Forgotten Memories
By Elle Pellano
Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.
Chapter 10: The Council of Elders
She felt two strong hands pulling her up towards the surface just in time before everything went dark. When she regained her consciousness, she felt wet lips enclosing her own and breathing air into her lungs. She opened her eyes and saw a long-haired man who appeared to be a tribal priest staring at her. There was a hint of worry in his stern face, "Are you alright?" she heard him say.
She slowly sat up and asked weakly, "Who are you?"
"My name is Hao. I belong to the Patch tribe and I'm on my way home. I stopped by the oasis to get a drink when I saw you fainting by the side of the lake and falling into the water. If it's not too rude to ask, where are you from? Why is a beautiful woman such as you all alone here?"
It was then that she started to weep. When she had finally calmed down, she began to relate her story. "I'm the daughter of a tribal chieftain ruling the eastern side of the desert. Someone attacked in the night and burned our whole village down killing everyone. My father forced me to escape before he died. He instructed me to locate the Patch tribe and give this to their leader." She showed him a thin wooden string hanging on her neck with a pea size pendant made of some red gem.
The man diverted his gaze to the pendant which reflected his hungry look. The girl hid it safely under her blouse. "I'm really fortunate that a member of the Patch tribe found me."
"Yes, so fortunate. You need not worry, I could bring you there safely," he assured her.
"Thank you very much. I owe you my life."
"You haven't told me your name yet."
"I was called Anya in our tribe."
"Anna! Anna! Anna!" Hao was gently slapping her cheek a couple of times after laying her on the stone where they have been standing before. "Anna! Anna! Anya!"
Hao abruptly discontinued his light spanking to wake the itako up. He couldn't believe what he just heard himself say. I called her by some other name… Anya. He was convinced he was having a déjà vu.
This has happened before.
Anna coughed the water out while Hao was busy with his musings. When she noticed that the long-haired shaman was absentmindedly hovering on top of her she gave him a big push and sent him splashing into the pool of water again.
"Pervert!" she screamed.
Hao swam quickly towards the bank. "You're one difficult woman, Anna. 'Til next time," he waved goodbye before he disappeared in front of her in a blink of an eye. A few seconds later, Yoh's group came running towards her with heavy thuds of footsteps.
"We heard you scream Anna. What happened?" Yoh asked worriedly.
"I - I slipped into the water. I was a bit exhausted and hungry…" Anna half lied. She couldn't understand herself for protecting his fiance's evil twin. Why am I suddenly developing a soft spot for that freak? She silently asked herself. Perhaps it's because he really didn't intend to attack her earlier.
"Maybe you should delay the soul purification ritual for tomorrow Anna. You look really tired and famished," Yoh suggested.
"Yes, I could do that," it was the first time Anna heeded Yoh's advice to everyone's surprise.
"Let's head back to the inn."
"Good thing you all came back early. Someone has been waiting for you," Faust VIII greeted Yoh and his friends by the inn's entrance.
"Tada! I'm alive and ready to kick some ass!" the tall shaman jumped out from the doctor's shadow.
"Ryuu!" the group ran excitedly to him.
"Welcome back to the human world my man!" Horo Horo gave him a high five.
"Wow! I've never expected you to recover so fast," Lyserg noted.
"I'm glad you're already awake," Jeanne smiled making Ryuu blush furiously.
"I think Tokagero did a good job shaking me out of my deep slumber. He's always haunting my dreams with his repulsive face," Ryuu sneered.
"You ungrateful ugly shaman," Tokagero appeared and playfully grabbed his neck.
In the itako training center's library...
"1975? I don't think Anna's already alive that time. Who is this girl who looked exactly like her?" Manta asked no one. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the library's door suddenly sliding open. Tamao was panting when she announced who had finally awaken. Manta immediately got up from his seat, slid the photograph into his jacket's pocket then ran excitedly outside.
"Ryuu!" he jumped and clung on to his tall friend's right leg as if it was a tree.
"Hey there little fellow," Ryuu took him and swung him around like a little child.
"This calls for a celebration," Yoh urged everyone to come inside. "I'll just drop a phone call to grandma to tell her the good news."
At the Asakura clan's ancestral house...
Kino bowed in front of an old-fashioned and very stiff group of four elderly shamans. They all wore grim faces as she told them of what happened back in Osorezan.
"Spiritually blinded?" the Asakura clan's matriarch who was visually impaired repeated her words. "You mean she lost her spiritual powers?"
"She temporarily can not use them Master Kiyone."
Another old lady who was sitting next to the blind woman scoffed at her. "There's no such thing as an itako losing her powers Kino. There's no sense in being an itako if she can't even see or contact spirits."
"You said the young Hao is still alive?" This time the family patriarch spoke to her.
Kino nodded.
"Your grandson is such a disgrace! The council of elders had especially chosen him for this important task being the next heir of the Asakura clan," another old man whom Kino identified as her husband Yohmei's little brother said with spite. "If my wife and son had lived then nothing like this could have ever happened. Where is Yohmei by the way? He should have been here with you so he can be properly lectured on family honor."
"Your wife died during childbirth, Yohmaru. Please respect their souls," Kino reminded him. "My husband is currently away with my son-in-law. They have an important mission which I refused to disclose to you."
"Watch your tongue old woman! You do not have any respect for the council."
"That would be enough Yohmaru," the patriarch stomped his cane.
"Yes father," Yohmaru lowered his head.
"The task of the future wife of the next heir is to ensure that he become powerful enough to bear the name of the clan and to become Shaman King. Your student may have been a failure by her own right," the matriarch said to Kino.
The other old woman smirked at this point.
"You know that I have doubted her appointment as your grandson's fiancée before because of her background," continued the blind lady. If she doesn't regain her powers soon, I'm afraid we have to strip her off her role to become the heir's future wife. Do you understand Kino?"
"Yes, Master Kiyone. How long are you giving us?"
"Until the full moon"
"But that will be in 2 days," Kino protested.
"Better hurry up then Kino," the other old woman gave her a fake smile.
End of Chapter 10
Thanks for reading!