"There is no truth sure enough to justify persecution."

-John Milton

Chapter 9

When Anna woke up the next day the rising sun was just a thin line in the horizon. Her sleeping patterns weren't normal yet. She sat up, throwing the covers back.

She changed out of her Yukata into a clean one. She slipped on her sandals and carefully opened the door to her room, making sure it didn't make a sound.

Even with her sandals everything was covered in silence as people slept. She paused, looking at Yoh's door before leaving.

She caught a glimpse of their dreams but mostly drowned them out. It was easy when there was few people around her, or if they were asleep.

When she got outside she took a deep breath of the fresh, clean morning air. She missed this. Being able to walk without someone trailing her, worrying about being attacked any second. Sure, there was still the odd Knight that might show up and try to take her back to the Mansion but she'll just knock them out like she did when she went to see Yohmei if she has too.

Besides, it's not like she's running away.

No. she couldn't do that. Tamao still needed her and she didn't trust the Asakura's to keep their promise.

No, she just need to do something.

When she finally got to her destination the sun was a quarters way up in the sky.

Sighing, she slipped off her sandals before stepping into the cold water, treading towards the small water fall.

Pirika sighed, slowly stirring the giant pot of Oatmeal that was today's breakfast. She was to help Ryu on kitchen duty as punishment for ignoring Anna when to was in the Confidential Cell.

"I hate this," she muttered.

"Hate to say I told you so but- Oh wait, no I don't." jumping five feet in the air, Pirika turned around to see Ren standing there, a bottle of milk in hand, and smirk on his face.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Just came to get a drink, and if it was true that you finally got in trouble," Ren shrugged. "Hair net suits you."

Pirika's face went red. Her long blue hair was put in a bun at the back of her neck, topped off with a hair net and a white apron over her clothes.

"Get lost!" She threw the nearest object her hand could grab at him. The spoon she used to stir the Oatmeal.

Ren easily ducked out of the way, smirking as it hit the wall. "Anyway Jun says 'hi'. And I'm not cleaning that up by the way." he added before leaving.

"UURRGH! HE'S SO DAMN ANNOYING!"

Matamune sat on a high branch of a tree near the water, staying hidden in it's shadows the leaves provided. He watched as Anna stood under the waterfall, letting the water crash against her shoulders as she held her hands together as though she were praying.

He followed her when he saw her leave the Mansion without an Escort. He had a feeling that if she was caught, there would be trouble so he decided to keep an eye on her. Surprisingly though, she didn't seem to sense his presence yet.

As he watched her, he wondered what was going through Yohmei and Mikihisa's minds when the let her near Yoh. Even he couldn't figure it out, and after their talk yesterday, he had a bad feeling something will happen because of the choices the Elder was making. Why was he doing this?

The Nekomata's ears perked when he thought he heard something. It couldn't have been the girl's voice, for even if she spoke he wouldn't be able to hear her this far away for the crashing water.

Suddenly, the direction of the wind changed. There was a small flash of light and he was falling to the ground. He twisted his body so he could land on his feet. Landing on a flat rock, he looked back towards Anna.

She wasn't there.

"He has a weak heart. That's why it's easy to manipulate him." Somehow, Anna went from being under the waterfall, to sitting on the edge of the river, her feet in the water, in only a few seconds. From where he stood he could see, her eyes seemed to have a glazed look in them as she starred into space.

'So it's true, she can hear thoughts' "You say that as though you planned on some of this." Matamune said.

Anna looked at him. "How about you ask what you want to know and leave me alone."

Matamune felt his lips twitch. "if you insist. You're the Princess of Osorezan, correct. Did you ever meet a woman Sakumari Natsuki?"

Anna didn't answer right away. She blinked slowly, looking up at the sky. The sun was almost at it's highest point in the sky; noon.

"Sakumari Natsuki?" she repeated. "No. I've never known someone of that name." she stood, slipping on her sandals and walked away, the darkness of the forest swallowing her up.

Matamune couldn't help but chuckle.

'She doesn't say much…but it's obvious who her teacher once was'

Matamune went to follow when he heard a rustle in the tree.

"Jii-Chan's going to kill us…" Yoh sobbed, collapsing onto the ground.

"By 'us' you do mean you, right?"

Yoh scowled up at Ren, who glared back.

"You're her Escort too! Why didn't you see if she was still in her room when you woke up?" I snapped.

"Kisama, you room is right next to hers! How could you not hear her when she left!" Ren snapped back, his hair growing a few feet into the air. These two rarely had argument, but when they did they were amusing, at lest the people near by. At least they didn't try to murder each other.

