Forgotten Memories
By Elle Pellano
Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.
Author's Note: I would like to express my appreciation to the readers who waited patiently for my updates. Thank you also for the wonderful comments and reviews. This is the second to the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it! =)
Chapter 18: Forgotten Memories
Everybody jumped up from his seat upon hearing Faust's frantic scream from the inn's clinic. Yoh and his friends immediately rushed to the doctor's post. They were shocked to see him being clobbered by the vacant-looking itako trainees who had finally woken up. Manta spotted Suzume leading the group. She had the nastiest smile of them all.
"Girls, what's the meaning of this?" Old Kino shouted to them but her bewildered yells were muffled by the blows that went to the blond medical man's body.
"This is a bit complicated. We can't use our powers on them unless we want them dead," Ren said amidst the mob of trainees who began beating them also.
"I think I can do something about this. Lyserg, the faucet!" Horo Horo called out to the English shaman.
Lyserg pushed away the trainees from him and threw his crystal pendulum that was Morphine at the faucet of the clinic's sink. As soon as it was turned on, Horo Horo summoned Kororo who showered herself in the flowing water. Then the Koro Pokkuru spirit danced and twirled in the air sprinkling each trainee and freezing her on the spot. Ren, Ryuu and Yoh ran towards the fallen doctor while Horo Horo took care of the mob. Faust was already blue and black from the constant beating.
The room eventually grew quiet which meant that Horo Horo was successful at taming the itako trainees who went amok.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the new technique you saw was called ice dance. It's the fruit of my vigorous training these past few days." Horo Horo proudly gave a thumb up to Kororo.
"Are you sure you did not kill them?" Chocolove peered at one trainee who was frozen as an ice statue.
"Of course not. Ice dance is just a defensive technique which I designed to momentarily delay the enemy. It will soon wear off."
"We need to lock them up if that's the case," Lyserg said.
"Faust looks bad!" Ryuu motioned them to come near.
"We need a doctor quick!" Chocolove didn't realize the irony of what he just said.
Jeanne hurriedly made her way through the group assembling around the beaten doctor. She went down to her knees and placed her palm over Faust's bruises. "I'll try to heal him," she told everyone. Her palm emitted a white light over the purple mark.
"Your powers are back!" Tamao exclaimed.
Jeanne smiled, "I've regained my healing powers although they are not as potent as before."
Ren wanted to tap her shoulder to congratulate her but Lyserg approached the girl first, "Our training had finally paid off, Mistress Jeanne. Good work!"
Their celebration of triumph was cut short by the sound of ice breaking. Everyone's head turned in alarm towards the noise.
"Your new technique seemed to wear off easily," Ren criticized Horo Horo.
"Well, I haven't perfected it yet," the blue-haired shaman scratched his head in embarrassment.
Suzume's shattered ice laid in pieces on the floor. Her eyes were like a bottomless pitt when she called out in a deep voice, "Yoh Asakura, I want you to come to the heart of the forest where I had left and found your unconscious fiancée."
The gang was all in fighting stance while the ice on the rest of the trainees started to crack, too.
"Come fast or Anna Kyouyama would have the same fate as the mad doctor," warned Suzume. Then she fainted all of a sudden. The other trainees passed out one by one as well.
Everything went still as the rumbling stopped for awhile. The fallen and broken glass mirrors on the ground were a depressing site to behold. Anna couldn't leave her mother in this dark lonely place.
"I need to go back mother," the young itako held Ayako's left hand tightly, "but I want you to come with me."
Anna's mom pulled her hand away and instead stroked her daughter's cheek. "I can't as much as I want to, I'm tied to her. We are of one soul." There was hopelessness in Ayako's eyes.
"Is there any way to unmerge you from her?"
"She didn't share with me that particular memory."
Anna's hope of saving her mother was already faltering when she noticed a large broken piece of glass that fell from above. It showed one of her and Yoh's leisure moments - their picnic at the park. She was going to pick it up but the shattered glass immediately sank down and disappeared.
Then something just lit up from the back of her mind. "You said she flooded my memories with hers. Those mirrors above, I think they contain my memories."
"They also contain Anya's."
"But where are yours?"
"They once floated above with Anya's but came crashing down as she dominated over me. Yours will be the same if you don't go up there at once."
