"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy" -Walter Anderson

"I never really ever know what to say

When all of my emotions get in the way

I'm just trying to get us on the same page (Wish I could explain)

I always get it better right afterward

When all the wrong impressions are said and heard

How come I can never get the right words, I need to convey

Wish I could explain The things that I have to work out"

-The Listening-Lights

Usually I put this stuff at the end of the chapter, but for the way this one ends I felt it was better to get it out of the way first.

Fictiongurl3553:Thanks for your review, I updated quick enough for once!

Midori nO himE: Yes, Melin is one of those characters you love to hate. Your right, Yoh is sweet, and is again this chapter so hope you like it.

Koorinosekai: I know, I wish Keiko was shown more in both the anime and manga like Miki was so I felt like making her an important part of this story.

Cat-so-curious: Everyone seems to love Keiko in this, it make me happy. I'm not sure how long this will be but I estimate about…eight or nine, give or take. As for if there will be a sequel well…you'll just have to wait and see.

Now, onto to the chapter!

Chapter 14

"Marco, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Marco turned to look at his fellow X-Laws. "Porf, are those prisoners getting better?"

"Yes. Actually, the one seems to be getting her strength back rather quicker then the other."

Marco nodded to himself. "I see. Then prepare everything. We'll start the plan in two days."

"But that doesn't mean I'll treat her like a bomb about to go off like you do. I think that girl's been through enough as an Itako. I treat her as I would any child that comes into my home." Keiko's words repeated in her fathers head.

"She may be gentle but you an definitely see her mother's attitude in her," Yohmei muttered under his breath.

"HA! Of course she does, someone has to knock common sense into that bald head of yours, my stupid husband," Yohmei shook his head.

'Yes, that's probably what she would say' he thought.

He stood from his desk, only to fall again as the ground beneath him shook. He could hear shouts from outside.

A boy, about nineteen, ran in. he had brown hair and wore the Knights uniform.

"Yohmei-Sama, a part of the West Wing has collapsed!" he shouted.

"What?"

Knights scrambled back and forth, shifting large amounts of rubble around, checking if any comrades were buried. Three were already laying on the grass fifteen meters away, clutching some body part where blood seeped through their clothes.

"How the hell did this happen?" Ren shouted.

"W-We don't know," A Knight, named Liam stammered. He was seventeen, a year older then Tao. "We were w-walking by and Kian thought he saw something and-"

"Kian? Liu Kian?"

"Yeah. He said he saw something and went to check it out and then a sort of shadow appeared out of no where and the beams gave out and collapsed."

Ren frowned. Sure, this place was old but they just did renovations in the West Wing less then a year ago. Why would it just suddenly give out? And what about that black smoke?

"Where's Liu now?" Ren noticed that the black haired knight wasn't around.

"He got taken to the infirmary, his leg out caught when it collapsed so Faust is making sure it isn't broken." Liam explained. "I hope it isn't, he's one of our best Knights."

"Yes, it would be a bloody shame if he was out for awhile, wouldn't it?" Ren muttered under his breath sarcastically. Someone called his name and he turned to see Yoh, HoroHoro, and Chocolove coming over. Behind them was Tamao and Anna. Tamao looked concerned while Anna's eyes searched the wreck, a frown on her face.

'Something doesn't seem right' she thought. There was a strange feeling around this area.

"Ren, what happened here?" Chocolove asked.

"What does it look like?" Ren told them what Liam did.

"That's really weird," HoroHoro said. Yoh nodded in agreement, looking around.

"Is there still anyone stuck under all this?" he asked Liam.

"We don't know, we're still looking," the Knight told him. He then turned to Anna. Yoh was surprised to see he had an almost desperate look on his face. "Hime-Sama," Anna's eyes snapped towards him and he flinched back. Yoh couldn't blame him. He could already feel the anger radiate off of her and he was about meter away from her.

'What's she so upset about?' he wondered. His question was answered as Liam continued.

"There's a rumour saying you can hear thoughts, or something close to that." He said. "Is there anyway you can see if any of our comrades are trapped?"

"Uh, even if that was true, I doubt she'd do anything that would help us," HoroHoro said.

"For once I agree with this idiot," Anna said coldly, her voice holding a hint of disgust. "Why would I help the people I loathe?"

"But they could die-"

"I don't care," Anna snapped before walking away.

"Anna-San," Tamao went to follow her but Yoh stopped her.

"I'll go check on her," he turned to his friends. "Can you guys handle everything until I get back?"

"Hmp, don't flatter yourself, we don't need your help." Ren said. "Just go calm her down before she takes it out of the next person she sees."

"Thanks Ren."

'The nerve of these Knights. First they want to see me dead then go and ask for my help like that' Anna leaned against a tree, taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"You okay?" not to her surprise, he followed her.

"These people make me sick," she muttered.

"Yeah, I can understand how upset that might have made you feel." Yoh went beside her, also leaning against the tree.

"I wish you would leave me alone," she added.

"Hmm, I don't believe that." He said. "I think your just not used to others wanting to get close to you. Either that or your wary of trusting for whatever reason." seeing the look on her face he added with a grin, "I'm smarter then you give me credit for."

"Don't act like you know me." she said but the coldness in her voice was gone. "By the way your girlfriend is coming." Yoh gave her a confused look.

"Who're you-"

"YOH-KUN!" Melin shouted, running towards him, Pirika right behind her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Oh, I missed you so much," Melin said.

"Hi Melin," Yoh said, rather uncomfortable. He broke away from her embrace. He glanced at Anna, who had a blank look on her face. Melin followed his gaze, narrowing her eyes when she noticed Anna.

