Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.

A/N: You must have finished the manga before continuing. May contain spoilers. You've been warned =p

Chapter 10

Rue was walking alone around the island when she feels a strong presence. As fast as she could move, he was already behind her, greeting her.

"Hi!"

HAO?!

Rue jumped away and immediately pulled out her swords, but Hao was already holding her arms before she could form her OS. Too fast! Rue didn't even see her opponent move.

"Is that how you're gonna greet me? I'm not planning to attack you" Hao tilted his head to his side expecting her response.

She pushed him back, "Like I would believe that." That's when she successfully formed her OS.

"Well, it depends, actually. Nonetheless, I just wanted to talk."

"Depends on who?" she asked gauging the other's expression as he speaks.

"You," he said with a smile.

I've heard enough. She charged forward swinging her swords at him.

"Why won't you greet me the same way you do with Yoh?" he caught the flaming sword with his gloved hand.

"Wha-?" she was caught off guard and her sword was thrown away. "Arrgh!" she shouted in frustration, "why would I do that?" Rue barked. It feels like he's just toying with me.

"We're siblings. That means I'm one of the Asakura heirs, too." He explained with a grin as he effortlessly dodged her attacks.

"But we're not friends. What's wrong with you, may I remind you, you tried to kill me?" She dragged her right foot backwards, pointed the remaining sword in her hand to him, and shot fire.

"That wouldn't work on me," he chuckled. Just like he said, with one wave of his hand, the fire dispersed and then extinguished, "and I didn't, did I?"

"What?" she answered, trying hard to conceal her frustration.

"I even had you brought to the hospital."

"Shut up!" she angrily shouted. This is just unbelievable.

She stopped to catch her breath, gripping her weapon with both hands, as she tried to think of how to attack Hao, and then she noticed him just staring at her. Is he waiting for me to attack?

"What do you want?" she demanded.

But he only smiled at her. She had to try again, maybe if she used a stronger fire, no that's stupid. But maybe I can use that chance to escape.

"That's stupid, too. You won't escape." Hao said, getting her attention back.

What is…? Once his words sunk, her eyes grew wide with shock. Could he have?

"I can read your thoughts, yes." he replied still, "so you realize, resisting is futile?"

"The elders were not exaggerating in warning us about you." She said with a bitter smile on her face.

She bit her lip in frustration, resisting is futile, she repeated in her mind.

"No!" she shouted, no matter what ability you have, I can never quit. Yoh said that if I give up, then's that when I really lose.

Hao moved closer, and with a frantic move, Rue held out her sword towards him. He only tapped the burning metal, before it disintegrated. She unconsciously stepped back.

"I'm getting impatient with you, Rue." He said as his face became serious.

Rue felt chills run down her spine as she saw his face, but she had to be steadfast, she would never back down, even if it costs me my life.

"Gak!" she suddenly felt the air leave out her lungs.

The last thing she remembered was the sinister smile on Hao's face. When she her eyes returned to focus, she was already facing the sky.

It was seconds – no, probably minutes – after that when she realized what had happened.

She was now lying on the ground, the the ground giving out from the impact. She felt Hao's hand grasping the bottom half of her face painfully. The look on his face brought terror within her.

I can't breathe! She realized in panic – nevermind the dizzying pain she felt at the back of her head, or the ringing in her ears.

She struggled to look around, thinking she might find something she could use against him. But he can read my mind. That's when she saw fire around them; by the feel of the heat on her skin, it was closing in on them. Her flames might not have any effect on Hao, but his surely had a searing effect on her.

He didn't speak. He just looked at her.

She tried to get in air through her nose, but she caught the scent of something irony, instead. Blood! her mind screamed.

She noticed him getting duller in her eyes, and then, everything else became blurry, as she struggled to breathe. But with the wall of fire around them, breathing was even more difficult. She was close to tears at this point, but not because of the pain, her mind argued, but because she thought of everyone else back at the inn. I want to live for them, she thought.

She knew she was losing consciousness; for a couple of times that day, she felt she was close to the doors of hell, she wouldn't even have guessed that this was how she would go.

"I think," he said, breaking her thoughts, "we'll have to talk another time, after all."

Rue looked at him angrily. She wanted to at least let him know what she thought about him at that time, but she was too weary to come up with any.

"I'm sorry," he said with an odd glint in his eyes, Rue noted, as he continued, "but you have to die for Yoh."

With that Rue's vision faded.

