It wasn't just Anna's imagination – which she had very little to begin with. The house was getting too damn crowded these days. Surprisingly, the itako discovered that if she had a choice between staying in the house and listening to Horohoro and Chocolove teasing Ren, Ryu fawning over Lyserg, Faust and Eliza doing unspecified things, having to put up with Manta in general and ignoring the occasional X-Laws that came for a visit and the chance to have her privacy with the increasing chance that she might encounter a certain Asakura Hao yet again, taking her chances with Hao seemed more soothing for her nerves, which had been rather on edge lately, with the situation changing and the X-Laws and them suddenly getting to understand each other better, though it came at the cost of Yoh temporarily quitting the tournament.

It had been weeks since she had met the fire shaman – hopefully for the last time, though she highly doubted it. – and thus far, she had led a quieter life, switching from her black dress to a more celebrative kimono from time to time. formal wear was important for the future wife of the Shaman King, after all, and though her outfit was far lighter than the heavy many-layered things that were usually considered kimonos, it was a pastel-colored and floral-decorated simplified version of the aforementioned garment. The first time she had worn it, she had almost given everyone a heart attack. If the kimono was pink, everyone would have probably died on the spot. Fortunately, it wasn't even anything as cheery as sunny yellow – rather, it was of a light blue color that wasn't exactly displeasing even to Anna's eye, and she didn't care much for colors, overall. After all, there was little to consider bright about Anna's personality, though she was bright when it came to intellect.

Anyone who had experienced the effects of uncontrollable reishi probably wasn't all too chirpy, however.

The power, despite diminishing after the defeat of the oni her subconscious mind conjured up, lay dormant for a time before returning, though it no longer completely overwhelmed her senses as it used to. The minds of humans were a tricky thing, not to be trifled with, and anyone of a lesser will would have gone mad within weeks. Anna had survived for a decade, but didn't avoid hatred. And she knew well she would have gone mad soon had it not been for Yoh.

The house disappeared behind the nearest trees as Anna, despite the lateness of the evening, moved away from it. The air was cooler and the night was refreshing. The loneliness, however, was best about it. No more screams and arguments, no more fights, no more having to scream and rage and beat people up to have a little peace.

She sat down on a boulder for a while and attempted to meditate, but quickly discovered that the fabric of her clothing was not well suited for such an activity and wondered just how Hao managed to keep his clothing so clean when he probably lived in the wilderness. After all, if anyone knew his address or temporary residence, their problem would be solved almost instantly and they wouldn't have to waste precious time in the tournament. If she could get within range and give him a few more good slaps, he would likely be stunned enough to allow some real attack to be launched…

Now there was an idea.

Shifting and moving away, she slouched on, relishing in the glorious silence that surrounded her. Even woodland creatures apparently decided that it was dinnertime now and left her alone. At the moment, she would have probably blasted them all into the fifth hell with her shikigami just because they stood in her way. Anna didn't mind hiking, as long as there was no one around to slow her down. her pace was steady and she had the way back memorized. Kami help anyone who would even dare think of attacking her.

Kami help her.

Anna stopped dead in her tracks, hoping that her vision was clouded and wished that she could conjure up another oni right now just to crush a certain fire shaman's skull.

Hao was sitting meters away from her, thoroughly aware of her presence but not even turning to acknowledge her. Truthfully, he hadn't been able to sense her presence through any but the most ordinary means, as her mind remained as opaque as ever. He himself had a hobby of disappearing on people, even his followers, to relax and contemplate the silence of the world, to call out to the spirits and to clear his mind. While all his thoughts were focused on his ultimate goal, there were moments when even he allowed his mind to relax and forget the titanic weigh that had been placed on his shoulders.

They said he was insane.

And, in retrospect, perhaps he was. Perhaps madness was the only means of saving his sanity in the world of humans who knew no restraint, no kindness. The gentleness with which he had treated them was a seed that had never given him or any others fruit of any kind. He had loved the world, once. He had avenged the murder of his beloved mother and had longed for an ordinary life, despite his almost godly powers. There was no pride in thinking that he was extraordinarily gifted. There was no shame in admitting that he was thoroughly cursed. The insight into the minds of men had brought him sadness, despair… and then came the moment when not even Matamune could see his vision, the world cleansed of the filth that infested it… the vision when his own mind would find peace, because the voices made it difficult to be good. They came uninvited, seeking wisdom, complaining, boasting, a swirl of negative emotions burdening him.

He had never intended to hurt anyone. But becoming a bystander was not an option. With great power came great responsibility. And if the human race was not able to change, it would take someone with the will and power to do it himself to save the planet. And himself as well.

For so long, he remained there, motionless, ignoring his sudden companion…

And then, as if a murmur from a dreaming person, his voice came. "Come closer, Anna, there is no need to be afraid." It was a taunt, Anna knew, but the utterly peaceful manner in which it was spoken didn't allow her to voice her irritation. She had never heard Hao speak with such inner calm – and nothing else. perhaps even the teasing was unintentional.

