Besarki: I told you this chapter would be late! (There was a notice left and the deadline was recorded in my dragonwitharosary calender as being Monday) I told you, so don't be mad! Grah!

Oh, and the previous chapter was changed a little. If you read chapter 25 during the first day it was out, you may have read a rougher version. I have since updated it.

Fun stuff!

Oh, so my temper is going to get me killed one of these days -.-

Sighhhhhh! Oh well. If I freak out and do end up getting nailed and turned into a ghostie, I'll head over to the Philippines, find Animewitch17, the ghost seer, and haunt her until she agrees to do exactly as I say which will include her finishing my many stories and freeing every animal at the zoo! Haha. Just kidding.

So, you're probably wondering what provoked this speech. Well, I do hang out on MT sometimes, as you know (Besarki and Aura, same person) and there was some random conversation which involved lots of incorrect facts, and, you all know and do it, when people say things that are incorrect, we get mad. I was ready to flip, but I was being nice. NICE IS RICE! (That didn't make any sense) But inside, I was furious. Bah.

Anyway, that stuff aside, there are about a billion stories that I still need to leave reviews for, AND I SWEAR I WILL! I've just been busy. I will, though. I promised I would and I will. JUST BE PATIENT! PATIENCE IS VIRTUE! PATIENCE IS REWARDED! PATIENCE IS AWESOME! AND AWESOME IS AWESOME!

I'm going to just stop talking now and start the chapter. -.-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And there's postcards written
I know I'll never send
The moment is gone and won't come again
I ride with souls who find no peace
Still I look to you to find release

I watch the travelers return
Through the panic doors
Walking through the airport corridors
Welcome back now from the foreign shores
And I walk alone
And the ghost that I carry is yours

~Can't Get Away, Third Eye Blind

Hana

Drop me in a hole.

Throw me in the river.

Bury me alive.

Kill. Me. Now.

These were all messages written across my mother's vulpine face. I, on the other hand, found this absolutely hilarious.

I had never seen Kaa-san look so humiliated in my entire life. Humiliated didn't even cover it, really. She looked absolutely mortified.

Though I had to laugh, I must admit that this was probably pretty degrading for her.

"Kaa-san..."

"Shut up, Hana," She snarled, walking tensely forward.

I chuckled mischievously and tugged at her leash. "Kaa-san," I snickered.

She sat down right, and just fumed. The fury was rolling off her in waves.

When I'd awoken this morning, I smelled something akin to real food drifting in from the kitchen. It had been several days since Tou-san and Oji-san came back from the dead. It was still a little awkward around my father, but we were getting along pretty well. I got along really well with Hao, for some reason, but I also got mad at him most--he played tricks on Kaa-san and some of them were really mean! On the off day, he played tricks on Tou-san, too, but mostly he just taunted him with things that I didn't understand, but they must have been embarrassing since they often ended with Tou-san yelling at Oji-san or just running away to hide in the corner.

Kaa-san was adjusting to being a fox, but I could tell that she missed her old body. She moped a lot, but I think there were certain things she did like about being a five-tailed kitsune. For starters, she had extremely sharp teeth that she could bite people with when they made her mad. She couldn't do that when she was a normal shaman. Well, I mean, she could, but that would be kinda weird.

Anyway, back to the story, as soon as I smelled Oji-san's cooking this morning, I ran straight to the kitchen. Hao was standing by the stove and it didn't look like he'd heard me, and so I stole a plate of food right off the table when his back was turned. While I was eating the food under said table, all the chairs suddenly came together and trapped me in the middle.

I yelled, "HEY!" really loud out of fright--probably waking up both of my parents--and pushed at the chairs. They didn't budge so I pushed harder. I heard a soft snicker from the chair behind me so I threw all of my weight at it, successfully dislodging the chair and bowling my uncle over.

Tou-san and Kaa-san appeared shortly after that, looking respectively groggy and livid. I could only grin bashfully. Tou-san laughed, but Kaa-san wasn't amused.

At least, not until she saw that I had my uncle Hao pinned to the ground via a chair. She forgave me after that.

After breakfast, Tou-san said something about finishing something up and then threw me and Kaa-san out of the house. I was too confused to question it, but she was vexed for being left out of the loop again. As a result, Tou-san came outside and put my mother in the leash and collar Hao had made for her. She looked like she was ready to kill him.