"It's not my fault I'm a heavy sleeper," Yoh muttered. He had a weird dream last night (Again, he couldn't really remember it) and he ended up sleeping in until Ren came into his room, asking where Anna was.

'Where could she be?' Yoh thought. They looked everywhere! EVERYWHERE! Sure, the Asakura property were huge but the searched everywhere! Wait, why was he freaking out so much? Oh yeah, cause his grandfather was going to kill him…Where-

"-THE HELL WERE YOU!"

Yoh blinked, Ren's voice pulling him out of his thoughts. He twisted his body around to saw Anna walking towards them. She gave Ren a bored look, not bothering to answer. Yoh blinked again, finally noticing her wearing a very damp Yukata and so was her hair, though it seemed mostly dry by now. it looked like she went swimming not long before.

Just as Yoh was about to ask what happened, Matamune showed up.

"Don't worry Yoh-San, Ren-San. I was with her," he said.

"Oh? And where exactly was she?" Ren asked.

"Even I'm allowed to have some alone time, Acorn," Anna said. Ren's face went red.

'A-Acorn?' "Kisama, I told you-"

"Now, Now Ren, calm down," Yoh stood between, holding his hands up as if to stop him.

"Out of my way, I don't care if she's a Princess, I'll-"

"Ren-San, might I ask a favour?" Matamune interrupted, acting as though nothing was happening.

"What?" Ren snapped, now in a bad mood.

"I need Bason for something so tell Yohmei-San you won't be able to train today."

"What do you need him for?" Yoh asked while Ren called his spirit.

"I just want his help to check something," Matamune glanced at Anna, who was looking away. She was starring back into the forest, her brow furrowed and a frown on her face.

"Whatever he has you do be back by sunset, got it Bason?" Ren said.

"Hai, Bocchama," Bason, a rather large Chinese Spirit, said. Anna rolled her eyes at the title. When she went to go back inside Yoh called after her.

"Now where are you going?"

"To change. I'm cold," she said.

Ren raised his eye brows at her answer. 'Interesting…' he thought, getting a theory on the strange Itako, thinking he should test it out.

When they left, Bason turned to Matamune.

"What's wrong Matamune?" he asked.

"I need your help looking through the forest. Someone's there."

Pirika collapsed onto a near by chair, wiping her hand across her forehead. She just finished cleaning the kitchen and got things ready for lunch. She wouldn't be making it so she just had to lay out the ingredients Ryu would be using.

"Finally," she exclaimed.

"Wow, who knew you could be so clean," Pirika looked up to see Chocolove walk in.

"Hey Chocolove," She said. Then what he said registered. Now angry, she yelled. "Wait, what is that supposed to mean?"

"N-Nothing, Just that, uh, with HoroHoro being your brother, well- he's not exactly a clean person so-"

"Whatever," Pirika sighed, saving the poor boy from his panic attack. True, though her and HoroHoro were sibling they were nothing alike. At least, that's what she thought.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked him, pulling her hair out of it's hairnet.

"Got asked to see if you were actually working."

"I was told Ryu or a Knight would check on me."

"Well, there was a problem."

"What?"

Chocolove scratched the back of his neck. "Well, that Itako was missing this morning, so everyone was searching for her. Don't know if they found her yet or not." poor Yoh. Chocolove could still see his friends tears at the thought of being punished by his grandfather.

Pirika frowned, tossing the hairnet onto a near by table.

"Hope they did, I don't want an Itako running wild around here," she said quietly.

Chocolove gave her a weird look. "Hey, why do you hate Itako's so much? HoroHoro doesn't so why do you?"

"Because," Pirika said bitterly. "It's because of Itako's that my best friend is dead."

To ramble for today I got a new Shaman King Manga, Volume 19! And an Edward and Alphonse Elric Plushie! Edward has a smirk on his face showing off his Automail and Al is holding a kitten! Their so cute! Anyway meant to post this on Friday but got busy unexpectedly. I didn't pick a song for this chapter because there really isn't one to go with it. But next one there will be.

Enough of me rambling! R&R EVERYONE! PLZ!

fictiongurl3553: Hope you liked this chapter, sorry I didn't update it when I said I would. Thanks for reviewing!

MeiSquared: I actually get a good number of Hits for this story, just not a lot of reviews which to be honest kinda sucks cuz it doesn't really help me improve my writing. And I'm glad you like it so far, before I write I scene I take a few days to think about it, what will go in it, then I write it and edit it putting something, or taking something out and putting it in another chapter. Like this last scene was supposed to be in like, two chapters but it fit here and for the next one so…yeah. Thanks for your review, it really made my day!

midori nO himE: yes, it was him, both times, but before you get your hopes up he's not going to appear for awhile…a long while, just in moments like those. Thanks for reviewing!