History's Flames

by CrysNaima

Formally Shaman King Manga 300: The Disaster of 500 years Semi-sequal to my Shaman King Manga 286. The past ALWAYS comes to haunt you, will Anna's past stop her and Yoh's strong relationship? And how does Hao's past effect them?

17. Hoshi no Kissu III

[RANDOM A/N: if you were a God-class shaman with an ability what would you look like, what would be your name, and what ability would you have?]

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Yoh and Anna Side Story: "I Didn't Always Not Care"

Yoh was silent, the whole room was silent, nothing could be heard except for Anna-chan's calm breathing. It was amazing how she could sleep so peacefully after all the things that had happened before she became unconscious, being a small child overall. But it was Anna.

"It's not as peaceful as it looks…" a voice came from behind him, he didn't have to turn around to see who it was, but the male voice startled him either way. Edward walked into the room a sketch book in hand, "I thought I would see you here," he looked around the room, "Where's Cadm? I didn't expect him to leave the room once."

"I convinced him to take a break," Yoh softly responded, looking straight at the ground, "He wasn't getting any sleep here."

"Well I'd do the same," the blonde male admitted taking a seat on the other side of the room, he took out a pencil and stared at Anna-chan as if memorizing every angle and detail of her pale and limb body. He looked at the sheet of paper and became concentrated in his work. "I wonder how it is…being inside her head…" Yoh raised his head to look at the blonde as he continued; Edward's head did not once raise itself to look at Yoh, his eyes always glued to either Anna-chan or the sheet of paper. "You know, being in a coma is similar to being in a long sleep, you can dream. I wonder if she is dreaming of yesterday's events. Or of some other events…"

This comment began to make Yoh wonder, of what went on in the young girl's head, his thoughts were interrupted by Damasu, who suddenly entered the room, his face falling as he saw the two males in the room. "Oh, I thought her to be alone…" he fumed in a mutter.

Edward stood from his seat and glared at his father, his eyes wanting to blare holes right through his body, "Like hell, I wouldn't let her be alone with you, unconscious out of all things!"

Damasu smiled and walked over to the bed, writing something down in some medical chart, "Unlike those thugs, I wouldn't place a finger on her. Though I'm surprised Edward, you are not mourning the loss of Misaka…"

"Mourning is pointless."

Damasu frowned, and looked back at his chart, "I see…well you must've at least heard of your mother's condition," Edward raised a brow, as so did Yoh. "She is beginning to lose her memory…" Yoh's eyes widened, as so did Edward's, his mouth dropped open and he couldn't believe his ears, but what stroked him hard was Damasu's next words, "The first thing she's forgetting is Anna."

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Yoh felt weak, he felt like fainting any moment, as if he was going to fall into an eternal slumber. Ohachiyo looked up at him as they walked, "Was the news that bad?" he asked at Yoh. Yoh looked down at him and sighed.

"Akiko-san is forgetting her, Ohachiyo, she's forgetting Anna-chan…"

Ohachiyo shook his head, "That's always one of the first signs…"

Yoh jerked up his head, "Nani?"

"When you start forgetting loved ones…it means you're about to pass on…"

The pain in the Shaman King's chest grew even more. Akiko-san…was soon to die. Anna-chan…was in a coma. Cadm…was soon to die. "Why does everyone have to die? Is it fate to make the ones close to Anna suffer?!" He was tired of it all! People dying, sickness, lies! Why did all of this evolve around Anna?! Why did she have to through such events!? It was unfair for her, for every Shaman Queen, for everyone as a person!

Ohachiyo closed his eyes as he continued to walk, "You know…a Shaman Queen's life outside of Mu is said to be chaos, they divert from the Patch belief, they form their own opinions, and step away from their birthly fate. The tragedies they go through are just tests to get them to be queen material, to be emotionless in deciding events or fates or seeing deaths, that is why they are only to come out of Mu when the Shaman Fight begins, so that they may become used to that."

"But…it's not right…"

Ohachiyo sighed as he and Yoh finally reached the door to Yoh's hotel room, "Life itself is not right, kid, we all should know by now…" with that, he disappeared.

Yoh sighed once more, he was leading himself to depression, but he did not blame Edward's reaction back at the hospital.

In his anger, the blonde Kyoyama had punched his own father in the face, yelling in rage, shouting out harsh insults saying that he must've drugged Akiko-san. If it hadn't been for Cadm coming in, Edward might have killed his father right on the spot. 'What is it with you always taking away our happiness just to feed your?!' he remembered Edward shout at the elder Kyoyama. 'Mom becomes happy by having Anna and now you wish to end Anna's life! She's not a demon! She's not some spirit, Otou-san! She's a kid! A kid!' and then Yoh heard the words from Damasu's heart.

'But she's not MY kid!!' Yoh, again, had seen another reason why his brother wished to kill off humans. They did not want what they couldn't understand; they wouldn't accept the more simpler or logical answer, no. They were greedy, only wanting to have what they knew, and finding out what they didn't know…by force…

Yoh finally got the strength to open the door and face Anna. He did not feel as if he could fool her, no, he knew he couldn't fool her. But at the moment…thinking of his current Anna made him feel…better. Not ideal, but much better. He almost felt human again as he opened the door and stepped into the room.

Inside Anna looked up from her bowl of ramen, chopsticks midway towards her mouth, her eyes slowly moved themselves towards Yoh, only to be met by his eyes. They held their gaze for a few seconds, and in those seconds Yoh felt a big lump form at his throat for no apparent reason. No. He knew the reason. She was the reason. How was it that one person could go through so many painful events as a child and still wish to be alive in such a cruel world? Anna has seen so many die, and she was the cause of their deaths. As a child she had killed people, and had seen a pseudo-death experience, what was next? It was truly sad.

Tears to slowly form in his eyes, his throat became dry, and in his sadness he threw himself into Anna's unexpecting arms. He placed his arms tightly around her, holding her into a tight embrace. Anna slowly blinked and turned her head to look at Yoh's face, but she couldn't. His saddened face was resting on her shoulder, wetting her clothes, his breathing was slow but every now and then he would let out heartbreaking gasps. "Yoh…" she whispered in a dull tone.

She then heard him whisper into her ear, "If you're not going to cry, then I'll cry for you, Anna. It's the least I could do as I see what you've gone through…I'm sorry" he finally finished, the tears coming more and more, he couldn't even think of holding them back. No. He couldn't even think of it. Because he was crying for her.

Anna sighed and slowly pulled away, picking up her fallen chopsticks, "Yoh, this all passed and I'm over it. You too have to get over it."

Yoh stared at her, looking for any hint that told him she was lying. She was entirely serious. Anger suddenly entered into him, "How can you say that?!" he asked loudly, "Anna your childhood is-is-"

SLAP!

Yoh blinked, falling back onto the futon, cupping his swollen cheek, surprised that Anna had once again begun to slap him. He stared at her, she had her head turned away, not daring to face him, "I know how my childhood was, Yoh," she blankly told him, "Remember…it was my childhood, so stay out of it, cause you can't change it." She stood up from the small table and made her way to the bathroom, she stopped before she opened the door, and turned to look at Yoh. "Don't worry," she told him, "I didn't always not care." Then she closed the door behind her with a large bang.

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Hao's P.O.V

Tao Rem would appear soon, no doubt of it. He suddenly wanted her after seeing her attitude, her way of being attracted him as it did me. That girl was very troublesome…how pleasant. Right now the girl was in her new assigned residence, here, while I left her to supervise Emmetto's gathering of food. Yet for some quire reason my mind was wondering off, and not into the Shaman-only world I imagine when I close my eyes, but it was wandering to some unknown territory in my head. But of course there is always someone to disturb the exploration of your mind and this time it was Emmetto.

"So how fast was that?" he asked, dropping to the earth beside me, with three deer and a rabbit hanging from his shoulder.

"I didn't time you," I answered from my position flat against the ground.

"You said you would," he dully complained. 'That's why I didn't take my time…'

"Did I?" I mused, as I laid back, crossing my arms behind my head and casually closing my eyes.

"You're taking the fun out of this, Hao-sama." 'I can't kill as much as I used to…'

I chuckled lightly, "It's your little fun, Emmetto, that damages the very thing I plan on saving, Emmetto. That is why I come along to supervise, and also, the quiet clears my head and helps me think." And I needed to think.

