Mai: Ok sorry that it took me a while to get this up. I really tried to make this a good chapter. I hope I don't disappoint those of you who have been waiting for this. I'm also going to try to get my next edited chapter up soon. Funny thing is I was ready to post this chapter yesterday but my internet stopped working so I had to wait for it to be fixed. Sorry for the delay.

Disclaimer: If I had a nickel for every time I wished that I owned Shaman King (or any of the other animes that I love) I'd be rich enough to buy Shaman King. Sadly though that doesn't happen so I'm just a lowly fanfiction author. Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Long Lost Love

"Hao, for the last time you can't come with me today," Umi told her concerned fiancé. "I'm trying to set up a surprise for you. And if you come with me and see what I'm planning it won't be a surprise now will it."

"But what if the X-laws find you?" Hao asked thinking that this time for sure he'd come up with a winning argument.

"You taught me how to deal with them. I'm strong I'll be alright. Besides I heard some of the officiators talking yesterday and apparently the X-laws have been a little too disruptive lately. And if the break anymore Patch property they might get kicked out of the tournament. So I'm sure today you'll find that they're keeping to themselves."

This was getting ridiculous. He was so overprotective of her. She knew it was only because he loved her but still he couldn't keep her under constant protection it just wasn't practical.

"I'd feel better if you took someone with you. Maybe the Hanagumi?" he asked.

"Hao, you and I both know that Mari or Matchi would tell you anything you wanted to know if you asked them. And Kanna can't keep anything from them. You know how to get what you want from everyone in the group. So if I want my little surprise to stay a surprise I have to go alone," Umi told him grinning. "And don't try to pretend you wouldn't try to find out what it is. You always were a little too curious for your own good."

"Only when it concerns you," he said sexily.

"It won't work. The sexy voice isn't going to get me this," she declared triumphantly. "I'm going alone and that's that."

Hao sighed. He could tell that there was no way in hell he could win this. "Fine," he muttered admitting defeat. "But take a cell phone or something with you so you can call if you run into any trouble."

"I will," she told him cheerfully. "I'll see you later. I love you." She turned to go but Hao grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face him. He was grinning in that mischievous way that she had come to (usually) take as a very good sign.

"Don't I get a kiss goodbye?" he asked in his sexy voice.

"Of course. How careless of me," she said already leaning in.

Hao made sure their kiss was a long one. When he reluctantly broke away it was only because the two of them needed air badly.

"I love you," she said again breathless. "If that was a simple goodbye I can't wait to see how your response to my surprise is."

"I'm sure whatever you have planned it'll warrant a spectacular response on my part."

"I can't wait," she said almost shivering with excitement. "I'll see you later."

As she walked away her heart sank thinking about what she was about to do. She was going to see his enemies. She was acting on the doubts she had about this amazing guy. Why did she have to do this to her relationship?

She just needed to tell herself that as soon as she heard their lies she'd see how ridiculous those doubts of hers were and she could move one with her life.

She finally arrived at the hotel where Yoh and his group were staying. She took a deep breath as she crossed the street and entered the building.

"Hello," she greeted the friendly looking Patch girl sitting at the desk in the lobby. "I'm looking for Asakura Yoh and Tao Ren. Could you tell me what rooms they're in?"

"Sure. Hold on a moment," the girl said turning to check something. "Asakura Yoh is in room 304 and Tao Ren is in room 305."

"Thank you," Umi said as she rushed off to the elevator.

As the elevator door pulled open to reveal the dusty third floor hallway Umi started to get really nervous. What if they were actually on to something? Could she take the truth?

She shook her head. Of course whatever they were going to say was a lie. It had to be. Hao loved her way too much to ever do anything that could potentially hurt her. Hell he couldn't even let her out the door without getting worried. But if she really believed that then why was she even here?

She sighed. She couldn't keep pretending she didn't have doubts about Hao. He was amazing but she had to know that there wasn't anything wrong before she could let herself be happy.

She took a deep breath as she approached the door to room 305. She raised her fist and reluctantly knocked on the door finally committing to the doubts she loathed.

To her surprise the person who came to the door was not Ren but Horo-Horo. The shocked look on his face told her that he didn't expect to see her anymore than she had expected to see him.

"U-umi!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I want answers. Your little group tried to get my attention a few days ago and I want to know why. Now talk," she growled.

"Horo-Horo, for god's sake who's at the door," the angry voice of Ren Tao demanded as he and an African American guy Umi had never seen before rounded the corner.

Ren's look of shock was almost as profound as Horo's. But somehow there was something about his facial expression and the look in his eyes told her that he was pleased that she was there.

He smirked. "Well I didn't think my little hint would actually work," he said amused. "From the looks of things you were too blinded by love to believe anything bad about your bastard of a fiancée."

"Hao's not a bastard. And I haven't said that I believe anything yet. I just came here so I could stop ruining the best thing that's ever happened to me," Umi told the smirking Tao angrily.

"Whatever you say. But I think we both know that you wouldn't be here if you didn't suspect something was wrong with 'the best thing that's ever happened to you'."

Her heart skipped a beat. He was right and he knew it. Her silence only made the smirk on his face stretch wider.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked.