Anna thought for a while. "I don't think I would forget my memories even if my mirrors shatter. Don't you find it odd that you remembered your own life?"
Ayako pondered on her daughter's words.
"The memories above are those that she only wanted to remember. Because my memories and yours were of no interest to her, she's pushing them further down. However, it doesn't mean that they would completely disappear. I think she's just hiding them deep down in the recesses of her subconscious. Mother, you are a part of Anya's soul now. I do think you have the ability to control it also."
"I don't know. I never tried it before," Ayako admitted.
"It's because you were afraid of her. Mother, she maybe the master of your merged soul up there but you can be the master down here. Please? There's no harm in trying."
Ayako finally nodded and started to concentrate. The ground began to shake violently but instead of the mirrors falling down from above, the broken pieces of the ones which sank below shot upward from the ground and fixed themselves in such a way that they formed a glass stairway.
Jeanne, Tamao, Mikihisa and Yohmei stayed behind to take care of the fainted trainees while Yoh and the rest immediately ran to the meeting place. The rain had just stopped pouring. Yoh scurried like a hungry lion after its prey leaving no time for the gang to rest. Poor Manta was panting heavily when Ryuu scooped him up and carried him like a ragged doll. There was no stopping until they spotted the smirking Hao sitting on a boulder. Standing still next to him were Anna and Argon. Old Kino felt nostalgic upon seeing the broken stone slab behind them.
"Hao! Yoh yelled out his twin brother's name with spite.
"Well hello little brother. It's nice to have you around for tonight. Your fiancée seemed to have run bitterly away from home when I found her. Are you having domestic issues?" Hao taunted him.
Yoh furiously flashed towards his evil twin with his sword but failed to strike when Anna unexpectedly appeared in front of Hao.
"Anna…" Yoh whispered shocked. "What are you doing?"
Hao stood up from the boulder and approached Anna. "Isn't she lovely? She's just being devoted to her husband that's all." The blond girl did not react when he trailed several kisses on her neck. This made Yoh fume with rage.
"Don't you dare touch her!"
"Why shouldn't I? She was my wife of long ago. I can do whatever I want with her. I can order her around as much as I want." Hao whispered audibly into the itako's ear, "My dear Anna, will you kill your ex-fiancée for me, please?" Hao chuckled.
Anna formed a sword with her furyoku and walked towards Yoh who was slowly backing away.
"This will be very interesting," Hao smirked as he watched the show unfold.
"Don't forget that I'm here!" Ren shouted from above. He landed near the long-haired shaman to strike him with his kwan dao. However, Argon came to his master's rescue and blocked Ren's attack with a big shield.
Ren jumped away and glared at the Patch spirit who closed his eyes and concentrated. The Tao did not notice Ryuu's face change to a blank expression as he raised his wooden sword to strike Chocolove who was near him. It was too late when they heard the Afro-American's scream of pain.
"What are you doing man?" Chocolove was shocked when he received a heavy blow in the left shoulder from Ryuu.
Ryuu did not answer but called out his Over Soul instead. The very big Yamata no Orochi materialized in front of them. Each head started attacking Yoh's friends.
Yoh peered behind to check on his buddies but he was slashed in the arm by Anna's sword when he wasn't looking.
"Tsk tsk tsk. You should never look away from your enemy, little brother," Hao continued to mock him.
"Anna, please don't do this. It's me, Yoh. I came to get you back." Yoh tried to talk to her but she kept on swinging her sword at him. The young Asakura couldn't do anything but to block her attacks. "Don't let her control you!"
"I believe you used the wrong word little brother. Argon is a "he" if your puny brain hasn't noticed until now," Hao sneered at him.
Yoh glanced towards Hao's spirit who was showing signs of exhaustion. His thoughts began to race. No, Argon is not controlling her. I'm sure of it. He's busy manipulating Ryuu's oversoul right now. He can't possibly control another person not when he's furyoku is being directed on a powerful shaman. Could it be that Hao did not know about his past wife's possession of Anna?
Yoh's musings got the better of him since the itako was able to find an open spot. She determinedly slashed his chest with his sword. The young Asakura fell to the ground hurt. Blood came spurting out of his large wound.
"Yoh!" everybody shouted to him and tried to come to his aid but Yamata no Orochi had already wrapped them in his coils. Old Kino who was staying away from the battle ground rushed to her grandson.