"Sorry, Anna-san. It's for your own good," He had apologized, laughing like an idiot about it.

She bit him. Twice. He stopped laughing after that.

Because reasoning with my mother wasn't going to get him anywhere, he tried reasoning with me.

"Hana, if you can keep Anna away from the house for four hours, I'll buy you three candy bars. Any kind you want, too."

I was astonished. Three?! And I could pick which? Wow!

So I obviously agreed, and, now, here we were, walking down the street, just me and my irritated as ever mother.

"What do you think they're doing?" I asked, pondering it in my mind. What could be so secretive that they'd kick me and Kaa-san out?

She grunted. "I don't know," Her eyes got all angry then, "but if they're doing something weird like adding fox tails to my body, I'll kill them both, bring them back, and kill them again."

I frowned. "But that would make our entire journey totally useless, Kaa-san."

Kaa-san snorted and waved her tails. "So against spending time with your mother?"

My jaw fell to the ground. How did she get THAT out of what I had said? "What?! I didn't say that! And I didn't think it either, so don't say that I did!"

She rolled her eyes and headed forward, but since it wasn't a recant, I yanked at her leash and pulled her back. She yelped like a startled puppy.

"Don't say things like that!" I scolded, smashing her head against the ground and pushing the skin on her face forward. If I hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed. She looked like one of those floppy hound dogs.

I knew that I had this backwards--the child wasn't supposed to reprimand the parent--but I didn't care. Kaa-san had a really thick head...and a really bad habit of predicting the future with things she said. The last time she talked like this, she died. It didn't seem like there was anything worse than that, but, knowing fate, there probably was. Tou-san and I had to drill this into her ASAP!

"Why do you have to be so apathetic?" I demanded. "Tou-san probably doesn't want you at home because he wants it to be a surprise, and I'd just get in the way which is why he threw me out with you."

"And I'm apathetic?" She deadpanned. I probably deserved that. "You did."

I sighed.

"You gotta stop thinking like that, Kaa-san," I told her.

"Get off me, Hana."

I refused. "Not until you promise not to talk or even think morbid stuff like that."

"Fine, Hana. I promise," She agreed, totally bored.

"Are your fingers crossed?"

"I don't have fingers."

"Toes?" She waved her paw pointedly. I smiled, satisfied with my efforts. "Good."

I stood up, still holding the leash, and backed away, allowing her to rise as well.

"So, speaking of getting kicked out," I started, "do you think it's been four hours yet?"

She shook out, causing her band to fall off her head and hit the ground with a clank. I picked it up for her even though she was closer to the ground.

"Probably," She answered after thanking me, "but even if it hasn't been, we should turn around."

"But what if it hasn't been--"

Her eyes bored holes in my face. "Hana, if we go back now, I'll buy you four chocolate bars."

FOUR?!?! This day got better and better!

My hope abruptly shattered. "Wait, I thought you were broke."

"I can spare a few hundred yen."

Hope rekindled. "AWESOME!" I yelled. "Hurry, Kaa-san! We gotta run if we want to get back to Japan before Heiyu closes!"

I yanked at her leash, preventing her from arguing. I saw her horrified face, but I pushed it from my mind.
---0---0---0---0---0---
Yoh

I laughed. "He wanted to go back to Japan for them?"

"Yes," Anna grumbled, curled up on the soft pillow I had laid out. "I blame you. His extravagant urges to do weird things didn't come from me."

"Hehehe! Your so hard on him, Anna."

"Only just what's needed." She sighed, and lifted her head. "So, how's your...project going?" She asked.

I threw her the biggest grin I could muster. "We're done!"

Her eyes widened. She hadn't been expecting it--just as I'd hoped. "You are?"

"Yep! Finished while you were gone!"

She stared like she couldn't believe her little foxy ears...and then her face fell, as did her ears and her almost smile.

"Something's wrong," She realized.

I sighed both in and externally. "Yeah," I admitted, "there is a little problem."

Her ears folded back against her head in anger and frustration. "What is it?"

"Well, when Hao made your new body, he didn't realize that your old one would be so old to fix...so he made it so all your mana was added to the new one..."

"AND?" She harshly urged.