"You're being all love-sick and depressed." 'I've never seen him this way…'

How annoying this boy is… "I'm not all love-sick and depressed," I snapped casually. On the contrary. I was sure I was not in love with the girl, or at least not yet, I was simply just stun by her beauty that naturally came to her, and her attitude kept me entertained.

"If you say so." But his mind mumbled in complaint, pointing out my frustrating behavior of the last few hours. 'In my opinion he should watch how he acts when Tamao is around, so far she's broken three silver dishes with her bare hands in her anger. Hao-sama better watch over her or else she might end up like those other girls that Tamao got rid of off her jealousy…'

"You realize that since we're the only two sentient beings within four miles that yours is the only mind I can hear." I interrupted, I was clearly aware of Tamao's temper problems when it came towards her jealousy. I always wondered how she would be if she were a shy, quiet, and fearful girl…

"So?" he asked as he threw the dead animals to the ground, reaching into the pocket of his leather pants to pull out a knife, then bending down. 'You seemed used to hearing my thoughts, not just mine either, so what?'

So? "So stop thinking those particular thoughts." Sometimes it annoyed me to hear thoughts, not only because I heard countless of pointless unsaid things but also because it reminded me too much of my loneliness. Yet with that girl…

"Yes, Hao-sama." It was quiet for a moment before scandalous images of Tamao came floating into my mind and I knew exactly from whom they came from!

"Emmetto!" I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "I really don't have any desire to see Tamao half naked."

"I know – and I thank you for that," he smirked. 'Even though she's willing to kill anyone countless of times for you, you push her away…it's like…she hates you for making her fall in love with you…'

A love/hate relationship indeed…

"Emmetto," I interrupted him, not wanting to hear the usual, "was it not your turn to look after Ari?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

His eyes went blank, "No, it's Mr. Love-Sick-Number-2's turn…" 'You're number 1…'

I laughed, "And would you be number 3?" I replied in humor.

"Possibly," he answered, as he moved on to the third deer that needed to be skinned, "I've noticed that you've placed me in charge of Arisu more than anyone, Hao-sama."

I rolled my eyes. This was not the conversation I wanted to have. "I trust you more with her." I simply stated. Which was not true. But I was tired of how depressed she has been thanks to Lysander's sickness…he caught the Joan D'Arc bug and there's no cure. But Emmetto seems to make her happy enough, so…why not place her in his care when I'm too busy?

"Why not put her in Nageheb's care?"

I sighed, "You know he doesn't like to be called that," I pointed out. Remembering the newest of my allies, known as Mr. Love-Sick-Number-1 in Emmetto's head, Annai's admire, a quite humorous, yet disturbing relationship to watch. Humorous because Annai thought of him as annoying, disturbing because I have loathed relationships between my allies since Emmetto and Tamao.

"Like hell if I care," Emmetto growled, "Ari's been under his care and watch so why not let her be under his care instead of mine?!" 'She seems to like him a hell of a lot more than me!'

Adolescent minds are so filled with the dullest and tiresome scraps of information that I have often wanted to run screaming from wherever they came from. This case was no exception, seeing as how some of my most trusted allies seem to have grown fond of one another, more than I wanted them to, their minds would usually be creating all sorts of fantasies and daydreams. Every one besides Wilhelmina had one person that they kept in their heads 24/7. It was no surprise that the majority of thoughts eventually wandered into lustful territory at some point.

Now Emmetto's commotion over a silly little care over Arisu; it was absurd, really. What was the point? I had made my decision and my decisions were like law for them, yet he was going to keep this up.

I'll tell you why he doesn't want to be in charge of her, because she confuses him. She may be a year younger than him, but it seems as if her mind works ahead of his, and the way she's always cheerful often makes his heart pound hard against his chest once a day. Which he didn't understand seeing as how Tamao had been the girl of his eyes, since she had brought him onto my care. In his head, his heart responded more to Tamao then Ari. Though the biggest reason why he thinks Ari attracts him is because she reminds him of someone, who he used to love but now hates.

"My decision is final, Emmetto." I finally said.

'Doesn't mean I like it. Ari's right you do need a companion.'

"I never said you had to like it," I corrected, "And I never wanted a companion."

"Annai seems to think so," he added matter-of-factly. I raised a brow and he sighed, "Hao-sama, I may not have telepathic powers but I know when a man wants a woman."

I sighed and shook my head, trying to fight back the laugh building suddenly inside of me. "Why does everything have to be about-"

"Desires?" he finished. "You can't even think of that sort of thing can you?"

"I can, too," I assured. "I'm just more respectful about it than you are. You are still a child after all. You have not yet understood the meaning of respect towards women. Also…we are here to retrieve food for the hungry, not to discuss females."

"Why the hell would you discuss about us?" came my favorite familiar voice.

I enjoyed seeing Emmetto freeze and drop the pieces of animal that no longer had their skin, it was a reaction that almost everyone here in my residence had with Annai. And as she came walking through the trees, letting her senses guide her ever footstep towards us. Her stern face was kept blank, and she stopped when she was close enough to smell meat, and animal blood. "Hurry up and take those repulsive things where the bon fire will be held," she ordered. Emmetto, following her orders, sprang to his feet and carried the meat away, leaving behind the sliced off skin.

I snapped my fingers and let the skins burn under my flame, I went back to relaxing, the flames symbolizing the confusion that rummaged around my head. "Thinking again, huh?" Annai asked, as I heard her body lay itself down beside me. "You've been thinking too much to like my liking, Hao, what is it?"

I opened an eye, glad that she was leaving her mind at blank so I didn't have to have more of a headache, I sat up and rested against a tree instead of the ground, I looked up at the clouds and asked, "Did you ever want a companion?" I was being serious about the question, I remember wanting one before, but what I wanted was a friend. You'd think I would want a new mother figure but no, no one could or would ever replace my mother, my heart would never allow such a thing. And no one could also replace the two friends I've had in my life, Ohachiyo, whom my own selfishness led to his disappearance, and Matamune, whom I'd rather not think of how much I miss. But never once had I wanted a female companion, because I had always thought that that would make me weak and many could use her as an advantage, but then…that girl, why was I so interested in her?

I turned my attention back to Annai, and I noticed her face, for once, was full of hurt. Then a face flashed in her head, the face that caused her that pain.

Oh.

I remembered…

"That's a stupid question, Hao," she snapped softly. Then she stood up, I opened my mouth to say something but she interrupted me with her usual word, "Urusai."

"Hai," was all I said. Then I began thinking, but not about the stunning blonde, but about the Asakura that stood beside me, with her anger showing on her face. The one that looked identical to the blonde, the one who had probably been through more and caused her to lose her feelings, the one who used to smile…

By the time I escaped my thoughts, it was already getting dark. I stood and began to make my way back to my residence, letting Annai overcome her thoughts alone. Every once in a while I saw the beauty of the world at night, its creature, its plants, its very existence…and this is what reminded me, why I do what I do. Why I wished to kill heartless humans that destroy this very thing, and destroy anything and anyone just because they can't explain everything.

Ah those damn cancer cells…

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Normal P.O.V

Tao Rem sat at his throne, his mind far from where he sat, occasionally one of his zombie servants would interrupt his train of though and because of it, he would slice their corpse in half and leave them on the floor of the throne room. This time the large doors of the room creaked and opened themselves, and through them came out Tao Ju, her green eyes and face showing her to be very disturbed. "Nii-san," she said with rage in her voice as she saw the corpses lying on the ground, she wrinkled her nose in disgust and continued walking, "Your mind is troubled because of Asakura, am I right?" she asked.

The male Tao narrowed his eyes at that name, "What do you see in that man, Ju?" he hissed, coming down from his throne, and turning to grab his massive weapon.

"What's not to see?" the younger Tao asked, amused at her older brother's anger, "He's possibly the most powerful shaman on this island," Tao Rem glared at her, "After you of course, Rem," she added calmly. Then she followed her brother out of the throne room and down the hallway, "He could be very useful in our maintaining our strong bloodline, plus, he could help you become Shaman King."

Rem suddenly became angry and slung his weapon at his sister, but she did not falter, two extremely handsome zombies appeared in front of Ju and grabbed the spear before it could strike through her body. One of the zombies, one with long golden hair in a high pony tail with a sincere and gentle face, gently held out Rem's spear. The Tao snatched it out of his hand and glared at the two zombies. "Your new toys are good, very good," he admitted with force.

Ju smiled, "Thank you, Shu and Kyo are both brand new, handsome aren't they?"