With a twinge of annoyance at herself for even considering it, much less obeying such a command, she sat down, just out of range in case she needed to defend herself but close enough to be able to examine the strange sight of Hao without his usual annoying (albeit not unreasonable) smugness. The rest of him was completely the same – however, for some strange reason, Anna was distinctly unnerved as the two brown eyes reopened and settled on her again, becoming the embodiment of intelligence and serenity, as if Hao was in complete harmony with his surroundings, excluding her, perhaps. A strange tactic, this, and new.

"You will not believe me, but it was not my intention to seek you out tonight. Nor was it yours to seek out me, so it would seem." Again, a smile crossed his features, but it was filled with something that could only be identified as wisdom. Anna was thoroughly perplexed. "So we might as well rejoice that the will of the Great Spirits smiles upon us tonight." It seemed that that was his way of saying "Hi. Nice night, isn't it?" And then, just as it seemed nothing stranger could happen, he actually lowered the gaze he so often fixed her with. "You look very lovely in colors other than black, if you don't mind me saying so, Anna."

She minded. Anna blinked away the momentarily confusion and the customary frown returned to her face. "What are you doing here, Hao?" she demanded at once, though she realized the stupidity of the question only later.

"Do you not take walks for no reason?" he inquired, not at all harshly, looking at her with that smile again. the serenity of his expression kept Anna from retorting as harshly as she originally intended.

She scoffed. "All I do has a reason. The idiots Yoh calls friends invade my house every evening. I would have killed them had I stayed there a moment longer." Anna said, not at all noticing the deepness of the confession. "I suppose you get tired of your petty followers once in a while as well."

For a fraction of a second, it seemed that he beamed at her, but then again, his countenance hadn't changed at all. "Reishi is not something the weak-minded can handle and in the presence of many conflicting minds… but you would know that." And there, Anna froze again. Effortlessly, he managed to drive her out of her wits. At the bitter mention of his most painful power, even Hao´s smile faltered and didn't resurface so brightly. "Yoh sometimes thinks about it. That little friend of his, Manta, I believe, has been terrified of you ever since he learned of it. Then again, you are nothing if not intimidating, Anna."

"A…arigato." Anna muttered lamely before she could catch herself. "So you pass time by probing the minds of your enemies? Or is it like it was with me? Can you control it?"

"No, my reishi is at a level too high for anyone to control." And again, he smiled at Anna, not at all unnerved by her frown. It was… pleasing… to have someone whose words could be interpreted as concern for his own well-being, though their aim was really very selfish. "So I understand how you feel."

"Hmpf." Was all Anna said to that. She couldn't actually contradict it, but she didn't necessarily want to agree with it either. Comparing her to Hao was the last mistake a person might make in their lives. "Well, I won't keep you with my trivial thoughts then." She said at once and moved to stand up. She never managed to rise higher than a few centimeters, as a hand gently rested on her shoulder with more swiftness than her eye could catch sight of, a command, but one imploring her to stay.

"Please, don't leave on my account. Your presence is soothing… I cannot hear your thoughts." Hao added as a clarification. Anna's eyes were nothing but stupefied. This was the first time he had overstepped the boundaries of her personal space without being almost slapped first and she found herself unable to respond in any other way than sitting down, as the touch was not a threat in any way.

She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "So that's why you continue to pester me at every possible moment? You know that I don't particularly enjoy these conversations we seem to be having far too often recently." A laugh came… and its merriness and sincerity filled Anna with wonder and suspicion yet again. "What are you playing at this time, Hao? If you think this'll fool me, think again. I still hate you. You're still my enemy."

"If I believed I could sway your devotion to the Asakura family in one day, you wouldn't be nearly as interesting." Hao flashed her a grin that looked surprisingly boyish on his features. The contrast with his mature eyes was startling. "You amuse me each time we meet."

"You find hatred amusing?"

"Contrary to what you may think, Anna, I don't believe you hate me." Again, seriousness came into his face and, combined with the smile, settled back into a peaceful serenity. "You carry a lot of hatred within you, but you are quite weak inside." The right hand that had been supporting Anna's side flew into the air almost quicker than the eye and took a precisely aimed swing at the side of Hao´s face closer to her. And as before, it was caught firmly by the wrist and slowly wrenched away from its target. "Aggressive behavior changes nothing," and, to Anna's rage, the legendary left hand was deflected as well. "and I would prefer my face in the current state. You really are like my mother."

"Then you should allow me to punish you as a disobedient child." Anna struggled, "If I were your mother, I would have attempted to beat some sense into you." Both her arms were pushed to her sides and held firmly there. She would have attempted to land at least one good kick for such an outrage, but the Japanese style of sitting didn't provide such freedom of movement for her legs. "I also hated all of humankind… their weakness, their hatred, their thousands upon thousands of flaws. I was..." the blonde itako shut her eyes tightly and lowered her head before finally mustering the courage to say what she wanted to say, "I was afraid that the world I saw within their thoughts could one day come to exist in reality."

"Then you understand me." Came the whisper from somewhere nearby.

