased as if it were losing time. "Hao…"
"KOORI NO YOUSAIV!" Horo shouted while he used Kororo to create a great fort of ice around them to shield them from the heat.
"That's not going to hold long Horohoro." Chocolove told him.
"Don't you thing I know that!" Horo retorted –he turned his eyes towards Hao- "What the hell is that bastard doing!"
"Indeed." Marco agreed pushing his glasses up.
"Calm, Marco. There is no reason to begin outbursts" Jeanne told him calmly.
She sat on her knees holding Lyserg's head on her chest, holding him in a soft embrace.
Marco eyed there position and ignored it. "But Jeanne-sama in this heat he will burn us all! I'm telling you he's insane!"
"You can't blame Hao-sama for having outburst like these when it comes to protecting his wife, Marco." Luchist joked. "Right Opacho?"
Opacho nodded in agreement "Hao-sama love Annaka-sama like Yoh-sama love Anna-sama." She happily explained, then her face turned into a frown "Marco does not understand because he never love…and because he is stupid."
Marco glared at the little girl, 'It's just like that time with Asakura Yoh, when he quit the shaman fight to save Tao Ren. His friends said something similar'
"Yoh is fighting for the thing he treasures most."
Marco looked at the Maiden, who had closed her eyes as she held Lyserg's unconscious body close to her.
"I suppose these things are very hard for you to comprehend. To a person like you, who knows the pain of losing something. But has never loved"
"Annaka-san are you alright?"
Faust bent over to examine the semi-conscious blonde that with each passing moment was closer and closer to the ground.
"What is it?" he asked her.
"jinsei no tsuuka." She said, barely lifting her head to speak, her voice was weak.
Manta looked at Annaka wondering what he should do. Amidamaru appeared beside him.
"Manta, take a look" he said "as Hao's flames increase Ms. Annaka seems to lose strength."
Manta observed for the next seconds, he realized Amidamaru was right.
'but what does that mean? jinsei no tsuuka: the passing of life?'
……!
"HAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the blonde screamed.
The ground suddenly began to shake, the building shook angrily bringing itself down piece by piece.
"What's going on!" Horohoro shouted.
"Lucifer! Rise and help keep the building from collision and destruction!"
The viewable flame in the mist disappeared as Lucifer rose to help Bason, both pushing the structure up to keep it from collapsing.
Hao's voice was heard through the rumble of the building. "Annak-"
CRASH!
The two smallest shadow figures somehow crashed through Horo's wall of ice, the large chunks of frozen ice crashed to the ground, dissolving as they did.
But while the others tried to dodge the falling ice, the small shadows made their way over to the, now unconscious, blonde who lay on the floor.
Surprisingly, due to their size, they grabbed her and picked her up making their way to an exit. But before they made it out a glowing iron cage mysteriously appeared around them, trapping them both.
"I am sorry to have to trap you in a tight oversoul," -the Iron Maiden stepped out from the mist, she was dress now in her battle suit rather than her "night clothes", her face was expressionless, but hard.- "Stealing is the root of many sins, it is listed in the Lord's ten rules that we must follow."
Marco appeared beside her; he took off his glasses and replaced them with another pair. "You have broken one of those rules therefore; this Marco will not let you escape!"
He pulled out his gun and fired at the two shadows, shooting his spirit Michael out in only a second.
As the grand Archangel came at them the tiny shadows looked at each other and then nodded.
Jeanne watched as one of them stepped forward and parted its lips sending out a horrible, cover-your-ears, goose-bumps-down-your-back, high-pitched squeal; which blew Michael of course causing him to crash into a wall.
The Iron Maiden fell back in pain as she felt her ear drums about to pop, her cage-like oversoul shattered as if it were glass.
Then, almost instantly, the figures disappeared into the mist and went out into the darkness of the night taking the old Shaman Queen with them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ah, nothing like a cold shower to wake a guy up!" the young king told himself as he stretched his way out of the bathroom with a towel tied around the lower half of his body.
He walked over to his futon and changed into the clothes that were neatly folded beside it.
Then he placed his headphones over his damp hair and headed out the door.