Tao Rem rolled his eyes and turned his back on her, beginning to walk once more, "I couldn't say," he muttered as he walked.

Ju frowned as she followed her brother by only a few steps, "Why are you so troubled?! May I recommend acupuncture for you?"

"Shut up!" he ordered, slamming open the doors to the kitchen and walking by, ignoring all the servants of his household that bowed to him, he opened a curtain and finally came out to a balcony, and from there he looked out at the island that he resided in for the Shaman Fight. Ju gently pushed the curtain back and stared at her brother with annoyance. Tao Rem sighed as he looked up at the stars that twinkled in that starry sky; "Tell me Ju," he began, "why is it that that damned Asakura gets everything he wants, without even having to ask?" Ju blinked and looked puzzlingly at her older sibling, "He can persuade anyone to do anything, he can make people cringe in fear by just one look at him, he can control elements as if he were Kami himself."

"So?"

Rem turned around in anger, "So?! I want that power!' he announced furiously, "I want to have those abilities, I want all that he has!! But what I really want…"

Ju raised a brow, fanning herself with the fan that was in her hand, "Is what?"

The Tao turned his back to her and looked to where he could see Asakura Hao's residence in the trees, a small light could be seen there, and smoke faintly rose up to meet up with the earth's atmosphere. He narrowed his eyes, "That blonde…I want her."

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Annaka's P.O.V

Tamamura Tamao…this was the name of the female that from just one look at me had begun to hate me. Her deep and deadly pink eyes looked at me, glaring at me to their fullest. Surly this was one female that didn't care weather she likes you or not, but I was the same and this stubborn girl's gaze was annoying, very annoying. Asakura Hao chuckled at the intensity that came about in the air, "Tamao, are not going to greet the guests?" he asked in an innocent tone of voice that made me want to slap him upside his face.

Tamamura Tamao looked at him with harsh eyes of disbelief, "What?!" she hissed, at him, Asakura Hao raised a brow, she mumbled something that was inaudible to me, then she turned her face as if speaking violently to the flames, "Tamamura Tamao, age 17," she said curtly, then she closed her eyes and turned away, almost as though disgusted by my presence.

…the nerve of her…

I could feel Ultimo acting as my conscious in my head, telling me not to say anything to anger anyone, but hell if I cared! "Female bastard," I muttered loudly under my breathe.

A few bodies tensed, and one pair of eyebrows raised themselves in amusement, as for the pink haired well no one had expected her next move but Arisu, and thanks to her immediate vision I was able to know as well. Knowing what she was going to do, I pushed Ultimo out of the way, where he came crashing down on a tree, and as soon as that happened, Tamamura Tamao held up a slip of paper in the shape of a body, the paper began to glow, "You should realize your own place," she gravely said before the paper exploded as she yelled "Shugen Kijin Shiekihou Gokugi Kamaizuna!" and from it came out the greatest power know to ascentic monks, a shikigami shugen, a God class oversoul formed by throwing away all material possessions and reaching enlightenment.

The Shugen flapped its large white wings and brought down it sword on me, getting ready to slice my body in two, but that damn thing had another thing coming. The thing was just several feet away before I opened my mouth, the words, "G.S: Mu-Mu-Myou-Yaku-Mu," escaping from my lips, and in that same instance I saw the tugen freeze, but not disappear…

'Why'd she stop it?'

'Nani?'

'Phew, she was just kidding…'

That's what the others were saying, but I knew better. That girl's mind was filled with cursing as to what I had just done, but, I must've not done it well enough.

"That's enough, Tamao," Asakura Annai ordered, grabbing the beads around her neck and, in one swing, wrapping them around the Tugen. From the side of my eye I saw Lysander Diethyl picking at something in his sleeve, his tiny spirit going into the sleeve as well.

Tamamura Tamao's eyes lit up into a raging pink fire, she swung herself on her feet to turn and view the female Asakura. "You have no right to call me by my name," she hissed violently, "I've told you what to call me-"

"-And I could care less," the brunette responded snapping her beads tighter around the Tugen, as if trying to release her temper as well, but extending Tamamura's to her limit. Tamamura simply glared at her and snapped her fingers, the Tugen turning back into that thin slip of paper. Then she turned back to look at me, her pink eyes glaring flames at me.

"You're an eyesore to me," she spat, "Don't get comfortable." With that said, she left.

My eyes narrowed themselves, and I heard Asakura Hao's annoying chuckle at the event. "She doesn't seem to like you," he stated, much to my annoyance.

I turned my back to him, "I could care less," I snapped, realizing I had just said the same words as the female Asakura, without looking at any of them, I walked over to Ultimo, and yanked him up by the arm, he dusted himself off and looked at me with fearful eyes, 'She was terrifying…' I rolled my eyes. then I turned back to face Asakura Hao, "I don't honestly see anything of you showing to me that you're the next king. For the moment I can only see your grave."

His calm face changed when his lips curved upward into a smile, he closed his eyes, and turned his back to me, his long hair flowing with the wind as he did, "You may not see it now, but my abilities will prove themselves at the beginning of the fight. I'm sure you'll be very impressed and see the light in my abilities."

I bet. I looked at Asakura's followers, Leikos Emmetto, Ming Wilhelmina, Lysander Diethyl, Patch Priestess Arisu, Asakura Annai, and Tamamura Tamao. Six followers that, according to everyone, were on the wrong side, the side of a human-less world…idiots…

I noticed Arisu was looking right at me, her eyes looking worried. Beside her Lysander also looked at me and he spoke up, "Please don't worry, Rose-san is like that to all new members…" 'Hao-sama is interested in this girl…this is problematic for her…'

Problematic for me? More like problematic for the idiot and all of his followers. Though another thing bothered me, had he just called Tamamura Tamao Rose? Or was he referring to another "threat" I had to worry about. At the moment, I didn't care, ignoring Lysander I just turned back to look at Asakura. "Since I seem to be held captive, I'd like to know why."

"I'm sure you know why," was Asakura's response.

Hormones. And a lot of them, men really only could think with their parts. "I'm sure I do." I muttered in disgust, "What an honor then," I smirked, "So are you going to throw me in a harem with these other females you have?"

He closed his eyes and laughed, "Haha, do I look like that type of person?" he asked in humor. And yes, he did actually. "Actually I respect you a lot. And I really hope you can join me in the Shaman Fight, surly you'll be useful."

Beside me, I felt Ultimo freeze into shock. And I narrowed my eyes, "What do you mean?" I asked gravely. Did he really want me to join him? Did this calm and annoying idiot break through my shield? Did he know who I was?

No. He couldn't have. All he did was smile, "I'm sure you've heard of my purpose in becoming Shaman King," he said to me as calm as ever, "And my dream hasn't changed."

"So you want Joou-sama to help you?" Ultimo asked worriedly behind me, shaking in fear, "What do you need Joou-sama for, Asakura Hao?!"

"Joou-sama?" I heard Ming Wilhelmina say in angry confusion, she gently tossed back a mess of red curls behind her shoulder, "Queen of what?" she asked, her voice showing her disapproval.

Ultimo immediately covered his mouth, realizing his mistake, 'Oh no, I just gave away valuable information on Joou-sama!' he looked up at me with stupid eyes representing that of a child, 'I'm sorry Joou-sama!'

I looked at him and sighed, he was a child after all. I placed my hands on my hips and walked forward towards Asakura, "Why the hell should I help you? Okay that's enough, tell me what the hell you want from us." Once again I felt Ultimo freeze in place once more at my words. 'Joou-sama~~~' I ignored his pleases and kept my stand, this guy was really annoying, and I was starting to loathe him with a passion.

"Hahaha, what an attitude, you do act like a Queen," Asakura laughed, his smile making me want to slap it off his face. That smile remained on his face even as his face became calm, but this time it was a soft and gentle one, "I like you," he said, and for some reason I felt something pound hard against my chest, "Even if you don't decide now…whenever you want help, I'll be here for you…Joou-sama."

I felt a vain pop around my temple, the idiot was making fun of me. "My name…" I began as I felt my hand itch, then my arm lifted itself up, "-is Annaka, you AHO!" just as I was going to bring my arm down to smack that grin off of his face, he grabbed my wrist, the sound of the impact could be heard for miles away from where it came from. And for the first time, since Nee-san stole my emotions, I felt shock and horror.

Asakura Hao…stopped my slap…

Then I saw him raise his hand up as well, and he slammed it down on the tree behind me, right next to my head. "I'm actually very interested in you, suited to be the Shaman King's wife even, but then again…the Shaman King will be me."

