Chapter XXVI

Prologue

recommended songs: 1. Goo goo dolls - Iris

2. Ai kayano- Oracion

*song 1 plays*

Blackness.

The only people which were still present around him were Yoh, Anna, Ohachyo , Opacho and Hao's mother.

"I still don't know how you got the perfect moment." He said with an ironic smile.

"You sacrificed your material body, your own ego for her. I think that was enough of a signal to mentally mess you up." Anna said nonchalantly.

Ah, the cold truth. Now he knew why she was still there.

"But still, what makes you think that I will give up on all this?" he asked bitterly.

"Because you aren't happy, Nii-san. " Yoh responded with a sad smile.

Hao made an unpleasant grimace, as he couldn't stand these addresses. But then a sad gleam appeared in his eyes and he looked at a dead point in the vast nothingness.

"You really think so?" he said, more to himself, as a diffused light appeared. Some sort of door to the Earth, a certain place where only he could see…her.

Rilury was silently staying near his dead body. All her furyoku was wasted, and all of her tears were drained. She was standing still, with a shadowed look, like a statue full of sorrow and just waiting for all of her blood to pour out of her body.

At least the indulgence of a upcoming death was acceptable for her. Perhaps, this is how it was meant to be….

The body lying near her was completely vindicated, only that…his soul hasn't come back.

Maybe not yet.

He had a lucid smile.

Come to think of it, she was the closest to Heaven he'd ever feel…

"Hmph." His smile transformed into a smirk, which wasn't transmitting evil vibes anymore. Only a bit of arrogance.

"Don't misunderstand me. I'd still like to kill every human on earth. I will return in full glory as the Shaman King. But for now…"

With his fingertips he touched on the transparent image her face left with no vivid trace of life. He regained a warm smile.

"…I have to make a certain person …happy."

Everything dissolved in sight. It wasn't yet the time to return home.

X

She was silently sitting near him. Wasted. Waiting for the bitter indulgence of death to take this suffer away. Maybe…this is how it should have ended….

After recovering from the shock, she realized a while ago that Hao was still the Shaman King. He controlled life and death.

A last tear fell out. It wasn't fair.

But why would he want her back? She did this to him. She wasn't a human. She was just a desperate lost soul.

She looked at the sky, grinning her teeth.

"Hao, if you...if you still give a damn about me, about all this…then please come back…or at least…just for a second."

Her arms and tears felt heavily on the ground. Then, she clenched her fists.

"I…I fucking love you!" she shouted angered..."Why have you messed up my head? Why…did you choose, to leave me like this? "

She looked at the ground, heavily crying again. It was absurd, she thought her tears were already drained up.

A touch.

She hasn't accidentally touched him. His hand enveloped her fingers thigh, transmitting...

A pulse.

He slowly raised his upper body. She was stunned, looking at the previous dead body coming back to life. He took her cut arm near his cheek and healed it with a touch of his fingers.

The whole process was something she stared at in this belief. It couldn't be real...

Hao looked at Rilury with his sweet, warm eyes.

"Silly…stop harming yourself like this." he whispered with a worried expression.

His soft words was all she needed to hear.

In a rush of adrenaline, she hardly pressed her lips against his, hardly embracing his neck with her arms. She didn't want to let go. She wanted to feel every inch of him…All she could breathe was his life.

Hao was shocked for a moment. But then…his arms brought her tight to his chest. He has waited so long to feel her like this.

It was the moment they wanted to feel, it was the moment they wanted to taste. To show each other who they really were, all they've kept inside, in this long, passionate kiss.

x

They exchanged everything they've felt up until now. Two lovers which lost everything and only had themselves in the beautiful sunset.

They were holding each other as close as possible.

"I'm sorry." Said Hao after caressing her hair with a kiss. It was something which, even if she already knew through unspoken words, he still felt saying it, like a heavy stone still pressing on your heart.

"It's ok. I should apologize. After all, I was the one who-…."

A strong earthquake interrupted her words. A sharp long sound was perpetuating the air.

What the heck was happening? He looked at his beloved Rilury, who was utterly shocked and seemed to be in sort of a trance…

Silence.

"Predictable."

The air vibrated in filaments of light. In a split second they've combined together in a luminescent form of a body. It was the shape of a black stickman with a triangle attached on his head, carved in middle air, on nothingness.

These words clearly were heard from it. The bidimensional form was floating on the air vibrations. It spoke with an overlap of more voices.

"Earthlings are so insignificant for such a planet full of potential. We will soon arrive and conquer the Spirit of Terra. And also…"

Huge flames arose from nowhere, trying to destroy the figure. But I didn't work.

A hologram? It felt bizarre, it felt from outer space.

Hao realized what this was all about.

"We will take back…what's ours."

Rilury's heart stopped beating. Horrified, she shouted,

"GET THE FUCK OUT!"