Cadm sat on the porch of the house while he watched Ohachiyo place trinkets and artifacts on old worn out mats on the ground.
"Heading out early Master Yoh?" Cadm casually asked as he drank from his hot latte.
A smug smiled spread across Ohachiyo's small face.
Yoh laughed as his face turned a light shade of red, "Yeah, I'm going early so that Anna won't have to wait long on me." He explained to them.
Cadm placed his latte on the floor beside him, then he turned to Yoh.
"Do you have everything you need?" he asked.
"I sure do." The brunette smiled.
"Did you get enough sleep?"
"Plenty, as I always do, he he."
"Did you eat breakfast?"
"Before I showered."
Ohachiyo placed him arms behind his head, "Cadm stop stalling and let the red tomato go see his chibi wife." He smirked.
Cadm sighed "very well then. Have fun Master Yoh."
"He he, thanks. I'll be back before it gets dark." With a wave the young shaman left the demon and the Patch.
In an effort to save time he decided to run all the way until he got there.
'I wonder why Kyoyama-san is out so early today.'
Yoh slowed down as he heard Shio Misaka's speak in his head.
He looked towards the bench in front of the convenience store where he sat yesterday; sure enough chibi Anna was there.
He also saw Misaka-san standing at the door of the convenience store with a broom in her hand, her grayish-green eyes curiously eyeing the small Anna.
'I like that outfit she wears, maybe I should buy something similar…but then she would think I copied her. Hmm maybe I could…'
Yoh then eyed Anna's clothes, he expected seeing her in a short black dress like she usually wears, but Anna was dressed different.
She wore a dress similar to the one Yoh knew, except this dress was white and was over a pink t-shirt, she wore knee high socks and black tap shoes, her long golden waist-length hair was loose as it was yesterday.
And for the cold she had on a jacket similar to the tan duffle coat his Anna wore for the winter.
It seemed very…seven year old to Yoh. He smiled to himself. 'It's going to take me a whole to get use to this change.' He noted.
'Maybe I should go talk to her…' Misaka's thoughts interrupted.
There was no need for her to walk over, because at that moment Anna walked over to the tall navy haired girl, her blond hair being blown out of her face by the soft wind.
'Kawai~'
"Ohayo, Shio-san." She said in a happy, morning-person, tone.
-'it's Shio-sensei! Sensei! How many times do I have to repeat myself?'- "Ohayo, Kyoyama-san, you're here early."
'A bit too early. Come on you little Kawaiko-chan (cutie-pie), spill!'
Yoh noticed Anna's grim expression as Misaka's also poured into her head, he decided maybe it would be best to interrupt the conversation.
He walked up to the both of them and held a hand up. "Ohayo." He smiled.
Misaka hadn't looked at towards Yoh yet, her attention was still on Anna.
'Who the heck interrupts me when I'm about to learn gossip?' –She turned towards Yoh, her eyes grew wide- 'Oh. Oh my…Cadm's relative looks…yum.'
–She shook her head- 'two years younger' she reminded herself.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yoh looked at himself out of a nearby window.
Cadm had bought him some blue jeans and a white button up shirt, which he had unbuttoned…oh…he had his shirt unbuttoned.
"Ohayo, Yoh-kun!" Anna joyfully responded, trying to distract herself from Misaka's…mature thoughts.
Yoh smiled at her. "Ohayo Anna-chan, ready for our little play date?" he asked in a just as joyful tune.
The small Anna nodded and then came Misaka's loud thoughts once more.
'Yoh-KUN!? Anna-CHAN?! What?...why~!'
Anna's head began to ache; Shio-san's thoughts were the loudest she ever heard.
"Oi, Misaka!" a voice called out not to far away.
Yoh looked up and saw Edward standing a few yards away from them. He wore the same clothes as yesterday so Yoh guessed that was his school uniform.
As Misaka excused herself and ran to him, Edward looked at Anna, who stared at the ground, and then looked at Yoh, who stared back. Then with a frown he turned around and walked away.
When they were out of sight Anna let out a sigh and hung her head.
"Shio-san thoughts…are loud." She told Yoh.