'Great, he's with her'

"You know," Anna sighed, suddenly feeling tired. "Instead of glaring at me, you should see that brother of yours."

Melin's eyes widened. "My broth…What did you do?" she hissed. Yoh frowned.

"Anna didn't do anything. There was an accident and he got hurt. He's in the infirmary right now."

"Is HoroHoro ok?" Pirika asked.

"Yeah, he's helping with the rest right now." she sighed, relieved.

"We should go see your brother Melin," Pirika turned to her friend.

"Yeah," Melin nodded. Before she left she said to Yoh, "See you around. We should catch up later."

Yoh didn't say anything.

When she and Pirika were out of earshot Anna spoke.

"And here I thought you couldn't hate anyone," she scoffed.

"It's not that I hate her," Yoh said, sitting down. He had a serious expression on his face. "I just hate the way she treats people. My father said it's because she's a noble family from China, but so is Ren and he isn't as mean as her.

I can't forgive people who hurt others just because their different."

"Hypocrite," Anna said. Yoh looked up at her. "Hearing that from an Asakura…it makes me want to hurt you. You say you can't forgive people who hurt others because their different, yet look at what your family caused for Itako's. we're hunted down and killed like animals because we summon spirits." her eyes had a sad look in them. "I…really hate you…for saying that."

"I know." Yoh was looking into the distance, a frown on his face. "I'm…beginning to hate myself for what my families been doing for the last five hundred years. If possible…I want to try to change that."

Anna froze.

"You can't change it. What's done is done," she said, looking at the ground.

"Do you really believe that?" Yoh stood.

She didn't say anything.

"Well, what if I promise to change how Itako's are treated?"

Anna looked up at him, shock evident.

As she looked in his eyes, heard his thoughts…she knew he wasn't kidding.

xXxXxXx

"Hey Ren, can that Itako really read minds?"

Ren tossed a piece of broken wood in a pile. He looked at HoroHoro, eyebrow raised.

"From what I know, why?"

"I don't know, it's just weird. I always figured it was a myth," The Ainu shrugged. "Hey, Tamao!"

Tamao, who was sitting in the shade to stay out of their way, looked up from her sketch book.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you say something about the Princess reading minds?"

"Um," Tamao looked down. "I…I wasn't allowed to. Hime-Sama doesn't like people knowing about her Reishi."

"Weird, never heard of it," Chocolove said, who was sitting beside her.

"CHOCOLOVE! GET OVER HERE AND HELP US!" HoroHoro shouted.

"You heard kelp cuss?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Chocolove…"

"Kisama…"

Chocolove started to sweat as his supposed friends activated their Over Souls, turning them on him.

"G-Guys? Didn't y-you think it was funny? AH!" he yelped as Ren's Kwan Dao cut his afro in half. "T-Tamao?"

"That was a really bad joke," Tamao whispered, who was now standing fifteen feet away from him.

'Uh oh…'

"HHEEELLLPP!"

"Did you hear something Melin?"

"No. your just hearing things," Melin snapped.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Pirika frowned.

"My brother is in the infirmary! You would be too if it was Horo!"

"But Eliza said he would be fine in a two or three weeks since it was just a hairline fracture."

Melin glared at her before sighing, wiping her hand across her forehead. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap." she said. "It's just…why is Yoh-Kun spending his time with that Itako? I've been back for two days and he's barely said a word to me."

Pirika gave her friend a look of sympathy. "Melin…I hate to say it, and I mean, really, really, really, hate to, but from what Ren and my brother told me, Yoh really like her and-"

"Shut. Up. Right. Now." Melin said coldly, her blue eyes ice. Pirika flinched. "I will not lose to a demon. And if you ever say that again…" Melin took a deep breath and said in a calmer voice, "Yoh-Kun would never like a thing like that. he's an Asakura, and the Asakura don't care for Itako's He's a kind man, that's the only reason why he puts up with her."

Pirika didn't say anything.

"I'm surprised you would say that thought, Pirika-Chan," Melin went on. "I thought you hated Itako's after what happened to Da-"

"I do," Pirika snapped. "I hate them."

Melin grinned. "Good."

"How'd everything go?" Yoh asked, once he and Anna returned.

"We cleared everything, no one was trapped underneath," HoroHoro sighed, sitting on the ground exhausted.

"Uh, why does Chocolove look half dead?" The shaman was lying on the ground, covered in bruises and cuts, twitching every ten seconds.

"He tried to be funny again," Ren rolled his eyes. He looked at Anna. "You seem in a better mood."

"Shut up, Acorn."

Before Ren could snap something in return, someone shouted, "LIAN!"

Both him and Anna stiffened at the same time.

Yoh, HoroHoro, and Tamao turned to see a woman with green hair, wearing a black Chinese dress with a golden dragon on it, running over to them.

"Who's that?" Tamao asked.

"Jun, Ren's sister." Said HoroHoro.

"I forgot she was coming to visit." Said Yoh.

Ren and Anna didn't say anything.

"Ren, It's been so long," Jun hugged her brother.

"Nee-San, I saw you at new years," Ren muttered, his face gong red embarrassed by his sisters behaviour.

"That was back in February, it's August now," Jun said, letting go. Then she turned to Anna. Her eyes widened.

"Your really alive…" she whispered before hugging her. Anna, if possible, went even more stiff. "Oh Anna, thank god you okay!"

"Y-You know her?" HoroHoro and Yoh gasped.

"Of course," Jun let go of the Itako. "Her and Ren were engaged to marry eleven years ago."