"Shut up," she told him menacingly.

"Alright. Then let's get down to business," he said wiping the smirk off his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Horo-Horo and I have something we think you should see. Horo-Horo go get the file."

Umi glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was getting late. She knew she should probably put down the book and go to bed.

She sighed it was only now that she saw what time it was that she felt tired at all. She really wanted to read some more but she knew she'd just fall asleep anyway. Reluctantly she closed the book and turned off her light.

When Umi awoke next morning Sen was floating above her head smiling cheerfully at her.

"Morning," Umi muttered sleepily.

"Good morning, Umi-dono," Sen responded cheerfully. "I do believe this is the first time you haven't been shocked to wake with me hovering nearby."

"Yeah I guess you're right," Umi said smiling. "Guess that's one more step towards getting my life back to normal."

"I'm glad to see you're recovering well," Sen said returning the smile. "Especially with Ren-dono."

"Yeah," Umi muttered smiling. "I guess you know you're meant to be with someone if you lose all your memories of them and still manage to fall in love even if they don't tell you a thing."

"He's a good man. I always liked him," Sen boasted. "He always tries to make you happy."

"Have you ever been in love, Sen?" Umi asked abruptly.

"Yes, I still am in fact," she said a small blush covering the female samurai's face.

"Who is he?" Umi asked curiously. She'd never thought that her guardian ghost would have a love life.

"Amidamaru," she admitted shyly.

"Yoh's samurai!?" Umi exclaimed in astonishment. "When did this happen? Did I know about it?"

"It started a long time ago, back when I was still alive. I worked as a servant girl in the mansion of a greedy lord about six hundred years ago give or take a few years. My father had taught me to fight so I decided to test my skills against the lord's samurai by dueling them in disguise at night. I beat every single one of them. The Lord was furious and began to offer a huge reward to whoever could identify me.

"Then one night I challenged Amidamaru. He was so skilled that he beat me almost effortlessly. So I did the honorable thing and let him unmask me. I expected him to turn me in and claim the reward but a few weeks past and he did no such thing.

"Finally I confronted him and asked him why he was keeping quiet especially with such a tempting reward. He told me that he thought I was far too talented to be executed for something so trivial.

"After that I started sparing with him at night. During our breaks we'd talk to each other. He told me about his childhood and his friend Mosuke who worked for the Lord as a sword smith. And I told him about my father, how I learned to fight, and how I had come to work for the Lord.

"Eventually I came to realize that I had fallen in love with him. However I wasn't sure if he could ever feel the same way about me so I kept my mouth shut.

"One night when were talking after our match I casually asked him if he'd ever been in love. He told me that he was in fact in love with someone. He described this beautiful spirited wonderful creature he was in love with. My heart started to ach more and more with every word he said. I was so sure that he could never love me if he had this girl.

"It took me a few days but I finally worked up the courage to ask him what her name was. He looked me right in the eyes and for a second he looked truly nervous. But then his expression turned to one of pure determination.

"'Senko,' he replied. I've never felt happier than I did in that moment. Warm tears of disbelief spilled from my eyes. He started to panic thinking his confession had upset me.

"'Sen, I'm sorry if I up-' I cut off his apology by ramming my lips against his.

"'You idiot, I love you too,' I told him after we broke away.

"Well after that our sparring matches started having less and less sparring in them. One day he asked me if I would consider marrying him. I told that he didn't even have to ask he should already know the answer.

"We were going to ask the Lord for permission as soon as possible. But," Sen's face lost the loving glow and a look of pain and sadness crept into her eyes. "But the Lord ordered him to kill his best friend, Mosuke. When he tried to help Mosuke he was killed."

"When I found out I was heartbroken. It completely destroyed me and my grief took over. I killed the Lord and all of the samurai that had killed my Amidamaru. Afterwards I was executed for my crimes. I could have fought and escaped but by that time I had no strength left.

"So I spent my entire afterlife looking for him. Turns out he was in the one place I never looked waiting for Mosuke to come for him. Somehow I never thought he'd stay behind in the place that had brought him so much pain."

There was a moment of silence. Umi wasn't sure how to react to this story. They had been so in love but what had happened was so terrible.

"I'm sorry," Umi told her guardian sincerely.

"It's all right. It wasn't all bad. I met you and I have thoroughly enjoyed being your ghost and you brought me to Amidamaru again. We've agreed that our duties are more important but someday we'll be able to go on to the afterlife together," Sen said a kind smile replacing the pained look on her face.

"I'm glad everything has worked out well then," Umi said returning the smile.

A loud knock on the door diverted Umi's attention away from her guardian.

"Come in," she called. The door opened to reveal Ren standing out in the hall. "Ohayo, Ren-kun!"

"Ohayo," he said returning the greeting. "Umi there's something I want to talk to you about. Would you mind taking a walk with me?"

"Sure. I'm starving could we include breakfast in this walk?" she asked.

"Definitely," he said smiling. Umi blushed as it dawned on her how very date like this walk had just become. "Let's go then."

She nodded and followed him out wondering what it was he wanted to discuss with her.