"She seemed a bit frustrated that you knew me." Yoh told her, a thoughtful frown on his face.
Without "unhanging" her head, Anna tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and simply responded "she…finds you attractive."
"Oh…that's…new." Yoh thought about that fact for a while, Anna had simplified her answer according to Misaka-san's thoughts she found him "yummy".
The tiny Anna raised a brow at him, then Yoh quickly added "-I'm just not used to girls thinking that about me." He scratched his head and softly laughed.
"Your wife does."
Yoh felt the blood rush to his head as his body stiffened.
"Yoh-kun?"
The young shaman did not respond, the small blonde eyed him with concern.
Finally Yoh hung his head.
"Gomen, you just startled me a bit…how'd you know about my *cleared throat* wife?"
"Shio-san was constantly reminding herself you were married" –she let out a sigh- "you really shouldn't scare people like that" –she said in a 15-year-old-Anna tone- "I was worried on why your face was turning the same color as one of my scarfs."
"Gomen." He laughed.
The young blonde just smiled and softly spinned on her toes to where her back was now facing Yoh, then she walked and Yoh followed.
While they walked neither of them talked or looked at each other both had their hands in their coats and walked with a soft face.
Then Anna broke the short silence.
"Your marriage…was arranged was it not?" she asked after they walked a few feet.
Yoh nodded "It scared me at first"-he admitted- "I was only 10 when the marriage was arranged."
"Was she pretty?" she suddenly asked, Yoh couldn't help but laugh.
'Why don't you see for yourself in 3 years?' He joked.
Anna frowned "What's so funny?"
"He he, when you grow up you may look a lot like her."
Anna pondered over that. Yoh and her stopped at a drink machine, Yoh sat on a nearby bench while little Anna bought some lattes.
"You're saying I look like her" she said as she pushed the buttons on the machine.
-She gave one of the lattes to him- "You have strange taste."
Yoh opened the latte and brought it to his mouth "Why do you say that?" he asked before taking a sip.
"Because I'm not pretty."
Yoh spit out half the latte that was in his mouth, the other half he choked on.
Anna laughed. "You have some strange reactions."
Yoh couldn't respond, he was still stunned by the child's words.
Anna waved a hand in front of his face "Yoh-kun? Yoh-kun?"
Yoh flinched and regained his senses. "Huh? Oh. He he gomen Anna-chan, you just took me by surprise."
"It isn't that hard to do…" Anna muttered under her breath.
The young king smiled and looked up at the clouds, eyeing the calm and perfect blue sky.
"My friend Manta once told me that almost every girl lowers their self esteem when it comes to whether they're pretty or not."- He explained, his eyes not pulling away from the sky- "I just didn't thing that you" –'or Anna'- "would also be like that."
The child eyed him for a bit, then she looked at the ground and gave a soft half smile.
"It's because I always seem so cheerful." She began to explain.
She sat down on the bench beside Yoh; she stared at the decaf in her hands, her eyes turning soft.
"People always think that because one has a smile on their face it means that that person has no worries…but I can see through that."
-Yoh shifted his head to face her as she went on-
"Many people put up a mask, so that no one can realize their worries or their true self. They want to appear strong so that no one can look down at them o give them pity. But, because of my…ability, I can see people's inner hearts. I know what they feel, wish, think, know, everything. So there are certain times in which I don't know when to trust a certain person…that's why I don't have many people who understand me."
"……Anna-chan…"
Anna looked up from her cup and smiled. "Sorry, I got carried away." –She laughed- "Don't let your soul get so upset Yoh-kun, there are many who decide to take off their masks at times and show people their inner souls. In the end that is what makes me happy." '-And allows me to trust them.'
Yoh smiled.
Anna looked up at the sky; a small breeze blew her locks of hair away from her face.
"Yoh-kun, how fast can you run?"
"?"
Before Yoh could respond the girl got up on her feet, threw away her latte and ran down the street faster than Yoh could blink.
She stopped when she was a few yards away.
"Come on Yoh-kun!" she yelled and ran once more as Yoh got up and chased after her.
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"Is she asleep?" Jane asked raising a brow at the small Italian blonde on the sofa.