That thing in my damn chest began pounding like crazy for no damn reason, what the heck was pounding in their anyway, my heart?! No…my heart wouldn't pound for this…this…cocky bastard!

I noticed something very interesting though. One of my legs was right in front of his area, one quick movement and…

"Hao, enough games," Asakura Annai ordered as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The damned Asakura let go of me and moved himself away from me, Ultimo came rushing over to where I was, his eyes showing guilt for being able to do anything. What could he have done anyway? This man was The Asakura Hao.

I pushed myself forward with one arm, pushing back the hair that was on my face, "Of course I'll be Shaman Queen," I muttered softly to myself, Asakura Hao looked at me and raised a brow, "I'm positive," I said in normal tone of voice, "that someone will defeat you for sure." I turned on my heels and began walking, "Come on Ultimo, this bon fire is over," I ordered.

Ultimo followed close behind me and we headed in the opposite direction from where Lysander had brought us in. I stopped for a brief moment while Ultimo went ahead, then I let go of my shield for a second, long enough to hear Asakura Hao's voice enter my head.

'Annaka, huh?' his voice mused inside of me.

My eyes widened…when did I-?

'My name…is Annaka, you AHO!'

I closed my head and rubbed my temples as I walked, "Idiot," I muttered to myself as I headed back to the room assigned to me…

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I couldn't sleep, how could I? That idiot was able to block one of my movements, something no one in my life had ever done, even if it was something as simple as a slap, he still…

My mind was feeling claustrophobic in that room, so I left it and sat where I was on the outdoor wooden hallways. Then could I think clearly. Asakura Hao…that man was truly powerful, his furyoku was higher than any shaman I have ever sensed before…and he didn't use any to stop my slap…Asakura Hao…how much furyoku did he really have?

"Annaka-Nee-san…" that familiar high pitched voice called out. I turned my head to the left and saw Arisu coming behind the female Asakura. She peeked from behind Asakura Annai's orange kimono and gave me a worried smile, "don't be mad, Onee-san, Hao-Nii-sama just-"

"-Don't try to clear anything up, Ari," the female Asakura interrupted, "she knows."

I narrowed my eyes and turned my head away, "If you come to bother me then I suggest both of you leave." I ordered, I've had enough nuisances for one day, I didn't need anymore. Yet I heard movements and when I turned to look, Asakura Annai was sitting right beside me, a cup of green tea in her hands.

"You're annoyed by his power am I right?" she asked me, taking a sip of the tea casually. She acted as though we were commenting on the weather, as if this type of conversation happened all the time in one's life.

"What makes you think that?" I asked just as casually, it was truly no ones business to get into my life.

"I might be blind, but I can sense you anger and expression, besides…" she paused and brought the cup to her mouth, closing her eyes as she sipped the liquid into her mouth, then she opened them and pulled the cup away, "His power also…used to annoy me." I raised a brow as she continued, "His carefree personality once lead me to believe that he had never trained before, that that power was just through his bloodline, but I was wrong. The idiot had spent 400 years training in hell, his motivation and dream of a human free world caused him torture, torture that led him to become as strong as he is."

"Humans, shamans, what's the difference?" I asked dully, staring up at the shining white moon that illuminated the night, "The only difference is the ability to see spirits, the worth of one's life shouldn't be decided by spiritual ability, but weather the person is good or bad."

"Humans are hateful things." She snapped back in disgust, "They quickly become corrupt, they betray, and lie. They hurt the other living things around them, such as this world and those who have the spiritual ability to see spirits. They destroy what they don't understand, and if they see something they want…they'll take it by force until they have it…"

I looked at her face, and her expression told me that behind that last sentence said there was something deep within her. These people…did they hate humans for personal reasons?

"Nee-san," Arisu's voice piped up softly, interrupting my train of thoughts, I looked at her and she had that same sad smile from before, "Don't be mad at Hao-Nii-sama, he really wishes to help this world…just like he's helped us…"

I violently stood up, "How the hell has that guy helped you?!" I snapped in anger, no…in rage. How a man as vile as Asakura Hao had saved/helped anyone I would never believe. That man has killed many for no damn reason other than to suit his motive in getting rid of his opponents. He was no savior or saint, he was mad!

Yet this small pixie-like girl looked at me with sincere eyes, her face looking both angelic and mature of sorrow, she looked away and looked at her hands, "It's personal…and different for each of us, but surly if you get along with most of us then one day we'll surly tell you."

The last thing I wanted to do was getting along with these clueless beings, I was about to say this aloud until I heard a rustle in the bushes, then to my surprise I saw the female Asakura freeze as if in shock. "Shit," she muttered, "He's here." It didn't take long until I realized who he was but in an instant I saw Arisu's sincere eyes disappeared and turned into big blue orbs of childish joy, she jumped up and launched herself into the bushes, screaming in childish delight.

I looked at the brunette beside me as she stood up, her face looking extremely annoyed for unknown reasons, "I better get out of here," she whispered to herself. That's when I heard male-like laughter match Arisu's childish joy. "Dammit," Asakura Annai muttered angrily, 'Too late.'

From the bushes there was another rustle and from it a figure began to come out of it, it was a male and a very familiar one too. I wasn't surprised anymore at Hao's allies being people close to the Shaman Fight, so when I recognized the long pitch black hair, and blue eyes with the Patch uniform, all I could think of was how many people have deceived Nee-san. Arisu had her arms around Nagehiko pretty tightly, as if it was some kind of brother-sister bond between the two, Nagehiko didn't seem to mind the small pixie hanging off of him, but one thing did surprise me, and it was when the male Patch looked at the female Asakura.

First I saw the blood rise to his tan cheeks, then I heard a loud and rapid pounding sound against his chest. Arisu too must've noticed these signs because she smiled knowingly and let go of Nagehiko, which was when, in a flash, he ran up at an amazing speed and wrapped his arms around Annai. "Annai-chan!" he said with a boyish grin as he held her in his arms.

If I could have, I would have laughed at the scene, but I couldn't, so I simply stared. Asakura Annai began pushing against the male Patch's chest, "Let go of me, right now!" she ordered in a harsh hiss, but Nagehiko wouldn't, "Nagehiko!" she growled in rage as he rested his head on her shoulder and then, to my surprise, he became unconscious and fell on top of her. "Get off of me, baka!"

Arisu's eyes went wide, "Nagehiko-Nii-san!" she yelled as she ran to him, rolling his unconscious body off of the female Asakura. She blinked as she saw a small wound on his chest, Nagehiko began to open his eyes, groaning in pain, Arisu sat up, "What happened?!" she asked.

"Complications," was his response, "I sort of…killed a man."

Asakura Annai sat up and crossed her arms as if she could care less, yet she opened her mouth, "Congratulations, you're one of us now," she sarcastically said. Nagehiko looked at her and gave her a boyish smile.

It seemed as if it took Arisu several minutes to recover from the news, she sat there with her blue eyes staring at him in disbelief, "Why?" she whispered in question, "Why would you kill someone?! Nagehiko-nii-san, most of us have killed someone you didn't have to join us in such way!"

Asakura Annai shook her head in annoyance, "It can't be helped, Ari," she snapped, then she turned her head, "What was the fight of?" she asked Nagehiko.

He slowly began to stand, balancing himself on his knees, "Nothing that would concern any of you," he replied, his knuckles tightening, making me think it did concern them, "but I killed him either way, damn Romanov." He finally straightened himself and he finally looked at me and his eyes got wide.

I rolled my eyes, these expressions are getting old. I lowered my shield and I noticed there was something different in the reason behind his expression. 'Those red eyes…that furyoku…this girl couldn't be…' I immediately put my shield back up, I saw it, he had seen it. He had seen my eyes when he loaded us on the carriage to make our way around the island. Damn him.

"I'm sure Rose didn't take this too well did she?" he asked, his eyes wandering to me as he said 'this'. I raised a brow at hearing the name 'Rose' again. I narrowed my eyes at him and he turned his gaze away from me, turning to look at Asakura Annai.

"Tamao can get over it," Annai snapped, "Jealousy is not a very unique trait in a lady."

Arisu was silent in this conversation, she just looked from Nagehiko, to the Asakura and back. 'These two fight on forever. They're practically fighting like a married couple. Though Tamao did seem madder than she usually is…oh Nagehiko-Nii-san and Lysander-kun had called her Rose today, meaning that they still are merely acquaintances…Tamao did seem a bit mad at Annai for calling her by her name…they'll never get along will they?'

