Forgotten Memories
By Elle Pellano
Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.
Author's Note: Presenting to you the conclusion of this story. Enjoy! =)
Chapter 19: Sad Farewells
Anna walked back and forth desperately trying to recall each and every one of her happy memories. Minutes passed and she was starting to feel hopeless when still no glass stairway materialized despite the constant flow of sweet and pleasing recollections in her mind. The previous one evaporated as soon as her mother was able to reach the top.
Did she make it?
Anna was too anxious about Ayako's safety.
What if she didn't gain control of Anya?
All her hopes were dissipating already when she spotted a fainted brown-skinned woman falling from the darkness above. The young itako managed to put on a smile. Her mother was successful after all.
Anna peered at Anya who remained unconscious as she landed on the soft ground. She couldn't understand why a beautiful woman could become so cold-hearted. Anna was too engrossed in admiring her gentle features when Anya suddenly shot her eyes open and grabbed the blond girl's neck.
"You have been messing with my plans, Anna Kyouyama!"
The young itako tried to pull Anya's hands away from her neck but the angry woman pressed on it more tightly.
"You can never leave this place as long as I'm in control of your body. You will replace Ayako here because she had just been pulled out and she won't be coming back for you."
"That's not true. She promised to get me," Anna gulped for air as she labored to speak out.
"She did give you away when you were an infant. What makes you think she cares for you?" She added as if trying to drown her with more negativity, "Oh and by the way, your weak fiancé, Yoh Asakura is already dead."
The heartbreaking news came to her like a hundred daggers stabbing her heart repeatedly. Anna looked devastated. "No, that's a lie! That's a lie!"
"Your stupid mother was too late in overpowering me. I've already slashed him down. He no longer lives."
Anna lowered her head trying to hide her painful tears. She had almost lost Yoh in the last battle with Hao during the Shaman Tournament. It was a repeat of that horrible feeling of anguish engulfing her.
Anya let go of the blond girl's neck, stood up and watched the object of her interest slowly sunk unto her knees. The Patch woman smirked at the itako's miserable state. It was a sign of her resignation to her fate. Staying here would be a better choice than being out there without her Yoh.
Anya then spread out her arms and started whispering incoherent words. The ground shook violently while the glass mirrors containing Anna's memories floating above them shattered into a million pieces, turned to dust and rapidly dissolved into nothingness. The ones that had been previously broken and sunk flew out from the ground and joined in the rhythmic crushing of the ones above. Soon the air cleared and only Anya's mirrors were left floating.
Argon remained silent for a minute as he absorbed every word from the wounded Asakura. He couldn't quite grasp the personality of his enemy's other reincarnate. Yoh was the extreme opposite of the person he had known for years. If there was a certain level of goodness left in the Patch Hao, Yoh Asakura was a full embodiment of it. It was becoming obvious to him that he was starting to like this boy.
If spirits were capable of breathing still, a deep sigh would be heard from Argon before he declared, "This has got to stop. I need to save Anya from her 500-year-old misery."
He waved his hand at Ryuu's direction which caused the tall shaman to pass out. Yamato no Orochi freed his friends from its coils and slowly disappeared. Ren and Manta ran immediately to Yoh's side while Chocolove and Horo Horo tended Ryuu. Lyserg hurried back to the itako training center to call on Jeanne.
Yoh mouthed thank you to Argon then started to cough.
"His body is too exhausted right now. Let's use this to our advantage. He has to undergo a near-death experience so that I can pull him out of his body temporarily," Old Kino quivered.
Argon placed his hand over Yoh's head. "If it's a near death experience that you want, I'll be able to help you." His hand emitted a green light and began absorbing the boy's furyoku until he went still.
Old Kino simultaneously recited her channeling incantation but fear got the better of her. She stopped in the middle of the spell trembling. "It's not the first time that I'd be pulling a soul out of a living body. I'm afraid I might kill him, too."
Ayako placed her ghostly hand on her master's shoulder. "He's not going to die Master Kino. I had always trusted your abilities."
"I can't do this again… " Something had lit up at the back of Old Kino's head as she gazed at her student. "...but you can."
Ayako examined the old woman's frightened eyes and nodded. "Allow me then to channel my powers into your body." Old Kino closed her lids and waited for Ayako to enter her.
When the old woman opened her eyes, there was a youthful glow about her. Ayako whispered in her master's raspy voice, "Let's do this, Master Kino." Then she recited the channeling spell, grabbed Yoh's spirit ball and shoved it into her daughter's body.