"No…" Anna shook her head. "Yes… I do… but I can never side with you. Because there has to be another way. Yoh showed me there can be another way. If it weren't for him…" A shudder passed through her. "If it weren't for him, I would be like you." She looked Hao straight in the eye, her gaze narrowing slightly. "Yoh saved me. I came to love him because of that. You might claim to know me, but you can never compete with that. That is why I will never, ever, betray Yoh."

The proximity of their faces, however unintentional, suddenly became a more obvious thing. Still, it didn't seem to bother Hao that much – apparently, the eleventh and fifteenth century had a less-than-accurate definition of invading personal space and he hadn't yet had a chance to discover the current one. There was no trace of any kind of background intent on Hao´s face, only traces of a contemplating expression, even as he drew closer to Anna and then, the pressure on her wrists loosened, moving to her back, but in a manner that suggested that her captor was afraid that he might break her or offend her, one of those, even as his arms locked around her and his head settled on her shoulder, as if it belonged there. The stunned itako felt air leave her lungs as warmness surrounded her and her body went strangely limp, as if icy water had been splashed all over her in a very quick instant. A pair of hands gripped the behind of her kimono with need, though only the fabric, not the skin itself. Surprisingly soft hair brushed against Anna's cheek gently; and Hao, like a child, rested his head on her shoulder.

And she felt a heartbeat, a pulsing sound against her own.

"I wanted to do this…" a whisper came to her ear as Hao withdrew, but remained close enough for Anna to comprehend what had happened. This time, the both hands found their target and a reddish sting appeared on both Hao´s cheeks, like a light blush. But no one had ever smiled while Anna was slapping them and certainly not afterwards. Still he gazed at her fondly, as if he knew her through and through and expected nothing less of her.

With a sigh, he bowed his head and closed his eyes for the briefest moment, almost as if defeated. Then… "I love you, Anna." He said, loud enough for her to hear, looking her in the eye.

Anna couldn't think. She couldn't understand, think logically, or even protest. There was no possible answer, not even her fists were answer enough, and the simple confession, not coated in sugary words like those in the soap operas she so often watched, was, in a frightening way, touching. And she understood well enough what he was truly telling her.

No one will ever understand you the way I do. No one knows what it is to see the world bare, stripped of its camouflage and pretense. They believe in goodness without knowing evil, they cannot understand the true nature of the human mind. The hatred, the anger, the selfishness… you and I have felt both, for we were ordinary before. We learned to understand, to predict, to master…

You and I are alike in more ways than they are able to understand. Our abilities, our minds, our souls set us apart from the rest, because we see into each other without having the supernatural ability to do so. the vision of the world I have is one you could have had too. you can learn to accept it, envision it, the moment you understand that my truth is absolute. But I have no intention of pushing you into accepting my victory. My respect for you, who chose not to separate herself from the world as I did, but to face it, grows with each moment.

I need you to finish what I started. I can go on without you, but I don't want to. Your presence fills me with something that pleases me, your countenance is printed deep into my memory and doesn't fade. Your soul is familiar to me, whether you are my mother reincarnated as I am her son or whether you are simply a wonder the great spirits created. It is no accident that we meet. Your coming is what strengthens me on my final journey.

I offer you my soul, such as it is, in exchange for your company. I have lived for what seems an eternity, but I have never encountered a being of my own kind before I met you. They don't deserve you and are aware of it to some degree. You frighten them because you are different, because you see what they don't, cannot, see.

It wasn't my intent to care for you. I never hoped to care for another living soul. But of all the creatures that walk this earth, you are the only one that I cannot let escape my notice.

I have learned to love you, Anna… and I would have you at my side in the times to come.

The petrified itako, frightened, unable to move, lowered her gaze. And, remembering the embrace, she understood he was correct. She didn't hate him. It wasn't possible. There was only anger there, an enraged pity that came from the fact that she really did see the similarities between them, though her powers and fate had taken a different turn from his own.

It all could have been… could be as he said…

"Don't say what you are thinking." He interrupted her train of thought. "I know what you would say. I understand. But you must always remember that the day of my victory will come… and then, only then, will I come for your answer. For now… simply stay with me a little longer, Anna. I don't know what the warmth I feel is, except that I remember feeling it with my mother. It doesn't fade when you are near, for all your flaws and slaps." Hao smiled at her. "I won´t say it again if you don't wish to hear it… it frightens me as much as it does you. But it remains the truth and I would like you to know it. I doubt anyone else will be able to say that to you with complete honesty. I know that perhaps no one will ever say it to me with complete honesty – and I care very little. But allow me to entertain myself with the thought that one day, you will say it. And if bearing your blows is what I must suffer to make you stay now, it is an adequate price. So stay… please."

Silent, motionless, the itako gazed at him with wide eyes, understanding only a fraction of the scope of what she had been told. Tomorrow, they would be enemies again, never speaking, only watching each other and waiting for the final battle. Should Yoh fall, she would have to give him an answer, which she struggled to convince herself was a downright refusal. Yet… she seated herself again.

"Baka." Anna muttered grouchily, but the word rang slightly hollow and very untrue. A breeze swept past her, making her want to leave with it.

But she stayed.