Without even realizing she had given me an answer to something I had been pondering for a while now. Diethyl Lysander had called Tamamura Tamao 'Rose' as so did Nagehiko. Everyone else called her formally, meaning that the newer members were Diethyl Lysander and Nagehiko, or maybe she didn't let those whom she hated call her by her name. If that were the case…that girl…she was as stubborn as a demon.

The female Asakura turned her back to the male Patch, "No," she answered to a question I had obviously missed in my own curiousity, "You're a nuisance, go away," she ordered sternly.

All of you are a nuisance to me, I wanted to say. I wished to leave right now. But how could I, if I didn't know where to go, it was like walking in pure darkness, being lost with no way of knowing where to go. I got up from my position and turned around, heading for my quarters until Arisu's voice came in, "Nee-san, are you hungry? You didn't eat at all-"

"Leave it outside," I sternly ordered. Not stopping my walk until I made it safe in my room, I slid the door behind me, and sighed. Food…just another thing in my life I have lived without, as part of a purifying ceremony I am to fast everyday, no food, just water. I had never known how it tasted, but I knew humans couldn't live much without it…but then again…I wasn't human.

As I rested my back against the door and slid my way down to the floor to sit, Ultimo stirred and gazed at me with his quire eyes, he opened his mouth as if to ask what was wrong, but I just glared at him, and his mouth closed itself once again. 'She seems so…disconnected! I wish she would just smile.' I heard him wish. I narrowed my eyes and glared at the floor in anger, this was all Asakura's damn fault. That man was like a plague! I couldn't get his face out of my mind. The look of amusement on his face when he saw my glare, was a nuisance, a large one. Attitude seemed to be something he enjoyed to see.

The stubborn bastard……

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Hao's P.O.V.

What made living so special? Why was it that when you threatened one's life they would always say they wanted to live? Waking up every morning to me seemed like waking up in hell, and I knew what that was like. I was walking along the outdoor hallways of my residence, stopping before the door of a certain room, my eyes wandered the edge of the door, where four silver plates sat there, full of food that was uneaten.

I sighed. Is this girl planning on starving herself to death as a form of protest? How uncouth...

I continued with my walking, making my way past Wilhelmina's room, Emmetto's room, when I got to Lysander's room I saw him placing his shoes on his feet, his face containing that same expression he has when he is thinking of her. "Going to see Stubborn-sama?" I asked. He winced at my presence and looked up at me in surprise, his eyes showing a bit of shame of his intentions for today.

"I'm sorry Hao-sama, but…Annaka-san's eyes reminded me of Joan…"

I sighed. This man was too honest. He was like an open piece of literature that read what it had written. I didn't mind this, but whatever was in his head he would repeat it through his lips, and I hated repetition. I turned my back to him and began walking away, "Do as you wish," I told him, "I'm in no mood to handle such situations today." I found myself pausing before adding, "But you'll be the one explaining your absence to Ari." With that I walk on. Emmetto had a point yesterday morning, I didn't trust Diethyl. I didn't trust anyone for that matter except for maybe Annai and Ari.

Annai has always reminded me of a younger version of my mother, minus the hair and missing of her vision, but the rest was exactly like her. As for Ari…well her story was too long to tell, at least, for the moment.

The waters of the river was cold, which fit the purpose of cooling my head perfectly, I immediately felt relieved. Bathing this always cleanse one's mind after all. And it was very clear, until I heard a twig snap for no apparent reason, to my surprise I heard no thoughts in that area. No animals thinking of coming near, no human or shaman thinking of what was ahead. Nothing. That to me meant one person. Her.

"If you wished to see me naked you could've just asked," I said aloud as I heard a body tense in the few feet of distance. I smirked and closed my eyes, "Did I startle you, Miss Annaka?" I asked, wondering if I really did.

Her face came into view now, and her blank façade changed when she realized I was bathing. How amusing to see those wide crimson eyes stare at me and those smooth-like lips open in shock, it seems I had startled her. I chuckled softly, "Seems I'm in an uncompromising situation," I drawled.

"You look as if you don't have any care in the world that a young woman is seeing you naked in a public river." She stated coldly, regaining her previous composure.

"Well, if it's you then I don't mind," I admitted. "Do you want to join me? It's big enough for the two of us."

Her face changed once more, blood rushing to her face and making it a light pink instead of its usual pale peachy color I've seen, "What a hentai you are, Asakura," she spat out coldly.

I laughed, "I am just a man, most think this way." And if he doesn't then I question his sexuality…

But to be honest who wouldn't think like this about her? She was unnaturally flawless, even with those flaming blood colored eyes her face had beauty, every angle and detail was in place, as if carved by Kami's own hands, a carving that took years to perfect. And as for her body, that took the breath out of me. She was not wearing that loose cloak she had on yesterday but she was wearing a black sleeveless dress that belonged to Annai, which was the only thing we could find for her to sleep in. Wilhelmina's features were much too big, Ari was too small, Tamao wouldn't let us borrow anything to give her, and Annai was the only option left. It was a night gown, as Nagehiko called it, Patch women used it to sleep, he had given Annai one but she had not once used it.

But it fit Annaka all too well…

"I've noticed all men think that way," she spoke up, "you are all filthy beings."

"Harsh," I mused, but frowned for a moment as I pondered the reason behind her words, "personal experience with suitors? Husband perhaps?" I dared to ask.

She blankly looked at the ground, "You ask as if I've had many men in my life, or as if I am not of virgin," as she said the words a frown came upon her face and I ached to get in her head.

"Are either of them true?" I asked, noticing that I was getting a bit too interested in her personal life.

She looked aghast at the thought, "No. Why the hell would one think that of me?"

"Why would I not have reason to think it?" I implied.

Her eyes narrowed at me, I had made her mad, but for some reason I found her anger attractive as if it was luring me in slowly. "What the hell are you implying?" she hissed.

I sighed, would she really think I would sink so low as to think something like that? "It's not what you're thinking," I assured her, she was definitely no prostitute, "it's just…over the years I have found that beautiful women have…" how could I word this? "Complications."

She raised a brow, "Example?" she asked. Now she was getting a bit too personal.

I chuckled at her sudden curiosity, but I knew just the answer to give her for her question. "Wilhelmina," I said, "is not a virgin."

She rolled those round rubies and looked at me, "I wouldn't have guessed," she said sarcastically. I knew what she meant by that, Wilhelmina's appearance attracted men as if they were vultures looking for the best food. But I was not about to let this girl misunderstand where I was going with this.

"But she didn't chose not to be," I informed.

Her eyes grew, she had not expected that to come out of my mouth, "You mean…" she had an idea of what I meant.

"That situation you were in yesterday," I explained more thoroughly, "the man went all the way with her, then he beat her and threw her out into the streets, where the situation happened again with a group of four men, they left her there to die."

Silence took over a bit too quickly, she was in shock, trying to process those words I had told her. Her eyes had hardened and guided themselves down to stare at the ground, blocking me from even guessing of what was going through hr head. Finally I saw her eyes rise and her lips pursed together into a thin line before parting, "Well I can assure you I am completely untainted," she assured me, her blank façade reappearing on her face.

I closed my eyes and smiled, placing my hands on the grassy land in front of me, "I find that very hard to believe," I admitted smiling at her angered expression, "But," I added, "if that's the case then please close you eyes." she raised a brow at me and to my surprise she closed her eyes, not only that but she sat down on the grass and turned her head in the other direction, as if she knew what I was going to do. I slowly raised a brow, was she beginning to trust me or just starting to mock me? Either way I raised my body from the waters and slowly made my way over to where my yukata was laid out on a nearby boulder, quickly grabbing it and tying it around me, turning back to Annaka.

I realized her eyes were opened, though they weren't looking at me, they were staring, practically glaring into the woods, she was troubled by something. She noticed my gazed and turned her head to look at me, then her eyes narrowed, "What?" she demanded to know.

I closed my eyes and chuckled, making my way over to her, but stopping two feet in front of her, then kneeling down to her, our eyes being on the same level. "You're troubled," I told her, "I'd like to know why."

"And I'd like you to keep your distance," she said harshly, her eyes pointing out how extremely close I was to her at the moment.