I cringed. "Well...we don't know how to move it...back to your old one."

"WHAT?!" She shrieked. Outside the window, Hana's head whipped toward the sound. I waved for him to go on with his business, that this was nothing despite the fact that it obviously was.

We had a big problem.

"Yoh, this is serious. Are you trying to tell me that changing back means becoming human? Forget it, I'd rather be a fox." I knew that she wasn't saying that she hated humans, just that she didn't want to be one. I didn't blame her. I liked humans, but I'd miss seeing ghosts and having shamanic powers.

"I know. I don't want to do that to you either."

"Well, you won't. I won't let it happen. I'm sorry if I sound spoiled or rude or unthankful, but--"

"No, I get it. I don't blame you."

She didn't say anything. She only stared with meaningful silence.

I held my hands up. "I know, I know."

"Yoh, I can't be human."

"I know. We both know. That's why we didn't tell you when you got home." I felt bad. Really bad. I probably should have just told her that we weren't done yet.

She dropped back to her pillow sullenly. "You'll think of something."

I hesitated. Did I tell her?

"Yoh?" She hedged. She had seen my expression.

I sighed. I had to tell her. Even if she hated me for suggesting it, I had to tell her. "I had an idea, but--"

Her ears pointed alertly. "What?"

"Well..."

"Spit it out."

I smacked my forehead. I couldn't believe I was even saying this. "I thought that maybe we could turn you into an oversoul, like a real oversoul and not what you are now."

She looked at me like I was crazy. I was beginning to think I was.

"...What?"

"Yeah, I know it's weird, but that's not even the worst part."

"Kami, do I want to know?"

"Probably not," I admitted, frowning apologetically.

She shook her head. "Tell me anyway."

I smiled sadly. She was brave. "We'd have to do a Hyoui Gattai-Body-Oversoul...and the only one capable of doing that...is Hana."
---0---0---0---0---0---
Anna

I wanted to cry. Hana? But the oversoul would drive him mad.

"Hana? Why Hana? Why can't one of you do it?" I asked, desperately.

He looked down. "Because I'd have to create the oversoul over him and Hao would have to break your current oversoul to release your mana."

"But...no! My mana is so much higher than Hana's, and I doubt my spiritual power is much less than my mana value. The oversoul will drive him mad."

What a situation I'd landed myself in.

Yoh swallowed. "Maybe...or maybe not."

I gawked. Was he kidding? There's no way Hana would come out of this...at all let alone unscathed.

Yoh hesitated again. "We might be able to help him, even if only a little bit."

"A little bit isn't going to be enough, Yoh. My mana is so much higher than his. You'd have to all but lend him your capabilities to save him from this."

"I know."

"Yoh, we can't ask this of him. Even if he was only oversouled for a fraction of a second, it could be too much."

And Yoh sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. I know you were just trying to help."

"But we can't risk Hana that way. I thought that maybe he could handle it, but you're probably right."

"Just think of something else, and if you can't, don't worry about it. Being a fox isn't that bad."

I hate it, but I can live with it. However, I can't live with knowing that my son died to restore me. That would be too much.

Yoh couldn't accept defeat over something like this, though, and I knew it.

"It'll all work out," He promised.

I nodded, smiling just the slightest bit. "I know it will."

It always did.
---0---0---0---0---0---
Hana

"Hey, Matamune," I called, sitting against the big tree and staring at my parents from the other side of the window. "What do you think they're talking about in there?"

"I do not know, Hana-san," He replied. The nekomata was sitting beside me. We'd been playing with this big bouncy ball up until now, but after a while, I decided that watching them was more entertaining.

They weren't saying much now and they seemed all mellow and sorta sad, but a little bit ago they'd been going nuts. I thought Kaa-san's mouth was going to gobble up the rest of her face with how wide she was opening it when she was screaming at Tou-san.

I heaved a mighty and majorly bored sigh. "Where did you say Hao and Ohachiyo went?"

"It was nowhere of importance. Just an aimless walk."

"And you weren't invited? Wow, total downer, eh, Matamune?"

He gave me a small teasing smile. I laughed.

"Come on, Matamune, those two are gonna be a while. Let's play a game while we wait for them!"

He nodded and rose to his feet. "If you wish."