At the inn…

Ren, Horohoro, Faust and the Ice Men went back to the inn. Chocolove decided to go out after Yoh left them. Lyserg just disappeared somewhere. Faust and Horohoro immediately tended to the three wounded shamans. Ren, on the other hand was worried because Rue hasn't come back, yet. With all that's happening, he's getting anxious every minute she isn't with them.

He took a bath thinking it would lessen the troubles in his mind; however, Lyserg came in hurriedly. When the latter told them that Yoh was in trouble, Ren and Horohoro did not waste time and followed Lyserg.

It was almost night time when they came back at the inn. Chocolove and Yoh urgently needed medical help. Faust, still weary from tending the Ice Men's injuries, immediately turned to Yoh to check up on him.

Ren said, "Wait, shouldn't we find Rue to help in healing them?"

He was ignored.

But what got to him was how Anna and Faust – even Manta – looked away at his question. Something's wrong. He just stood there, waiting for someone to answer. At the back of his mind, he knew he wouldn't like what the answer was. He looked at Horohoro, who seemed to have the same worries.

His thoughts were cut when Tamao came in, "Ah, I'm sorry!" she tried to shout, "Ryu's back."

"What?! Where from?" Horohoro asked.

"Out." Anna calmly said, "what did he say?" she asked Tamao.

I really have a bad feeling about this, Ren thought.

"I-I'm sorry!" Tamao answered, tears almost falling from her eyes, before she could continue, Ryu walked in.

"We've agreed to have it done tomorrow morning, Miss-"

But Ryu's words were sharply cut by Anna, "Tomorrow morning?!"

Ryu automatically ducked his head as he continued, "Miss Anna, Lady Sati's furyoku had been exhausted with their fight and having two revivifications in a day."

"Isn't Sati the one who revived Ryu?" Horohoro asked Ren. Both just stared at each other, until Ren turned to Anna.

"Where's Rue?" he said, clenching his hands, trying hard not to shout out each word. Horohoro was also expecting Anna's response.

Ryu was to answer, "Oh! She's still in the last rooo—" but he was pushed away as the two rushed outside, "Miss Anna, they don't know yet, do they?" he asked worriedly.

Anna just glared at him, silencing him, and then she walked out.

"We couldn't tell them." Manta was kind enough to answer.

"Rue~" Tamao was already crying in the corner.

Rue…

As both neared the last room in the hallway, they slowed until they were in front of the door. Ren was the one in front, but he couldn't bring himself to slide the door open. I don't feel any presence on the other side at all.

"Ren what's wrong?" Horohoro, having run out of patience abruptly opened the door.

There she was, seemingly sound asleep on the last bed.

Horohoro immediately ran beside her. It was not long after when he cursed loudly, "Fuck!" and slammed his fist on the wall. Kororo was caressing Rue's face, while her master was silently sobbing at the foot of the bed.

Ren, on the other hand, froze midway. Bason appeared just behind him, worried, "Master?" He first noticed the bandaged wrapped around her head. But it was when he was able to see her clearly, when he got his answer, "Hao." He said in between clenched teeth, earning Horohoro's attention.

First was the head injury, and then he noticed the ugly almost-black bruise on her pale cheek, a cut on her lower lip, blood stains near her nostrils, and to his heart's pain, tear stains by her now-closed eyes.

What made him believe his theory on the attacker was the burn marks almost all around her – her clothes, her arms, the tips of her hair, and some on her face. There was no doubt about it.

"What?" It was Horohoro.

"Only one person could do this. She's a fire user, normal fire shouldn't work on her. On top of that she could have healed herself, which means her opponent was too powerful for her." Both jumped at the voice.

It was Anna, by the door with her arms crossed, who answered.

"Damn that Hao!" Horohoro shouted.

"But – " Ren started.

"He's planning something again." Anna cut in, "normally he'd not mess with us unless we get in his way, or he needed more souls for his spirit. But Rue is neither stupid nor is charred to her bones."

Both Horohoro and Ren looked at Rue, trying hard not to conjure the image Anna had suggested. It would only worsen their anger.

Anna left the two, who sat on the floor near Rue's bed.

"Ren," Horohoro peeked at his teammate, but it was already dark, and he couldn't make out his expression, "she's going to be revived, right?"

"Of course," Ren said almost instantly not bothering to look at his friend, "stop asking stupid questions, idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot, brat!" Horohoro said attempting to sound normal.