Pirika looked up at her and said "Not entirely. Asanoha slapped her unconscious."
A shiver went down her spine as she said Asanoha's name, Jane smiled.
Jun looked at the blonde, then at the usually hyper energetic girl who slept close to her, her attention went back to Mari.
"I wonder what it is about maids that made her react like that." She pondered, she searched in her head for a reasonable answer…nothing came up.
"Childhood." Kanna simply said.
Everyone turned to look at her, their eyes all curious. Kanna didn't notice until she looked up from the keys she was swinging around in her hands. When she noticed their gaze she dropped the keys.
She frowned. "What?" she asked. She hates being stared at for no damn reason.
"Her childhood?" Pirika began "Aren't you going to explain? This could be something my brother and I need to know if Marion is going to be under our care."
The irritated cerulean thought about that, then shrugged. "It's in the past, just like every other dreadful thing in our lives."
"Sure it is." Asanoha sarcastically stated. "There's no reason to tell of ones past if that is their weakness."
Kanna snorted "Our past being our weaknesses, your kidding right?" –Her face got serious- "Our past is our past, we have no reason to think or talk about it."
"Are you sure about that?" –Asanoha asked menacingly, something, her purpose was hidden deep inside her eyes.-
"!"
"One's past makes them who they are." She went on in a more calm tone "Asaha Douji's rage and disgust against all humans was due to my death, making him trust no human. Asakura Yoh's easy going mood came from Asaha's human side, the side that understood everyone. Everyone's past turns them into themselves."
Jun nodded "Ren's personality came from our father's teachings of survival of the fittest. We never interacted with real people, only corpses, thus we grew up surrounded by death."
"That's too cruel even for the heir of an old shamanic family." Macchi protested as she awoke from her small slumber, she rubbed her big purple eyes with her hands.
Jun shrugged and took a sip of the tea in her hands. "We didn't know any other kids our age so we thought all the cruel training was normal."
Macchi shuddered.
Pirika looked at the orange haired girl with eyeing curiosity. "Matilda…you…have a horrible past don't you?"
Macchi shifted herself so that her back was facing everyone; she softly clutched one of her hands. "We Hanaguimi, all suffered from our times with humans…we know most of all Hao-sama's hate towards humans…"
"Mati…" Kanna warned.
Macchi went on ignoring her teammate; she held her broom close to her chest.
"I…would tell my parents about how I would talk to spirits and enjoy myself. They kept telling me to stop, but I wouldn't. One day I went to a rusty old dark abandoned mansion, curious of what I could find in there. There I met Jack…"
She clutched her broom tighter; her heart was aching from all the images that went through her head. Everyone except Kanna listened with interest.
Kanna just looked at the floor her long blue hair shadowing her face.
"I was interested in his stories of all the things he'd done when he was alive. When I told my parents of the stories I was told, they looked at me with great fear, they told me not to speak of that, they were shaking and took many steps away from me, like if I was a vicious monster. I didn't understand why, but eventually I found out…
"There was a rumor going around the town saying I showed signs of being a witch, spending my time in a dark mansion, speaking to spirits, and my unsociable behavior towards normal people. The town did everything to try to get rid of me."
Jun shifted her weight uncomfortably, even if Macchi's back was to her, with the pain in her voice she could sense the agony in her voice.
"They threw stones and bricks at me when I would walk by their houses, leaving me many bruises on my body each passing day. They would come in angry mobs to my house to yell 'GET THAT CURSED WITCH OUT OF OUR TOWN'. By the time the fifth mob came to our house my parents fled…leaving me all alone in this cruel world full of humans.
"One day I fled to where Jack was, there I made this" –she held up her pumpkin doll- "'I want a friend' I told him. That's why I made the doll. Then I decided to go back home that night…that was a big mistake."
"Mati, you don't have to explain this to them," Kanna said to her, she was trying hard to shake back the anger that was bubbling up inside her. "That's enough-"
"SHUT UP!" the girl shouted in protest. She got up glared at Kanna with tears streaming down her face. "I DON'T CARE! I DON'T CARE!" she continued shouting.