Yoh woke up and found himself in a dimly lit room. In front of him was a life size mirror which showed his fiancée sulking at the center of another dark room. He tapped his hand on the cold glassy surface several times as he called out her name. When she still hadn't acknowledged his presence, he began banging his fists on the sturdy crystalline structure. He readied his right fist for a heavy punch with the intention of breaking the glass but as soon as it came in contact with the smooth surface, his fist just went through. His whole body was pushed further into the mirror as well. The next thing he knew, he was descending slowly into the darkness below him. Yoh frantically flapped his arms and pushed himself upwards but stopped defying gravity when he spotted Anna curved into a ball below. He landed with a soft thud and immediately ran to his fiancée.
"Anna! Anna! Anna!" he shook her gently by the shoulders but the young itako wouldn't budge from her current position. She was hugging her knees tightly as she rested her chin on them. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. There was a trail of dried tears on her cheeks.
"She can't hear you," a woman's voice said from behind him.
Yoh turned around to face the smirking Anya. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing. It was her choice to stay here and you're just wasting your time intruding our world, Yoh Asakura."
"I won't let you imprison her in the darkness anymore," Yoh grabbed Anna's hands and slowly pulled her up. The itako just stared at him blankly as she let him heave her. "I'm here Anna. I came to get you," he whispered to her.
However, the sweet silence did not last for long because a monstrous howl resounded from the dark. He went in front of Anna to protect her from the looming danger in the form of a huge Oni which was gradually revealing its ugly face from the shadows.
Anya laughed hard. "I woke up this girl's dormant power which she had buried with her sad and painful memories. Wouldn't it be fun to reminisce everything again?"
Yoh looked at his fiancée behind him who appeared oblivious of what's happening around her. The last time I saw an Oni this big, Matamune was there to save us. Now it's only up to me. I'm going to protect Anna no matter what. Yoh thought.
The Oni had completely come out of the darkness and with one big swipe it sent Yoh flying away from his fiancée. The ugly monster walked lamely towards Anna and grabbed her. The itako squirmed and tried to free herself from the monster's clutches. Yoh hurried back to them and kicked the Oni's leg several times.
"Let go of her!" he yelled furiously. The Oni grabbed him also with his other free hand and swung him around. Yoh bit its hand hard making the Oni howl in pain. It released Anna so that it could use its other hand to thump on Yoh. The itako fell hard on the ground and was a bit shaken by the sight she was witnessing.
"Stop it!" Anna finally came into her senses. "Don't hurt him." A soft rumbling on the ground turned to a chaotic whirlwind of shattered mirror pieces which showered and pierced the Oni's body. The monster dropped the already weakened Yoh and tried to block the wave of piercing glass with its arms.
"GO AWAY! You are not a part of me anymore," Anna shouted at the Oni which gave its last howl before it eventually disintegrated. The itako rushed to Yoh's side.
"Yoh, are you alright? Why are you here?" Anna held his hand gently.
"The fact that he's here means that he's dead. He can not gain access to this place if he's well attached to his physical body," Anya walked towards them.
"I wanted to save you, Anna…" Yoh completely ignored Anya's remark. "…even if it means losing my life," he weakly put on his trademark grin.
"Then both of you will be trapped down here. Why are you so determined to save this wretched girl anyway?" Anya asked him irritably.
"It's because… she is very important to me… It's because…" Yoh began to stammer, "I- I- I- lo-lo- "
Anna placed a finger on his lips to quiet him down. With eyes glistening with tears she said, "I have heard enough Yoh." Then she turned to face Anya and bowed before her. "This is the first time that I have ever pleaded to someone in my entire life but I have humbled myself before you to beg for my fiancé's freedom. Let him go and I'll stay here forever."
"No, I won't let you," Yoh tried to sit up but his fiancée pushed him down.
Anya fixed her eyes on the couple with awe. It's been 500 years since she was last filled with these inexplicable emotions. She remembered this familiar warm feeling she had towards her father, her husband, her little son, and her friend, Argon. The ice in her heart was slowly melting and as it did so, the mirrors floating above came crashing down behind them. After a few minutes of being in deep thought, she unexpectedly let out a smile, "I forgot how it is to love someone because of my resentment for my husband. I guess it's time for me to let go of these vengeful feelings." A blinding white light began to fill the room. "Perhaps it's time for me to rest in peace."
Yoh grinned sheepishly at her. "Anya, someone who loves you is waiting for you outside for more than 500 years."
"Yoh Asakura, you are his reincarnate but you have an entirely different personality." Those were Anya's last words to him before the light fully consumed her.
Jeanne who was fetched from the inn by Lyserg sweated as she tried to close Yoh's chest wound. His friends and their materialized spirits surrounded him and hoped for his recovery. Amidamaru's tears streamed down like twin waterfalls as he whispered to his human friend to wake up.