Hao walked towards Anna and looked down at his fallen twin. "Revenge is really sweet don't you think little brother? Especially if the one person you cherished had caused you immense pain." Hao laughed his heart out and repeatedly stomped on Yoh's back. Old Kino grabbed the evil shaman's leg to stop him from hurting her grandson but Hao kicked her away.
"Don't hurt my grandmother," Yoh gasped for air as he spoke out the words.
"Is that a threat I hear little brother?" Hao grabbed his twin's hair. "It sounded more like a plea than a threat to me." He then shoved Yoh's face into the mud as he laughed his heart out. Discontented still, he stood up and began stomping his twin's back again.
As the long-haired shaman made his little brother suffer, Anna's blank eyes turned into a killer glare and without warning, she slashed him across the back. Hao's white cloak was smeared with red blood as he fell down to the ground next to Yoh.
The itako bent down and whispered on Hao's ear, "You've exacted your revenge but mine has just started."
Ayako started to climb up the glass stairway which mostly reflected different scenes and stages of her life. Anna climbed after her but her feet just went through the ghostly glass steps. Ayako was almost 20 steps away from the bottom when she noticed that her daughter hadn't followed her.
"What's the matter Anna?" she called out.
"Mother, I think it can only accommodate you because these are the memories of your life."
"But you were a part of it," Ayako beckoned her to try again but Anna's feet just went through.
"Perhaps I represent a miniscule part of it because we have not shared it for too long." Despair was beginning to fill Anna's heart. She might not be able to get out of this place after all.
"Then I won't come up there without you," Ayako began climbing down but she was yelled at by her daughter.
"Don't come down!" Tears brimmed on Anna's eyes. "You are the only person who can help Yoh. If you stay down here who knows what Anya would do to him. I will be fine. I can take care of myself. You said I should find in my heart that one memory which would bring me up there. I'm going to search for it first. I promise it won't take long." Anna brushed away her tears and smiled at her mother.
"I'll try to look for help as soon as I gained control of her," Ayako reluctantly turned her back on her daughter. She breathed deeply and ran speedily upstairs. Each glass step disappeared one by one as soon as she finished treading on it.
When she reached the top, the stairway had completely vanished. There was a life size mirror at the end of the last step. Ayako peered at the darkness below her. It's either she go through the mirror or go back again. Apparently, there's only one better option. I won't let you down again my daughter. She pushed herself hard into the mirror and felt herself going through it slowly.
Yoh and Hao were sprawled bleeding on the ground. Hao raised his head to get a better glimpse of the itako's wicked smile. "Who are you?"
"Have you forgotten your wife's name, Hao?"
The long-haired shaman tried to recall his conversations with Argon. "You're Anya… You're name is Anya.."
"Pretty decent for you to remember," the Patch spirit materialized by Anya's side. He was successful at entangling each of Yoh's friends in the coils of Yamata no Orochi. Ryuu stood stolid like a sentinel beside his humongous Over Soul.
"You set me all up did you?" Hao managed to chuckle a bit. "And I thought I was the most scheming shaman that ever lived."
"Why are you doing this? We do not belong to the Patch tribe who had caused you great misfortune." Old Kino asked boldly. After being kicked aside literally by her supposedly other grandson, she had managed to crawl towards a nearby tree on which she could lean to rest.
"Oh, I remember you, woman," Anya sized her up from head to toe. "You looked older and weaker than before. I still haven't forgiven you for sealing me away. That was a good idea you've given me though. I haven't taken my revenge on that wretched tribe who tried to impose death penalty on me. Perhaps I'll do it after I send the soul of Hao Asakura to hell so that he won't be reincarnated again."
"So you've existed for centuries just to exact revenge on your husband? We've got some serious relationship issues here," Chocolove shouted between the loop formed by one of Yamata no Orochi's heads.
"Yes, you pitiful young boy. I've waited all these years to get my hands on this wicked man's soul." Anya stomped on Hao's back. "Since I do not have the capability to be reincarnated at my own will, I asked Argon here to take my memories away. With no past memories to surrender to the god of Death I had lost my candidacy for reincarnation. I was allowed to linger on this earth for more than 500 years waiting too long for our paths to cross again. Tonight I will be able to complete my unfinished business here on earth."