I smiled and stepped back another foot, "Your turn," I said with humor. She glared at me and kept her mouth shut, ignoring my humorous demand. I stood up and turned my back to her, "Well have it your way," I said, "I won't try so hard to get into that beautiful head of yours, the silence of it is actually quite comforting." With that I began to walk away until I heard her thoughts leave through her lips.

"Arisu said that almost everyone of your followers had killed someone…" she finally asked, her tone not one I appreciated, it was accusing, enraged, and bothered by the opinion she considered a fact. I looked back and noticed her eyes looked at me in a way that they matched her tone of voice.

I couldn't help but to laugh, she was worried over a few worthless lives of those who have damaged our lives, how stupid, yet I found it so humorous. My laughing stopped and I saw her glaring holes at me, she was annoyed, and really wanted an answer. I smiled to myself and looked at the morning sun before I answered her, "You know, Ari gives us more credit than we need."

A brow raised itself on her face, "What do you mean?"

"All of us, but Ari, have killed someone," I looked away from her as I said this, so she could not notice the smirk that crept up my face, but I could feel her gaze on me hardening. "But she was about to, back when she was younger, but you won't hear it from her…ever." I added.

"Tell me." She ordered.

I sighed as I remembered the story and told it to her just as I remembered it, and it was an entertaining and bothersome story to remember, if I recall correctly. "Have you ever heard of the Molina?" I asked her as I tried to think of a way to begin this. She shook her head, and I chuckled, "You must be human not to have heard of them," I mocked, she narrowed her eyes and I continued. "Humans do not know of them, at least not yet, but they are the largest clan of shamans after the Patch tribe. This is why the two are rivals, the Molina want control over the Shaman Fight but the Patch have always been the ones to control the will of the Great Spirit." She nodded, showing her understanding of the situation.

"The Molina have the despicable idea of turning humans into shamans in order to one day be in control of the Great Spirit, their theory is simple. Capture humans, have them in a divine near-death experience, then if they do not have a shamanic ability they kill them right on the spot."

I didn't care as much of the fact they were killing humans, it made my job easier, but what disgusted me was the fact they would even think of turning a bunch of damn humans into shamans. Made shamans were just as useless as humans.

"Big Chief's daughter had triplets thirteen years ago," I went on, lying on my back and crossing my arms behind my head, "a boy and two girls, the boy died," or at least that's what Big Chief believes, "Arisu and Arrison were left. While during their younger moments Arrison showed the shamanic ability to manipulate and use any weapon, in the Patch's eyes Arisu didn't prosper in any ability. In Big Chief's rage he came up with a plot."

A plot that gives me a reason to kill him.

"While Arrison was in Switzerland being taught to take better control of…her ability, the Patch sent Arisu to Spain with the supervision of a Patch named Nadeshiko. Arisu believed she was simply sightseeing, she was a child after all, her mind was naturally foolish. They looked around the town of Segovia, the new residence of the Molina, they heard someone playing the rebec with a harmonious tune. Ari was astonished and pulled Nadeshiko over to where many watched a woman play, the woman noticed Arisu from the distance and stopped playing, and she jumped down from the platform and walked over to her, asking her and several other children to follow her. For some reason, they followed her without thinking it over twice. She led them to a cathedral that was being constructed; there they were greeted by a man named Haro, leader of the Molina. Ari immediately caught his eye, he had seen her physical traits before…"

The man Haro, as the female rebec player called him, came out of the shadows that hid him, he looked like a noble Spanish man, with long, shoulder-length, extremely straight dark brown hair, that could be mistaken for a lighter black, and violet eyes which seemed lighter with his light olive skin but yet dominated his face. He looked over Arisu and grinned almost entirely too cheerfully. "Well isn't this a surprise!" he yelled in excitement, "You are most definitely a stunning child now aren't you?"

Arisu looked back towards where Nadeshiko stood, Haro followed her gaze, noticing Nadeshiko among the other children around, he smiled before turning back to Ari, saying, "Oh you must be shy with all the attention given on to you," he said, then turning to the rebec player, "Salome, take the rest of them to the music room and get Feliciano to test their…vitality in music."

Salome nodded and smiled to all the younger children, she took several by the hand and began to walk, leading them down the hall, Nadeshiko caught her eye, "Y el?" she asked in her native tongue. Haro looked at him and smiled crookedly, talking to Salome with his eyes, she nodded and led him down the hall as well. Haro turned his gaze back to Arisu, his eyes sparkling with glee. He walked over to her and bent down.

"Tell me, pequeña," he began, "What potential do you have?" Arisu blinked at the question, "You look a shaman to me," he mused, "Is my assumption correct?" Arisu kept quiet, looking back down the hall to where Nadeshiko was taken away from her, her face began to show worry and much eagerness to leave. Haro sighed in disappointment and began to rise as he spoke, "It'd be a waste to kill you, niñita…" Arisu's head jerked to look at him, her eyes extremely dilated in horror. Haro turned around and began to make his way up a stairway to sit on a large golden throne with a large 'M' on the top of it, he bent back and sat on the throne his expression a fake troubling one, "Well there are ways I can find out," he smiled maliciously and looked behind him at the shadows behind the thrones, "Jasparo," he called behind him, "Me ayudas?"

From a large entrance behind the golden chairs in the shadows came out a boy with unruly honey blonde hair, with a tall and lean figure, and light, almost periwinkle-grey eyes. He seemed to be a few years older than her, around fifteen maybe, Ari was only ten, but her height would confuse many. Jasparo, as Haro called him, step forward even more, his face was cold and stern as if he was about to murder her with his glare.

Arisu began to take light steps back, when she saw Jasparo take another step, about to descend down the steps, she turned around and began to run.

Jasparo looked at Haro, who gave a gesturing nod, the honey blonde male jump from the stepped platform and ran after Ari. His speed was incredible, faster than any bear or tiger she had ever seen run, it was as if he had been behind her all along, never moving from a spot within arms reach. When he was a foot behind her, he grabbed her by the arm, jerked her around to view him and then slammed her to the ground on her back. Arisu struggled to get free but Jasparo had her pinned down by her arms and towered over her. Finally Ari opened her lips, "Let me go! Let me go!" she shouted in her high pitched voice.

Haro blinked at the sound of her voice, it was so angelic, so pure and full of innocent beauty, like that of a child, "What a magnificent and godly tone of loveliness…" he muttered to himself in analyzation. Jasparo also seemed stunned, at hearing her voice he let out an almost inaudible gasp, to distract himself he looked at Haro for the signal to continue with his assignment. Aro smiled. "Go ahead," he ordered.

Ari's blue eyes got wide and she began to squirm some more, she closed her eyes when she saw the blonde's eyes grow vicious, but she yanked them open when she felt his lips pressing fiercely against hers. The blood rushed to her head and the temperature of her body increased. When she tried to move she realized she couldn't, the male's body was on hers, his arms were no longer pinning her arms down, but holding the sides of her face. She shut her eyes tightly, trying hard to yank her head away from his lips, it had only been two seconds till she felt him suddenly jump, as if an electrical current had struck him, which is what happened. His eyes flew open and suddenly he felt different, hungry, but not for food, he felt hunger for her lips. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, familiarizing itself with the new territory it was in. Tears filled Ari's eyes, Jasparo's lips left hers and were now making their way down her neck and back to her lips. A ball formed at the pixie girl's throat, she was about to scream some more but before she could, she felt a great weight relieved off of her by force, and a loud crash followed.

She opened her eyes and sat up, Jasparo had crashed into the stairway on the other side of the room, she looked behind her and saw Nadeshiko glaring at the boy, and oversoul on his hands and feet…

I paused for a moment to catch my breath, noticing Annaka's look of disgust, I laughed. "What's with that face?" I said through my laughter.

Her gaze hardened, "What was that damned hentai trying to do to her?" she asked out of annoyance, her hands balled into two tight fists.

I shook my head, she really hated perverts didn't she? "Jasparo has the ability to…taste whether or not someone has their own special shamanic ability, and can classify that person's ability through lip contact, whoever his lips touch he knows their ability in a matter of two seconds. Haro finds this much easier when needing to separate the God class shaman from the normal shamans. You may say that he…liked Ari's taste…"

"How uncouth." She protested, I smiled, I agreed on her on that small note of opinion. "Then what?" she asked obviously interested in Ari's biography. I smirked at her before continuing.

"Others of the Molina joined the fight, eventually Nadeshiko was outnumbered and ran out of furyoku, he was half dead at that point…"

Haro laughed, "Ahh Nadeshiko," he mused, "Did Big Chief really not think I wouldn't realize this girl's physical traits?" Nageshiko glared at the man, but stayed silent. "Well I believe you won't mind if I end your rude misbehavior now, will you?"