Ayako had already left her master's wrinkled body and floated beside the fainted Anna. Everybody gave her this moment to be alone with her daughter. Next to her, Argon busily tended Hao's wound after transferring back Yoh's furyoku. However, he halted his healing of him when he noticed Anna move a finger. The young itako was the first to regain consciousness among the three.
"Argon," the blond girl called out to him.
"Anya?" the Patch warrior spirit floated to her. She hadn't still left the itako's body after all.
"I'm sorry for making you suffer all these years. I have never realized how much you have loved me not until now…" Anya's spirit emerged from Anna's body which consequentially fell motionless to the ground. "However, I'm not going to linger long in the world of the living anymore. My old soul needed to be liberated and reincarnated. The god of death had been waiting for me for more than 500 years already." She held Argon's hands lovingly. "I hope one day, we'll meet again."
Then Anya floated to the passed out Hao and whispered to his ear, "I love you still and I forgive you…" Anna opened her eyes in time before Anya completely disappeared from her sight.
"My daughter…" Ayako brushed some hair strands away from her face.
"Hello mother, I'm glad that you're safe," the young itako put on a sweet smile for her. She rarely did this to other people. But her smile quickly faded when she remembered her fiancé, "How is Yoh?"
Ayako nodded her head slowly at the boy's direction. Anna saw the crowd gathered around her fiancé's unconscious body. She instantly scrambled towards him. The itako looked like she was about to cry when she saw the state he was in.
"His wounds are starting to close but he still hasn't regained consciousness," Jeanne reported to her.
"Could it be that his spirit had not returned to his body yet?" Lyserg suggested.
"Impossible… Ayako was successful in pulling his soul out of Anna's body," Old Kino strongly believed in her student's capabilities.
Anna gently slapped Yoh's cheek several times but the young Asakura didn't show any signs of movement.
"Mistress Anna, please wake him up," Amidamaru floated to her side and begged in tears.
"I will. Stop sniveling right now!" the itako scolded him. Her spiritual ability had truly returned.
Before she can even break down and cry, the young itako gave her fiancé one final hard slap with her legendary left. It was an effective way of zapping the life back to him as Yoh jerked from the ground and stroked his swollen cheek.
"Anna, what did I do?" Yoh had a bewildered look on his face.
In spite of their friend's presence, Anna jumped on Yoh and enclosed him in a tight embrace. The moon which was almost full revealed its bright face from the clouds.
Ayako smiled happily at her daughter and her fiancé. Her whole body shimmered in the moonlight. It was time for her to leave, too. Old Kino looked at her with eyes brimming with tears.
"Mother, thank you for taking care of my daughter." Ayako bowed at her master gratefully.
"Don't you want to say goodbye to Anna first?" Yoh's grandma beckoned her to come near her daughter who was busily hugging Yoh.
"She's used to not having me around. I'm certain she'll live a happy life even without me." Ayako waved goodbye at Yoh who caught a glimpse of her slowly fading away.
"Please take care of her, Yoh Asakura."
The next morning...
Yoh held two large vases of flowers as he carefully trudged on the pathway to Anya's and Ayako's headstones. Anna was trailing behind him with an air of command. When they reached the place, they were surprised to see two bouquets of wild flowers laid before the broken stone slab with each half having been engraved with the departed women's names. Below them were one-liner eulogies. The couple knelt in front of each headstone and prayed. When they were about to stand up, Anna noticed a miniscule message engraved below Anya's eulogy. Yoh dismissed it as the working of one of the trainees from the inn although he had this knowing look on his face.
It was only a quick visit to the burial site since the gang had to return to Funbari today. The summer vacation was already nearing its end. They left the burial ground feeling enlightened.
Anna was the one who broke the silence as they walked back to the Asakura inn where the gang was patiently waiting for them.
"There had been a heated debate among your friends if Hao was really capable of loving a wife." The long-haired shaman had discreetly vanished into the night when they were rejoicing over Yoh's recovery. Nobody heard or saw him leave.
Yoh marveled at the clear blue sky above them as he rested his head on his folded arms. It was a sign that he was thinking. "My stand is… yes, he is capable."
"Oh?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think so?"
Yoh walked a few steps away and stopped in front of her. Anna noticed his knees were shaking involuntarily. He gulped down several times for air before he mumbled, "Because when his soul was split and reincarnated into two new beings… the other half of him was capable of loving you."
Redness crept into Yoh's cheeks as he took her hand, turned around and started to walk again. The blushing Anna was gently dragged onto his side. An awkward silence filled the forest with the occasional cries of ravens and crows.
"Anna," Yoh cleared his throat. "How about you? What's your opinion?"
The itako remembered the other two bouquets offered in front of the headstones as well as the miniscule engravings. "Yes, he is capable."
Yoh was surprised at her answer knowing her extreme dislike of his twin brother. "Why do you think so?"