"Awesome! Tag!" I pushed him over and took off running. "YOU'RE IT!"

And Matamune, our resident nekomata, shook his head. He stood, brushed himself off, and then headed after me.

I've never lost a game of tag to Matamune. Today was no exception.
---0---0---0---0---0---
Yoh

After the longest time, I finally dropped my hand and sighed heavily.

"I'm going to go think, Anna. I'll be back in a little bit," I told her.

She nodded, her eyes already closed. "Okay."

It's funny how a single word from her can be equivalent to a million from someone else. I'm yet to meet anyone else capable of doing that. I nearly laughed as I stopped to brush my hand across her back before heading out the door, and then out of the house. I stopped at the porch that overlooked the backyard.

Hana was running around with Matamune chasing him. He was laughing and smiling, and so preoccupied in his games that, even though I was in broad daylight, in perfect sight, he didn't appear to see me.

Hana was...

It's hard to explain just what Hana was. He wasn't the perfect kid, and for that I was glad. He was stronger than most, and had a will that could stand up to steel. In these past few days, I'd seen a sides of my young son that I hadn't ever seen on him before. Timidity, awkwardness, and many others that wouldn't seem like they would fit him.

He was a good kid. Disobedient and terribly mischievous, but a good kid overall.

Matamune gained on Hana only to have the boy turn at the last minute and send Matamune into a patch of mud. I laughed loudly. Hana still didn't hear me. Probably because he was laughing too.

"HAHAHA! WAY TO GO, MATAMUNE!" He yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth and speaking into them.

Matamune wiped his face off and took off after Hana once more. I didn't know the old cat had a playful side like this. It was good that Hana had him.

"YOU CAN RUN ALL YOU WANT! YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME!" Hana teased. He ran off laughing.

His laughter brought a smile to my face, though I wasn't sure why. I rested my head in my hand and watched him for several minutes longer. I was glad he was having fun. My eyes turned to the sky and traced the outlines of the clouds.

"HEY, TOU-SAN!" He suddenly shouted. I jumped, caught off guard. My eyes dropped to look at him. He and Matamune were standing side by side far out in the yard. "ARE YOU GOING TO STAND THERE LIKE SOME STALKER ALL DAY OR ARE YOU GOING TO COME PLAY THIS GAME WITH US?"

My face broke out into a huge smile and I laughed. I laughed like I used to. It had been so long...

He had seen me all along, but had been waiting. I was sure of it. That Hana was so...but I just went on laughing.

That Hana...

"Sorry, Hana! I'll be right out!" And with that, I ran down the stairs and headed out into the yard.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anna watching us from the window. She was smiling.

Besarki: So, that last part with Yoh wasn't originally there, but then I remembered that I said I'd add some YohxHana father-son bonding. And what better than tag, right? Hahaha! Cute!

You all understand the issue with the oversoul, right? You can't oversoul a ghost with more power than you have. If you do, you have a nervous breakdown. That's just all there is to it. Anna has higher power than Hana so for him to use her as an oversoul is extremely dangerous. Yoh thinks that he and Hao may be able to help with the burden, but neither he nor Anna really wants to risk it. However, whether or not they have a choice may be a different story all together. MUHAHAHAHA!

So, voting is still going on, but it will end with the publication of chapter 27. GO VOTE! IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, GO VOTE!

However, voting is looking pretty one-sided if you ask me. The vast majority want a sequel. If you want that, GO VOTE FOR IT, if you don't, GO VOTE AGAINST IT! Time is running out! Hurry hurry!

For those who would like to see the summary for Living For Tomorrow, I've recently posted it under the Living For Tomorrow section of my website. GO CHECK! DO IT!

Oh, and the whole candy/chocolate bar ordeal? Totally factual. Any kid can be won over with candy. It's like, the skeleton key to everything. Totally awesome.

Well, I'm off to wait for the mailman to bring me my new KZBs! HOORAY! MEET THE QUOTA! (I'll actually tell you what it was at the end of the story. Hahaha)

...Last thing. Well...I'm going to update again this week, like normal, but...chapter 28, which is, incidentally, the last chapter save for a possible epilogue...will be late. I'm going to be in Hershey this weekend. My cousins are moving to California so we've going to go visit them one last time before they go.

That's it. I'm out! Bye, Munchies!