"Do you know what it's like, Kanna?! DO YOU!? Do you know what it's like to walk home happily through the dark night with nothing but the moon's light to guide you home, and then the mob finds you and instead of doing the expected yelling and shouting they've always done they…they…" –Her voice began to shake, followed by more tears just pouring out of her purple eyes- "…they throw a gang of five guys at you, who launch you against the wall and you wail in agony, but all they do is laugh, AMUSED by the sound of your screams!!!!! And then they snatch you and tie you down, where one by one they begin to rip their clothes off, as the mob shouts 'RUIN THE ONLY INNOCENT THING SHE HAS IN HER LIFE' or 'PREVENT HER FROM EVER MAKING MORE OF HER KIND!'"
For a while she didn't say anything, her legs shook hard and she fell to the ground, the tears kept coming down but she did not cry. She stared at the floor to keep herself looking at the faces staring at her. She opened her mouth to go on, each of her words shaking.
"And when you begin to think 'If this is what they want to do, how can I stop them? What can I do about it I'm just a witch, nothing more to them?'"
-She raised her head to look at her pumpkin doll; Jack was turning his head to look at her-
"You hear other screams besides yourself and you don't open you eyes to look, but you know what's going on. They were being slaughtered by a doll, a doll that decided to defend me because I was his friend. Then you finally open you eyes and see a pumpkin face looking down at your cold naked body, he takes off his cloak and puts it over you to keep you from being exposed when you already are.
"And then he takes you back to his home where you cannot sleep because you begin to think all about those people being slaughtered and it was all because of you being a damn witch! And you were about to lose your tiny innocence but was saved in the nick of time. How unfair life was to me and those people."
No one said a word. There was a long silence full of sorrow. Bailong walked over and picked Macchi right off the ground and laid her back down on the couch. From there she did not move an inch.
"Do you see now?" Kanna demanded, her voice showing all signs of irritability. "This is why we do not tell of our pasts, it's pointless to be acting like that."
She pointed to Macchi who had now fallen asleep, Kanna shook her head.
"One thing still bothers me…" Jane said out loud to herself.
Pirika shifted in her seat uncomfortably "Really?" She asked "The whole story bothers me."
Jane shook her head, she placed her hands neatly on her lap. "I mean not the story, but the actions of the story."
Pirika grabbed her head. "Headache. Please speak normal Japanese."
Before answering, the blue haired Priestess got off of her chair and checked her long 1860s style green dress, she smoothed it down before she walked over to the sleeping Hanaguimis.
She placed a soft pale hand over Marion's head pulling back the long strands of loose hair.
"Kanna," –Kanna angled her body to look at her- "Hanaguimi has a…phobia of boys, am I wrong?"
Pirika, Jun, and Asanoha jerked up their heads and stared at Kanna, faces all completely awed.
Kanna stiffened and looked away from the audience staring at her; they heard some very quiet cursing as the girl presumably fumbled for a bottle of water next to her.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Damn that Maiden…why does everyone in her damn family have to be so damn observant!" [A/N: By the Maiden's family she includes Anna]
Jane frowned at the cursing, but seemed to have ignored it; she waited patiently for Kanna to answer.
Kanna didn't want to answer, but she sighed. "Yeah we do. Sue us." She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water, avoiding eyes contact from anyone.
There was that uncomfortable silence again, but this silence was filled with a room full of wide eyes and questions flying through each head.
Pirika opened her mouth "How can you three be scared of-"
Kanna glowered at the small Ainu; Pirika closed her mouth and hid behind a pillow.
Kanna turned her backs to them; Ashcroft appeared beside her, looking at her with great worry.
"Miss Kanna-"
"-Let's go Ashcroft, we got severe training to do." She strictly ordered -interrupting her spirit and walking up the stairs before he could say another word.
"You don't have to tell us your reason." -Asanoha looked over to the sleeping flowers- "Just their reason."
Kanna stopped dead in her tracks, you could practically hear the glare in her voice as she said "I'd rather die then reveal those things about my teammates."
She began pacing up the steps one by one. Asanoha smiled to herself and closed her eyes.