"Because…" The itako yanked her fiancé to a halt. "I believed his other half when he told me that he loves me." Yoh trembled when she pulled his chin closer to her. He can smell the sweetness of her breath.
"When I was trapped in Anya's realm, I couldn't think of any happy recollection good enough to help me get out of that place… It's because you are my happiest memory, Yoh. I couldn't single out a specific instance with you that I can consider the most unforgettable."
Yoh inhaled deeply and gathered enough courage in the process. This is it. I need to tell her now. However, all the words came out in a stutter, "Anna, I-I lo-lo—"
The blonde placed a finger on his lips. "I know…" The she whispered before kissing him softly. "I love you, too…"
Yoh was elated as they shared their first kiss.
"What took you so long?" Chocolove was stomping his feet. "And why are you two so red all over the face?"
Yoh scratched his head and grinned at everyone who had waited by the inn's entrance. "Sorry guys… We ermm… ahhh…. We… we…"
"We had to say goodbye to my mother. I hadn't had a proper talk with her last night when she left." Anna said in a serious tone.
"That explains it." Horo Horo looked convinced then his gaze fell upon Yoh and Anna's entwined hands. "I didn't know you are comfortable holding each other's hands while walking," the blue-haired shaman teased.
The couple broke their grip at once and began blushing furiously. The teases were momentarily cut when Jeanne held out her hand to Yoh who shook it. "I guess this is goodbye for now, Yoh Asakura."
She and Lyserg will be staying for a few weeks more in the inn to continue their training. Argon materialized beside Jeanne to bid the gang farewell. The Patch warrior spirit had decided to linger on the world of the living much longer. The lovely girl offered him to be her new partner spirit which he gladly accepted. He believed that he had to atone for his sins and he could do this by healing people through the help of his new master.
Ren pointed his kwan dao threateningly at Argon. "If you ever hurt Jeanne, I won't hesitate sending you to the after life."
"Don't worry. I can do it on your behalf." Lyserg presented his hand to the Tao heir who seized and squeezed it hard."
Lyserg glared at Ren as he shook away the pain. Their attention shifted to Manta when he approached the young apprentice, Suzume. "It was nice meeting you," the little guy bowed at her. "I hope you could come visit us at Funbari. I got a lot of books in my house which I could share with you."
Ryuu clasped his hands and danced around, "Oh our little Manta is growing up! He has a crush now!"
"Will you stop acting foolishly, Ryuu?" the boy felt embarrassed.
"Of course, I will pay you a visit sometime," Suzume smiled at the blushing Manta.
"Really?" The little man could feel like stretching his arms and leaping into the air.
Suzume nodded then beckoned the other trainees to approach Faust one by one. Each of them handed him a single flower which the doctor gladly accepted. Despite having a sling supporting his broken arm, he was all smiles for the girls. The trainees bowed at him and said in unison, "Thank you Dr. Faust! Please don't be afraid to come back here again."
While everyone laughed and clapped his hands for the little girls, Old Kino tapped Anna on the shoulder. "I think this should belong to you." The old woman gave her the old class photograph of her mother as a young girl which Manta had found in the repository.
"I do look like her," Anna wiped the dust away with her finger as she stroked her mother's picture.
Her master looked down at her feet in embarrassment, "I haven't been completely honest with you."
"It's alright Master Kino. I forgive you," Anna gently squeezed her wrinkled hand. "The next time I'm here, please tell me more about her."
Yohmei grinned at the heartwarming scene. He cleared his throat and announced happily, "I've phoned Izumo earlier this morning and told them that Anna had already regained her powers." Yohmei tapped the young itako at the shoulder, "My grand daughter, you are and will always be the heir's future wife." Everyone cheered. Anna appreciatively bowed in gratitude at the old man.
Yoh smiled lovingly at his family. "We're going now. We'll visit you as soon as possible," he waved his final goodbye to his old folks, to his father, to Tamao, Lyserg and Jeanne as well as to the itako trainees who watched them all leave.
Anna looked back at the inn when they were already meters away to have a last glimpse of the place which she had considered home. The rickety training center would eternally stand as a concrete reminder of her mother and of her childhood. She would miss every peeling paint, every shuttered window and every loose floor boarding which kept decades' worth of trainee secrets. She was busily savoring her memories of the inn when she spotted the silhouette of a long-haired shaman watching them from behind the trees. He retreated and disappeared into the shadows as soon as he noticed her looking at him.
Anna was certain this won't be the last time that they would see him. She smiled pleasantly to herself. She would forever dearly remember the words engraved on her mother's and Anya's headstones.
Ayako Asakura
Your memories will never be forgotten.
Anya Asakura
Love is a meeting, a separation.
I'm sorry and I love you, too.*
*in a smaller font
End of the last chapter
Thanks for reading!