"You are a traitor Argon!" Hao addressed his former partner spirit between gritted teeth.
"It was because of fate that we met Hao Asakura. You've caused so much pain and suffering in your previous life. Your past is haunting you now," Argon told him firmly.
"You are no better than Hao, Anya," Yoh mumbled as he tried to push himself up from the ground. "In your angry quest for revenge you have destroyed the life of another person. I won't forgive you for taking away Anna's mom from her. I won't forgive you for taking Anna away from me!"
"Is this boy's soul really a part of you Hao? He is such a weakling!" Anya laughed hard. "I missed using this favorite technique of mine. It would be easier if you joined together as one soul." She placed each of her hand over Hao and Yoh's head. She made upward and downward movements as if trying to pull something from them. Everybody was shocked to see a light ball coming out of each of the Asakura twin's mouth. Yoh's was the color white while Hao's was black. The soul merging process had commenced!
Anya laughed hysterically as the two balls of light span around each other until they combined to form a larger ball of black light. However, the merge did not last long. The balls of light broke into two again and went rushing back into the unconscious Asakura twins' mouths.
Anya shrieked in rage and held her head. "Stupid woman, go back to your own realm!"
"Stop this Anya! Let them be. The Hao whom you have known long ago is already dead." Ayako was taking over her.
After a minute of what appeared to be an inner battle within Anna's body, the itako drooped her head and had finally calmed down. Had they not known Anna was being possessed, Yoh's friends would think of her as a deranged lunatic. Argon floated towards the itako and whispered Anya's name several times.
The possessed Anna slowly raised her head to face them. There was a different aura about her. "It's been a long time, Argon, Master Kino."
"Ayako…" a stream of tears flowed down Old Kino's cheeks.
"Where is Anya?" Argon was enraged.
"I managed to subdue her for a while. After all, I and Anya are of one soul, Argon. One can completely reign over the other if one wishes. Isn't this what you taught me?" Ayako returned his angry remark. "Anya had suffered enough because of the fury you had helped her fuel in her heart. Let her rest."
"Since things have turned out like this," Argon closed his eyes and began to chant. Ayako screamed in pain as Anna's body gave out a blinding light. She felt like she was slowly being pulled out of her daughter's frail body. When the spell was done, the young itako laid unconscious next to the Asakura twins. Everyone was staring in awe at Ayako's revealed spirit.
She does look a lot like Anna. Manta thought as he remained entangled by Ryuu's oversoul.
Old Kino hurried to give her student a hug but her hands went through Ayako's body. She forgot that she was already dead.
"What did you do?" Ayako looked dumbfounded at the recent turnout of events.
"I had to unmerge you from Anya so you would stop controlling her soul. There's always a counter technique which I had tried to learn when I drew out Anya's memories. Isn't it what you wanted?" Argon sneered at her.
"But my daughter is still trapped down there in Anya's realm!" Ayako protested in tears. "I need to get her out."
"Only Anya has the capability of releasing this girl's trapped soul if she would dispossess her body," Argon smirked. "But I guess she won't until she fulfills her plan."
Yoh who regained his consciousness and witnessed the whole thing called out for his grandmother. Old Kino immediately rushed to his side and helped him get up. So much blood had already been lost. Yoh mumbled weakly, "You're the most brilliant itako that ever lived Grandma. Help me enter her body temporarily. I will get her back."
Old Kino scolded him. "Do you want me to kill you? I can not pull you out of your physical body unless you're dead!"
"Do it grandma. Trust me!" Yoh said firmly.
"Are you stupid Yoh Asakura?" Argon yelled at him irritably. "Why would you risk your life just to save a girl who had stopped appreciating hers? She had succumbed to her own depression that's why she was easily taken over by a resentful spirit. She was responsible for all the suffering that you're experiencing right now!"
Yoh gave him his signature grin, "My reason is the same as yours…"
Argon was taken aback.
"You wanted to help Anya to ease her of her pain so you agreed to take part on her vengeful plans even if it means hurting you in return. You liked her a lot don't you?" the young Asakura tried to confirm the Patch spirit's feelings.
"How did you know?" Argon asked softly.
"It's because I am in love with my Anna as much as you were in love with your Anya."
End of Chapter 18
Thanks for reading!