Kindness to one's allies is a sign of weakness not loyalty. Friendship is useless; it's just a simple tool to use. If you give in to it then you're kind, and kindness is just another word for weakness.
-Asakura Hao, 500 years ago
"You're weak." Asanoha stated. 'In his eyes'
Kanna stopped once more; she tightened her fists and looked back. "If loyalty to team Hanaguimi, made by the man who saved me from death, is weakness…then I am weak."
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"Anna-chan, wait up" Yoh yelled out as he stopped to catch his breathe.
How long have they been running? Yoh was sure that it was a very long time because the sun had changed its position. Yet it seemed that Anna-chan wasn't tired yet…how is that possible?
Little Anna-chan looked back at him and ran over to where he was. She eyed him carefully then straightened up.
"Sorry, I didn't mean for us to run so far." She told him apologetic.
*Pant* *pant* "It's okay, it was…a new record for me to run this much."
He crumbled to the ground in exhaustion. He laid there for a few seconds to catch his breathe. It was amazing how fast Anna could run, she ran for a pretty long time too.
Suddenly the sun was blocked out of his view by a hand, a small cup of water in its grasp.
He heard Anna's soft melodic voice. "Peace offering." She sang and gave him the cup.
Yoh laughed and sat up; he gave a quick sip and then looked at where they were.
He dropped his cup when he realized where they were.
It was a grand meadow, one that reminded Yoh of the one he had seen inside the Great Spirit. The grass sweetly moved in rhythmic unison with the wind, which howled softly through the beryl trees.
Yoh was speechless.
Anna smiled "Alluring, isn't it?" she asked looking at the place with a small shine in her eye.
Yoh nodded, "I'd never pictured a place so beautiful."
"Neither did I, until it I found it." Anna proudly said.
Yoh smiled.
She smiled.
"Oi, why is Kyoyama-san here?" they heard a voice ask.
The voice didn't seem friendly, the way she said those words, Anna's name especially, sounded as if she said them out of disgust.
Yoh turned to look.
A girl around Anna's age stood there, she had long light purple hair that was in two loose pigtails and her eyes were the same color as her hair.
Yoh had to admit the small girl was cute but compared to Anna, well…
The girl glared at Anna with a long look of extreme dislike on her face.
"Why are you here? I don't need to see such a revolting face around this place. It just ruins the mood." The girl insulted.
Anna got up from the grass and angled her body to where she could face the girl; she dusted off her dress before bowing and softly saying
"Konichiwa, Shio Yui."
The girl she called Yui glared at her with her light lilac eyes. She walked up to Anna and stopped dead in front of her.
SLAP!
Yui smacked Anna across her face with the back of her hand. Anna fell back into the ground; she fell flat on her face and covered herself in dirt.
Behind him, Yoh saw many spirits suddenly appearing, tons of them too, they all evil eyed the lavender girl.
He heard hissing and growls from where the spirits were, he saw that they looked as if they would go over there and deal with the girl their selves.
Yoh suddenly knew that feeling as well.
"How dare you speak my name in such a friendly matter." The girl retorted "Go to hell you roach."
Anna rose from where she was with a huge red hand print on her right cheek. She looked glumly at Yui.
Yui kicked her in her gut, Anna fell back once more, she hit a tree that was to her side, and she flinched in pain.
"Anna!" Yoh shouted, he got up and went to her ready to hold her in his arms.
He bent over to touch her, but…he couldn't.
He tried again.
Nothing.
"Anna!" he shouted once more.
But Anna seemed as if she didn't see or hear him. She looked on, her face completely blank.
Yui looked once again disgusted by Anna's presence. "You've got nothing to offer." –She insulted once more- "You're entirely weak."- she turned around and walked away, but not before calling out- "I told you once to stop leading men away from my older sister…you just never listen."
She paced off as if taking her time to wait for Anna to get up again. Anna stayed down to the tree, she didn't move until Shio Yui was completely out of sight.
Then she stood. "Take that look off your face, Yoh-kun, I'm fine."
Yoh blinked. Did Anna-chan just sound like…
'Like my Anna?'