An electric field emerged from her body. Suddenly the hologram was diffused and simply disappeared in a second. A burnt chip fell on the ground. Rilury ran towards it and fell on her knees.

Hao quickly went towards her. She was shaking, looking at a golden hexagon she held in her hands. It had an eye in its centre with a broken iris.

"I knew it…they had been following me all along…"

She destroyed the object with a violent spark.

"I'm not from this world, Hao! I'm a monster! And they are coming to get me…." She spoke with tearful eyes.

She was desperate. He had rarely seen her in this state.

His shocked eyes went back to normal. He pulled her in a strong, protective hug.

"Idiot…you aren't a monster. You are the one which I fell in love with. And I won't let them take you away." He said while her head was sinking tearfully in his chest.

She cried. Again. But his arms comforted her, and those tears were strengthening her.

After a while, Rilury looked him in his eyes, having a warm smile.

"Don't call me like that. You are the idiot, you know…"

"Why?"

"Because you haven't run away yet."

He also gave her a warm smile before he kissed her softly on the lips again. It lasted a while, combined with sweet caresses and vibrating touches.

Then she slowly rested her head on his chest. It was a silent and pleasurable moment. After a few moments Hao felt her softly breathing, thing which brought upon his lips another loving smile.

No wonder she felt asleep in his arms. She was tired. He carried her in his arms to the nearest tree, where he also took a comfortable place leaning on it and letting her body lean against him. It was a sweet and quiet nap they both needed to take.

X

*song 2 plays*

"Nii-san!"

Yoh's voice woke him up. He slightly opened his eyes and spoke nonchalantly:

"Yoh, I told you not to call me like that."

"Understood." He responded with an innocent smile. "But um… why are you sleeping in the middle of the dessert?"

Hao realized that the whole Patch Village has turned naturally in the desolated image it was in the beginning. Then he remembered the girl who was sleeping leaned on him. He slowly stood up, trying not to wake her as well.

"Hm, so I did fell asleep after all. I forgot how weary this body is. I have to get used to its weaknesses again." He spoke composed, still maintaining control over the slightly awkward situation.

But then…she woke up. She looked at him with her tired eyes and then she raised her head.

"Good morning" she said with a sleepy smile, kissing him on the cheek.

"Huh? Why is your face so red?" Rilury asked confused. "Oh no! Was it all just a dream?!" she panicked and looked around.

"Oh wait, all of you are here! Hey, long time no see!" she waved with a bright smile, not being the slightest bothered by their presence. Yoh's friends had a puzzled expression, not even knowing how to react. Only he smiled and responded to her salute.

'Honestly, that girl…' Hao thought and watched her with a smile, as Rilury was already asking about their welfare, like nothing even happened.

X

A light sand storm has started.

Gradually coming in sight, a small figure of a Patch Member could be seen appearing from the horizon covered with sand.

It was Goldva. Panting, he was slowly moving with his rod, having an exhausted and even more desperate expression stuck on his face.

"You…bloody kids! You thing you can play with the Shaman Fight again and have no consequences?"

He stopped near them. After he stopped panting, he continued talking like it was the end of the world.

" Well, now there is NO shaman king again and moreover, the Errath's are coming to steal the Great Spirit! It will be complete chaos and we can't even prepare another SK tournament and bring the Great Spirit's presence back in this village again! Why, why did you have to give up your throne Hao! At least then only the human kind was in danger, but now our entire PLANET IS DOOMED!"

Erraths? Hao wasn't a king anymore?...Rilury stood there trying to comprehend the situation.

"What is he talking about, Hao?" she asked, hanging to his arm.

"Relax, old man…" Hao said composed, coming towards him. "I told you that I will be back. And there is no need for a shaman tournament." In his eyes, Goldva could tell what he was talking about.

"Y…you mean….The Lost Island of…Atlantis? " Goldva looked at him shocked. "How do you know?..."

"I was a Patch Member too, remember? I already knew about its existence. And also, the divine powers which I had offered me precious information about it." Hao had a confident smirk.

"I can't be possible…The true origin of the Great Spirit…has vanished for thousand of years! You'll never find it in this mortal form!" Goldva spoke in disbelief.

"How funny. People also used to say that I'll never be the Shaman King." He gave the last reply with a smug.

X

"Your personality hasn't changed one bit." Rilury said plainly with a sigh, looking at the beautiful sunset which was turning the sand in shades of pink.

"So, how far is it? This presumably ancient lost civilization…" she asked in a while, after understanding everything which happened up until now.

"It is approximately located in the Atlantic Ocean. But the road is usually traced with ancient sculptures, which I have to find in order to obtain the exact location. "

"So there's a lot to travel from Japan…" she figured.

"Why would I start from there?" he asked with a smug, knowing her intentions.