"NO!" Arisu shrieked in Jasparo's arms, "No, no please!" she begged, trying to leave the blonde male's strong grasp, she pushed and shoved until she kicked him in the shin hard enough to make him let go. She ran over to where Nadeshiko was lying on the ground and threw her arms around him protectively. Haro raised a brow and laughed amusingly.

"She is so desirable!" he announced in giddy tone, "That's it! I want her!" Arisu felt Nadeshiko tense, Haro laughed, "No worries, dear Patch, not like that!" he assured with a crooked smile, "I want her and her ability."

No matter how he put it, it still sounded as if he had bad intentions……

"What ability are you talking about you bastard?" the Patch hissed through his rays of pain that had been inflicted upon his body. Arisu lowered her head, her black bangs covering her eyes. A muscular man with short curls of brown hair, Feliciano, held a sword to Nadeshiko's throat.

The giddy man raised a brow, "Surely your tribe new of her prophetic ability and simply came here accidentally?" the silence made him think otherwise. "Oh no." he said in a tone of shock as a new theory came about his mind, "Don't tell me you got orders to bring her to us so we could turn her to a god class shaman?" Nagehiko kept his mouth shut, Haro broke into laughter. "Hahaha! Seriously? Has the Patch brought forth such lowly theories into their culture?! Hahaha, please! According to Jasparo's sense of taste, dear Arisu has been god class since birth!"

I quite remember the day I had realized of Ari's powers, it was the first day she spoke to me. "Your future does not show you're evil." She had said to me, if I couldn't have read her mind that would've been the quote of realization. But those bastards, the Patch, had always failed to notice these damn give-away-able details. Also, Ari never wanted them to know.

Arisu raised her head to stared into Nadeshiko's face. His dark blue eyes penetrating her very being, trying to find any small sign that said the man's words weren't true, he found nothing. A growl rumbled low in his chest. Jasparo stiffened as Nadeshiko found strength and grabbed Arisu's shoulders to shake her. "Have you been keeping this since you could talk!?" he hissed in question, his fury barely in check, "Do you have ANY idea what Big Chief had planned other than THIS to get you to get an ability?! He wouldn't have cared if you died! He still has Arrison, his only descendent that didn't keep a damn ability hidden! Tell me Ari, ARE YOU STUPID!?!"

Arisu pursed her lips together, trying to hold back all the tears that stung her eyes, Nadeshiko pushed her away violently, suddenly clutching his ribs in pain. Arisu fell back to the ground, but Jasparo caught her and circled his arms around her once more. The air in her lungs was leaving her, she felt dizzy, and the lump in her throat didn't help much, she looked at Haro and opened her mouth to speak, "Please," she begged between gasps for air, "Don't…kill…him. We'll…do…a trade. My life…for his…"

"Dibs on killing her," a very tall and muscular man with curls of brown hair on his head piped up, Feliciano.

Jasparo's body stiffened, crushing the small Patch to his chest, burying her face to his shirt, he gave a quick jerk to turn and face Feliciano then at Haro, narrowing his grey eyes at him, "Don't you dare…" he hissed menacingly.

A girl with blonde, almost white, hair and blue-violet eyes, who stood beside of Haro looked at Jasparo blankly, but her lips pursed into a thin line at his words. Haro, on the other hand, immediately beamed at the words, "Well this is a nice turn of events!" he turned to Arisu, "Sorry my dear but if I kill you Jasparo is going to be very angry at me, then Idina here," he pointed to the blonde girl beside him, "will also be troubled."

The girl with the snowy hair, Idina, dully looked over at Feliciano. Then she began to take light, gentle steps down the 10-step stairway leading to the five golden thrones at the far end of the room, she made her way over to where Feliciano and Nadeshiko stood, she removed the sword, held by Feliciano, away from Nadeshiko's throat, and looked at him. "I say we let him go," she said, "Let fate take care of him, but…we keep the girl." All in the room widened their eyes at the girl's opinion; she straightened up and began walking back to her beloved leader, "If Haro wants her, I won't disagree."

Arisu tensed, not out of fear but out of something else, her body was frozen in place, she was seeing something, something she didn't like at all. Haro began to lightly scratch his chin as he pondered over the dilemma, then he clapped his hands together and stood, "Well!" he said in a cheerful voice that echoed in the room, "Looks like we'll leave him with the humans, we wouldn't want dear little Arisu to be traumatized by seeing his death with her very eyes, would we? Feliciano."

The big muscle of the Molina stood and threw a punch right into Nadeshiko's gut, blood spat out of his mouth, and after a few coughs he fell to the ground, unconscious. Arisu gave a quick jolt and came back to present reality, once again she found herself screaming, "No! No! No!" she shouted, as Feliciano threw Nadeshiko's unconscious body over his shoulder and began walking out the door at an incredible speed. "No, please, leave him! Nadeshiko-Nii-san! NADESHIKO-NII-SAN!!!" her scurrying caused her to come forward, she falling front first and Jasparo falling on her back, his arms not loosing their grasp of her.

The door slammed shut, and there was a long silence…

Ari began to shake, her lips slightly trembled; Jasparo tensed when the girl rose her head to look him right in the eyes, her eyes had hate in them, sudden, expected hate and anger. She wanted to hurt him, but her body had suddenly turned weak, when she tried to push him away Jasparo could feel nothing touching him. To stop her attempts, he gently pushed her closer to his chest, "I hate you," she whispered in a soft voice that reminded Jasparo of wind chimes, ones that had just shattered into glass fragments and had cut through his heat. It was a very new kind of pain.

Idina walked over to the two, stopping beside them, "Jasparo," she muttered softly, "You should take her away from here," out of nowhere she pulled out a long Egyptian axe made of a shining golden metal with blue designs and a golden beetle at the center of the blade. Then the blade lit and sparked with large amounts of furyoku, she began to walk forward and began to look smug, "Music class is about to start…"

Haro stood from his throne and began to turn, Jasparo grabbed Ari, threw her up on his back and followed Haro into the hidden room behind the throne. Arisu dared to look back and saw Irene was no longer in sight, Jasparo and Haro began to pick up their pace, walking faster now, but not fast enough. The next thing she heard were painfully ear-piercing screams that could've melt your skin off, what made it worse was…it was the scream of children…

I opened an eye to look at Miss Annaka's face; I had wanted to see her expression of the last part I spoke of, I didn't like the idea myself. Not the idea of them killing human children, but I hated the idea of killing human children to turn them to god class shamans, humans could never be like us, even if taught as kids. The very idea disgusted me. I sat up and I saw her expression, it was perfectly composed, blank, like marble stone, the only thing that showed any emotion was her eyes. The crimson gems burned in fierce flames of rage, she didn't know the Molina but had already begun to hate them. I chuckled to myself and laid back down on the rock, ready to continue.

"They had her for a month, she was slowly loosing her will to live due to her guilt of Nadeshiko's soon-to-be death. The week before the end of the month, I arrived at Mu and noticed Ari's absence; I became uncontrollably indocile when I found out what Big Chief did. I took my anger out on him, burning his face to discipline the bastard's selfish wants, but I realized that I had to take my anger out on the Molina. I had heard rumors of the Molina, of their whereabouts and more, so finding them wasn't an issue, though the day I arrived in Spain, was the day Nadeshiko was sentence to death."

Her perfect brows raised themselves, a slip, she tried to recompose her face, but failed, instead her lips parted to speak, "Why?" she demanded to know.

"The children had last been seen with Adelaide and Nadeshiko, but only Nadeshiko was found by the humans, alone and covered in blood. They thought he had murdered them, but they kept him in trail for a month because he was too weak to speak or to even move. In the end they said him to be guilty in the missing of the children, and they sent him to he staked, damn humans. I saw him in his jail cell, but he told me not to save him, but to liberate Ari. As his dying wish, this is what I did, but when we got out Ari saw something she didn't want to see."

Annaka's eyes did not blink, they stood still, filled with the curiosity of a cat, her lips pursed themselves into a thin line, as if she knew what I was to say, but hesitated to show her feelings. It was that image that made me wonder if only her red orbs showed emotion, and the rest of her being did not. Something darkened within her eyes and her face turned away from me, looking out into the river beside us, "What did she see?" she muttered in a dull tone, no doubt she had already guessed the answer.