Yoh shook his head. "Are you really alright?"
He reached over to touch her again, this time he was able to. He slowly walked her over to his arms, he softly embraced her.
"I'm fine." She muffled. "She does that a lot to me."
"Why?"
He dusted her off as she pulled away from his embrace.
"She dislikes me because she thinks I avoid Shio Misaka's chances when it comes to boys." She explained.
Yoh didn't quite understand. It was all over his face. Anna smiled at his puzzled look and went on.
"Shio Yui is Shio Misaka's younger sister, I know it should be the other way around but Yui is a bit protective over her older sister's happiness…"
Yoh nodded; he was starting to catch on…or at least he thought he was.
"My brother left his lunch at home one day, so mum and I decided to go and drop it off during his lunch hour at school. When we opened the door to the classroom everyone was staring at us…their thoughts disgusted me greatly. My brother noticed me getting one of my headaches and decided to leave the classroom. I gave him his lunch and when he went back into the room everyone began asking him…questions."
Yoh decided to skip past being in shock of Anna having a brother.
He thought he had enough shock for one day, but his curiosity began to pick at him. "What did they ask him?"
"They said perverted things to him, asking him who we were, when someone asked if we were his girlfriends, wife and child, and a bunch of other idiotic thing he spoke up and said 'don't suppose such stupid things…that was my mother and sister'."
Yoh bit his lip not to laugh. Anna went on.
"Misaka got picked on by her friends and classmates saying that my brother did not find her attractive because he lives with gorgeous women at home. Ever since then Yui had been on my case, telling me to stay away from her sister's…lovers."
Yoh began to understand, in a way Misaka was jealous of Anna and Yui was the one doing something about it.
But what was Yui going to do?…since she can't stop Anna from being pretty, she can just bully her until she decides to leave town.
Suddenly Yoh didn't like Shio Yui very much. But he wanted to know a good reason why someone would be that mean to Anna…well this Anna at least.
But why would she do this to you? He wondered, then he slowly parted his lips to ask one more thing.
Anna answered him before he could ever ask the question.
"I let her do this to me because it satisfies her. I do not like to see other people suffer because of me, so I do what I can. If doing this," –she pointed to her bruises and grimy white dress- "makes her happy then I'm fine."
Yoh carefully eyed the evidence that Shio Yui left behind, his eye looking over every inch of the small blonde's body to look for damage.
He noticed a bruise forming on the cheek where she had been slapped, then a few cuts to where she ran into the tree.
"How long has she been doing this to you, Anna-chan?"
Anna bit her bottom lip. "…every day for three weeks."
Yoh felt a lump begin to form at his throat. Three weeks, he knew what that meant. She'd been here a month and after that first week……
He winced. Anna noticed.
"I'm fine with it." She told him not bothering to look him in the eyes. "I'm…" –tears began down her eyes- "I'm use to being hated."
"…Anna…-chan…"
"There is no use in crying small child." A voice from behind them spoke.
Yoh froze……that voice, he knew it well. Kami-sama could shoot lighting down to strike him if he was wrong…
Anna cleared her eyes with her sleeve. "Fufufu." –She looked behind Yoh- "You came to visit me again," she said in a new happy tone. "Mr. Matamune."
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DONE! GAH THE NEXT CH. IS GOING TO BE QUITE A CHALLENGE TO WRITE. 0~0
WELL PEOPLE I REALLY NEED TO KNOW HOW I'M DOING HERE, SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR SOME REVIEWS…SO ONEGAI!!!
WELL I HAVE
Maya Aquaria: ARIGATOU, WELL IT GAVE ME GOOSE BUMPS WRITING IT SO I'M GLAD I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE HAHA.
WELL SINCE I ONLY HAD ONE REVIEW FOR THE LAST CHAPTER I'M PRETTY DISAPOINTED WITH MYSELF… :(
I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD REVIEW, I WAS THINKING OF ONLY UPLOADING A NEW CHAPTER IF I GOT AT LEAST 3 REVIEWS FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE BUT…I DECIDED TO BE GENEROUS FOR A BIT LONGER :)
Crystel Hidalgo/ YohAnna4eva