"Because there's a lot I have to pack! Don't you even think you're leaving me again after all this!" she answered with a cute consternation.

She showed him her determined gleam in those green eyes. Something he hasn't seen in a while…

" Besides…" her eyes became thoughtful... "There are still a lot of unanswered questions…Things which won't bring me peace if I won't discover them."

X

Rilury was back home after such a long time…and she was all alone again.

Her mother still hasn't returned. Had she entered that portal after all? What will those people do to her? All she knew was that she had to find her mother…she had to find her own self in this journey. And she knew, that place, will give her all the answers.

New powerful enemies, which weren't even from this Planet, were awaiting. It was a battle she wasn't excited for, but HAD to confront.

With a worried, but determined look, she stuffed the last thing in her backpack. She exited and closed the door, maybe for the last time. She knew, that whatever happened, the whole world…was going to change.

The huge Spirit of Fire landed in her backyard. 'Something completely normal nowadays…' she thought.

Then Hao showed up. He wasn't threatening anymore, he only stood there with a light smile, waiting for her hand…

This all seemed like it started all over…from that moment. And this time…

She took his hand and looked him in those sweet, brown eyes. Strange, she never realized how bright they were up until now.

X

"Ren, why is your plane landed in our backyard?" Yoh asked puzzled, seeing Ren with a backpack, ready to embark in his journey of his life.

"Help us, he took us by force!" Chocolove and Horohoro were tied , shouting form the window which rapidly closed.

"You think I'm going to let that bastard get his hands on the Great Spirit again? This is our chance…well, practically mine."

"Uh…ok, I guess…" Yoh responded confused, clearly knowing that there was no chance to say no. Shortly, a shinigami punched him hardly enough.

"Don't you think you should ask my permission, first?" Anna appeared, clearly unpleased about Yoh's response.

"Sorry, Anna-san." Yoh was lying beaten on the ground. It seems that their relationship was as healthy as always.

"But sure, I guess we'll come. Why would Yoh miss the chance for me to become a Shaman Queen?"

"Hmph, we'll see about that." Ren responded with a confident smirk.

"Manta, prepare our luggage. We'll need a carrier on the road."

"Why me?!" he cried but went quickly into action, as he didn't want to deal with one of the shinigamis.

"You know Ren, I'm glad you are full of life again. You seemed quite tormented by something the other days." Yoh privately said to him while getting on the plane.

"Oh, It's nothing…" Ren's face blushed, but his eyes were kind of sad. "I was just…looking for someone…"

X

In the full pitch dark night, silver hair strands were fluttering in the air. Her black dress was waving in the wind, which went more intense...The girl seemed to be waiting for something…

Suddenly, a violent light appeared. Her black eyes were reflecting the white sparkles, which seemed to be a sort of gleam…

The light went bigger and shaped the form of a bright portal. The wind changed, bringing an strange air which seemed to have been from another world.

Miyako let a sigh. They finally arrived. He will complete the deal. She will finally get what she wanted.

The change she had been waiting for so long…

"It has already started."

To be continued...

There you go, end of Part 1! Did you like it? And yeah, Antlantis seems to me a more legit place than Continent of Mu...it is smaller and further, which means a cool trip! And trust me, it's way more fun when the characters explore the World... I think it is something everyone needs to do.

Was the whole invasion thing too forced? Trust me, it will actually explain a lot of things from the shamanic world! It isn't absurd at all. It is just a past event that brought with it a series of complicated consequences! xD. I think you are quite eluded, but trust me it is better to explain things like this than end it just like that. I mean, a lot of questions would be left still unanswered right?

No, this wasn't on a whim. Actually, the whole series was planned. A lot of bigger things will happen, which will help the characters defeat their own demons.

And after all, this is why it is called a fanfiction, right? I think bringing something innovative in the shaman world will make this story quite original. I mean, how it would have sounded: Mary Sue, after finding out she is an alien, she suddenly got a huge power out of the blue and defeated Hao. But she didn't kill him, because she has an oh so kind heart. Instead, he became a good guy and lived happily ever after.

No way! Life is more complicated than that. And I think complex characters need out of ordinary events to fully develop themselves! And I still haven't squeezed the full potential out of anyone yet!

Well, that's it for my excuses xD. Now tell me, what you really think of this story up until now. If you have read all the chapters, please write a summary review, it doesn't matter if you haven't expressed your opinion so far! Just let me know your suggestions, they'll help me a lot! :)

Anyway, I will take sort of a break between these parts, because I have some school stuff I need to deal with (an important exam for my future, blahblah) xD.

Hope you all enjoyed reading so far and don't forget to check up for updates once in a while, you never know when the inspiration comes! :D

Note: on my deviant account i've uploaded a drawing matching the beginning of this chapter :). Just check the link on my account.