"When we made it out of the Molina's residence, she saw Nadeshiko tied to a stake, many damned humans shouting around him, a male human picked up and axe with ease and swung it once…at his neck, chopping his head right off of his shoulders." She didn't look at me, but I could see her eyes now becoming soft wit a sort of glassy barrier covering her eye's normal appearance. "After that Ari realized how humans were, and how they really needed to be destroyed, she wanted to kill them all right on the spot, but she found no way how, 'I want them dead, dead!' she yelled, and to fulfill her wish, I turned them all to ashes as we left the city, hoping to also rid this world of the Molina, but that was they were the only survivors. No doubt that the strongest of them have entered the Shaman Fight. And their pointless goal of shaman-made humans still remains in their heads."

"Asakura…" she said my name, and something hit the inside of my chest hard, her head slowly turned to look me right in the eyes, they were now narrow and hard, "What is your reason for hating humans?"

I raised a brow, and laid back down, "Must I have a reason? Though I believe I have told you," though I did not tell it all, the death of my mother five hundred years ago, I will not speak of it to anyone, for no one's business it is.

The blonde in front of me narrowed her eyes even more, "You're saying that you have no reason to hate humans, but simply do?"

"Exactly," I smiled, "but I do have a reason, your theory is only half correct, I hate all humans."

"So if I was a human you'd hate me."

Those words came out in tone of a fact other than her own personal opinion, I raised another brow, I felt a small chuckle form at my throat, the look on her face was annoyment, I had angered her again…how easy. I chuckled once more before my face became serious and I scooted in close enough that my hand guided itself towards her strands of golden locks, she froze under my touch, I chuckled once more. "If you were a human, then yes, it's possible I would loathe you, but…you're not human."

She grabbed my hand and pushed it away, I smiled a laid my head on her lap, much to her dislike, but much to my like. "Get off of me," she ordered harshly.

"No, this is rather comfortable." I admitted, gently grabbing a few strands of her hair and placing it on my lips.

"How uncouth!" she protested standing up, bringing my head to the ground. She grabbed the strand of hair I kissed and grasped it hard, her eyes flaming. "Who the hell do you think you're doing that to!?" she yelled at me.

I sat up and smiled, "Someone who I believe I'm very interesting in."

She looked at me, mouth and eyes wide open, though I couldn't tell whether in anger or horror, all I saw was her retrieving body as she turned as quickly stomped off from my sight. I sighed and lay back down on the ground, grinning to my fullest on the outside, but frowning in confusion on my inside. I had a lot of thinking to do…

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Annaka's P.O.V

I ran past several families of trees before I stopped running, what the hell was I doing back there. If Nee-san were here she would've killed him. That was my chance to kill him, but I didn't. I got too caught in the story. It never occurred to me that such could happen to such a small child. It didn't surprised me that Big Chief would do that, he was very power hungry, probably that's the only thing he shares with the leader of the Molina shaman group.

I walked over to my assigned room and caught Arisu's eye, she gave me a smile and walked off, as if nothing Hao spoke of had happened. She was happy now…I could tell…

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Normal P.O.V

A small girl ran through the woods, her height seemed to be exactly five foot and she had a very thin figure and light olive skin. She ran through the woods at an incredible speed, her long dark brown hair made her seem like a winged bird flying right through the trees, though it was a strange combination of curly and wavy hair. Her light brown eyes looked around the woods until she came to a more Spanish-styled village that was on the right side of the island she was at, she located a large newly constructed gothic castle and made her way to it, opening the large black and gold doors as if she owned the place.

Inside were many hallways with doors on each side, but the girl kept her eyes on the biggest door that was at the very end of the hallway, it wasn't hard to find seeing it was made of pure gold. She walked up towards it, a tall, and very big in muscle, man with short, cropped, black hair stood at the entrance, his thick and hard arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked at the girl and winked, "Bienvenida, preciosa," he smiled as she came up to him. The girl nodded once and knocked once at the door.

A very thin female with long white blonde hair opened the large doors, her blue-violet eyes seemed malicious but yet angelic, as if the girl had both characteristics in her. Her attire was very strange as she wore a long black gown with gold embroidery and sleeves with small puffs right below the shoulders, the gown came tight around her small waist, but the pattern of gold yarn and buttons did not falter as it went down to the ground, and there was a more see-through material that was at her upper chest and from elbows to her wrists. She blinked once, and looked at the dark haired girl, "You found her?" she asked in dull curiosity, slowly tilting her head to the right.

"Tall, brown skin, blue eyes, short pitch black hair, skinny figure, but well built?" the brunette asked as if she had memorized the characteristics before.

The blonde nodded, and the brunette smiled, "Then, si. I found her."

The blonde closed her eyes and smirked, opening the door even wider to allow the brunette to enter, "Bien. Haro and Jasparo will be pleased by this…also this will be very…divertido…"

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Present day Funbari Inn

Asanoha and Jane stood in the kitchen, both of them cleaning up, preparing for the gang when they were to return. The inn was silent and no one necessarily said a word, but both were worried of what was happening to the younger shaman, seeing as school was over a while ago. The door slammed open and a harsh wind blew inside the hallway, both heads raised themselves at the sudden sound. Wilhelmina entered and made her way into the kitchen, eyeing the two older females curiously. Jane looked behind her, but saw nothing other than thin air, 'How strange…' she thought, she felt sure she heard footsteps, and she felt someone's harsh gaze on her. Her gaze fell on Asanoha who looked back at her curiously.

"Is there a problem?" she asked dully.

"I thought I heard something…" Jane replied, turning back to the dishes that were being washed in her hands, "Maybe I'm just hearing things…"

Wilhelmina smirked and walked between the two women, "No, Jane." She whispered, "You're just seeing what I want you to see…"

Jane jerked her head to her left, just in time to see Wilhelmina lift her fan and slash right through Asanoha's body. Jane screamed, closing her eyes, and taking a step back in horror. She reopened her eyes expecting to see blood everywhere, but there wasn't any. She took a closer look and saw Asanoha's insides. It was just clay, hard red dirt on her insides, as for the rest of her, her eyes lost their color and turned into orbs of soulless grey.

"Just as I thought," Wilhelmina said, "There was no way you can revive the dead if you are in no possession of their body…this Asanoha…is just like Nianna…nothing but worthless dirt and an artificial soul." The Chinese woman's dark topaz eyes fell on the silver haired Patch, "And you Jane…" she said menacingly, making her way over to the priestess, "you're the same…and will have the same fate…"

Jane wanted to move, to run, but she couldn't. She was too busy trying to process what Wilhelmina had just said. Nothing, but worthless dirt and an artificial soul…just like Nianna. As these words passed through her head she didn't notice Wilhelmina's fan rise, and before she could notice, she felt a stray of wind cut through her, everything turning black in the process.

The red haired Chinese woman pushed back her curls and bent down to retrieve her fan from Jane's clayed gut. She closed the fan and turned her back on the two human-like sculptures, now soulless and lifeless. She shrugged, and began walking towards the exit of the inn. "How repulsive," she spat, "Hao-sama could never be tricked so easily. He knew all along, he's no idiot. But still…" she raised her topaz eyes to look up at the sky, "nice trick, Queen Anna…you seem to be the perfect opponent for the person soon to rise…"

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I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!!!!! You all must hate me right now!! I'm soo sorry. I understand if you don't review but I'd love them either way. :D though my personal opinion is that this chapter sucked, but tell me what you guys think.

Ja 01'Loving you Always'- God speed is sooo hard to do, like really! Thanks for waiting though.

jade destiny- it annoys me a bit yes, but you're the reader not me, so w/e you choose is fine. :] no hard feelings.

Animewitch17- yes well I'm sorry for that mistake. Really. I changed that scene btw. Not as great as before but still…not copyright infringement intended.

Hpcs2 - Suprema Onmyoji Isah- ah thank you. Glad to know.

Boblove- haha okay thx

I Am Tao Ren- no need to hate on Animewitch, that's very rude, but thx for the encouragement either way.

Hello Shinya- ahaha glad to know you cried. Means you liked it. :]

Joan D'Arc- Arigatou!

Sara- haha wow thx

Crono De Tokiwa Grove- hahaha no, no esta bien, que bueno que entiendo espanol jaja

Fate- hope this one was too then

Majrocks- good to know

complicatedmind21- you'll see eventually. But thx for reviewing either way :D

Nightglider- hahaha good.