Mai: Ok I finally finished this chapter. God you have no idea how hard it is for me to write a chapter like this. Well for anybody who cares it's hard because when I start a story I usually have a basic idea of how it's going to turn out and what the major events are. This chapter is mostly just easing into major events so it's hard because I can think of a million different ways for these events to occur and I have to decide which one is the best for the story. Anyway I'm probably just boring people now.

January 21, 2008: Ok so here's another revision. For this one it was mostly reformatting the story part to be more like the rest of the fic. However I do think that I was able to significantly improve this chapter. This reediting thing is hard but I think it's something I had to do for this fic. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own nor have I ever owned Shaman King. All I own are my original characters, and copies of the Shaman King manga.

Chapter 3: The story

"Is it ok if I read you a story?" Ren asked Umi when he came to visit her the next day.

"Sure have I heard it before?" she asked.

"Yes you inspired it. It's about you. Hopefully it'll help to jog some memories," he told her.

"Oh now I really want to hear it." Ren smiled when Umi said this before opening the book and beginning the story.

"Concentrate!" Hao Asakura yelled at his blue-haired follower.

Hao was no taller than a normal fifteen year old boy but his presence made most people shake with fear and it inspired an amazing level of obedience from his followers. His dark brown hair was so long that he looked like a girl from the back (of course his huge earrings didn't help either). His dark eyes were the only thing that gave away that he was really hundreds of years old. He wore a beige pancho, black pants, a huge belt and earrings which were covered in stars.

"I am dumbass! I completed the task five minutes ago and if you'd been paying attention you would have seen that," Umi responded annoyed. Any other follower would have been fleeing for their life if they ever said something like this to Hao but Umi was special. The whole camp knew how Hao felt about Umi. Everyone knew his plan to ask Umi to marry him. Well everyone but Umi herself that is. She was way to busy looking at Hao to notice him looking back.

Umi was a tall fifteen year old girl. Her long slivery blue hair, deep blue eyes, and pale complexion suggested that she was of Ainu heritage but since she had been abandoned as a baby no could tell her whether or not this was true.

"Oh yes so you did. Well that's it for now there's nothing else that you really need to know for the second round," he said trying to hide the blush spreading across his face.

"Thank you, Hao-sama," she replied happily before rushing off. Hao sighed as she rushed off. She was the one for him. He had known it since he was five. This beautiful young shaman was exactly the kind of girl he needed.

"What's a shaman?" Umi asked interrupting the story.

"A shaman is a person who can see ghosts and spirits and harness their power. You see not everyone can see ghosts and spirits only shaman and people with extra sixth sense can. Now can I continue the story?"

"Yes of course you can," she said.

So Umi went to find her friends the hanagumi. After about 10 minutes she found them sitting out on the outskirts of the camp.

"Hey Kanna!" she called out to the leader of the group. Kanna was a tall girl just a few years older than Umi. Kanna had blue hair and always wore a skimpy tube top and a pair of shorts. As usual today Kanna was smoking a cigarette and talking to Mari and Macchi the other two members of her group.

Mari was a year younger and a foot shorter than Umi. She wore her long blond hair in pigtails with black lacy ribbons. She preferred to wear mostly black dresses with lace trims and she always carried around an old blond doll with her.

Matchi was about the same age and height as Mari (of course both ages are guesses since the girls don't usually share any personal details about themselves with anyone). She liked to wear her spiky orange hair in pig tails too. She was wearing a white t-shirt under black overalls like she did most days. She always carried a broom around with her giving her a slightly witchy look.

"How's training going?" Kanna asked looking up.

"Done," Umi proclaimed proudly as she sat down beside Mari.

"Good, Mari was worried that Umi would spend all her time and in training and not hang out with us any more," Mari said.

"Worry no more. I'm a free girl until the second round starts or Hao gives me something to do."

"Well you should be praying for an assignment 'cause there's nothing to do around here," Matchi said. The happy little witch girl actually sounded less peppy than usual when she said this so Umi figured that boredom had once again taken hold of the camp.

"Well we could go spy on Yoh Asakura and his friends," Umi suggested.

"Why?" Matchi asked.

"I don't know. To collect information, check them out, whatever you feel like doing."

"Ladies can I borrow Umi for a second?" Hao asked politely fifteen minutes later interrupting a huge fight the girls were having about what to do.

"Hao-sama does not need to ask, Hao-sama knows what the answer will be," Mari told him.

"Right you are Mari but I'm trying to be polite to my four most loyal followers," he said grinning. The girls all blushed because this was just about the highest compliment Hao could give them.

"Thank you, Hao-sama," the four girls said in perfect unison.

"You're welcome, Ladies. Now run along while I talk to Umi."

"What is it you desire of me Hao-sama?" Umi asked once the other girls had left.

"Well I want you to go and try to eliminate Yoh Asakura's friends."

"Really? You think I'm strong enough?" she asked excited.

"Yes I do," Hao told her smiling, "also don't worry about the X-laws I made sure that they won't be bothering you today."

"Hao, what did you do to them this time?" she asked accusingly.

"I might have sent a surprise musical annoyance to bug them today," he told her grinning evilly.

"Not the Boz! Hao, you know that they are possibly the most annoying musical group in the world. Do you want to piss the X-laws off even more?" she asked shaking her head.

"Yeah well I couldn't resist it's just so much fun to annoy them. Besides they already think I'm the spawn of the devil how much more could they possibly hate me?"

"Whatever. When do you want me to leave?" she asked.

"Within the next hour," the long haired boy responded.

"Done, Hao-sama," she said smiling. "I'll see you later!"

"No don't stop," Umi begged Ren when she saw him pause and look at his watch. "I really like the story."

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I really wish I could stay but I can't. I have to meet my sister," he told her apologetically.

"Oh well. Will you come back and read me some more later, Ren-kun?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes I will," he promised.

"One more thing," she said as he got up and started to leave.

"Yes?"

"Do you know who gave me this?" she asked holding up her engagement ring, which he had ordered never to be removed from her finger all through those long months in the hospital.

"Yes I do," he answered.

"So I'm engaged?" she asked.

"Yes and he loves you very much."

"Does he visit me?"

"Yes." Ren longed to just grab her and tell her that he was the fiancé she was asking about and that he loved her more than anything. But that would be too much for her over stressed mind to handle. She needed to figure it out for herself.

"So I have met him since I woke up."

"Yes, but now you only know him as a friend," he said forcing himself to remain calm. He'd have her back soon enough. He had to believe that or he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

"Please tell me who he is," she begged.

"No you wouldn't believe me, you have to figure it out for yourself," he told her teasingly.

"Oh alright. I guess I'll see you later Ren-kun."

"Yeah see ya later," he answered distractedly. God I want to be hers again. I wish she'd look at me like she used to.