The two decided to set up futons on the floor where they'll sleep. Later that night, Faust came in to check on Rue.

"Faust, what happened?" Horohoro asked.

"When you all went out to help Master Yoh, and Ryu was coming back here from meeting with the Gandharas, he passed by the forest north of here. That's where he found her."

"and Hao?" Ren inquired.

"Let's see, well, Ryu said no one else was there. The first thing he noticed was a few burning grass and twigs around, and then at the middle was, he said, like a crater. He said it looked like a meteor had crashed on the ground" he stopped to look at Rue, "but instead he found Rue in the middle."

"She fought him, didn't she?" Horohoro bitterly smiled, that idiot, she should have escaped and called for help.

"I'm sorry" Faust said, "we can still save her, don't worry."

"Rue…" Horohoro whined.

"I ask you to protect her body; tomorrow morning the Gandhara leader will help us revive her. If her body gets any more damaged, then she won't have a chance."

"That goes without saying." Ren was the one to answer.

"Ah, young love, I remember the first time I met Eliza." Faust said, swaying.

"Shut up! We don't want your irritating flashbacks!"

Meanwhile, somewhere else…

She woke up in a jolt. I was dead! her mind screamed at her.

"I was…" she left her words hanging as she raked through the vivid images in her head, with eyes closed. She was killed by Hao; that was for sure – all that she felt were too real to be imagined.

But what am I doing here? She ran her hands through the robes she wore; she felt the soft futon under her. She squint her eyes and struggled as the room came into focus.

I know this! A small voice rang in the back of her head, but she ignored it. She was alone in a room, with only one window. Seeing branches of greens outside, she figured, she must be on the upper floors.

With her hands on the floor, she pushed herself up to stand, which was surprisingly an easy task. She did not feel pain anywhere; she didn't even feel weak. She neatly folded her beddings and opened the closet to store the futon. After that she ran her eyes around the room; her eyes landed on a medium-sized study table by the window. On it were a few books, coloring tools, brushes of varying sizes, and notes – crumpled and disorganized – taking her back to her childhood.

Wait.

In two strides, she had crossed the room in front of the table. There at the top left corner of the table was a carving. She fingered the letters affectionately. MARIKO. Her mother's name. And just below it were the letters R U E. "I know where I am." She said softly, looking everywhere. The room, and the things in it, which seemed unfamiliar just moments ago, became her most precious memories.

She took a peek in the window, wishing whole-heartedly, that she sees her old backyard – her little "training box" just under that tree, her make-shift swing on the other side, the small patch of green, which her mother used to tend. She wasn't disappointed. It was just like she remembered. She tiptoed, trying to look down, and then, there it was. What she had been looking for. Her heart swelled with longing, eyes brimmed with tears, as she dashed out of her old room unceremoniously throwing the sliding door aside.

I can't believe it! She shouted repeatedly in her thoughts.

She finally arrived outside; the scenery was even more surreal, as if she went straight into a painting – that of her memory. She felt the wind blowing in her face, and the sun's heat on her skin.

"Hello?"

She heard the familiar voice behind her. She didn't waste any time and turned around to jump onto the source of the voice.

"Mother!" she shouted, not bothering to control her tears anymore.

Her voice, her warmth, she didn't forget it. It was so long ago, but every day she relived that night, the night that she last saw her mother, "I love you, Rue" was the last thing her mother said. But that was enough to remember.

"Are you…" the woman's voice was shaking when she asked, "my Rue?"

"Mother!" Rue cried even more and hugged tighter.

"Oh, my sweet child! You've grown up!" her mother exclaimed and hugged back, "if it wasn't for that mess of blue hair, I would have thought of you as some other relative."

"Oh, Mom!" Rue cried, "I've missed you so much." She wanted to say so much more, but was too overwhelmed to think of anything to say.

When both had calmed down, they decided to return inside the house in the living room. The older Asakura poured down tea.

"Mom," Rue asked seriously, "we're in the afterlife, aren't we?"

Seeing her mother caused so much longing in Rue's heart that she failed to think of the vital fact that her mother was dead. Seeing her mother in front of her would only mean that she is, too.

I really am dead. I'm so sorry everyone.

"This is what the others would call the afterlife, honey." Her mother said as she sat in front of her daughter, "but we are actually in one of the societies of the Great Spirit."

"Um – but then, where are all the others? Shouldn't we be with our relatives?" Rue asked, confusion evident in her face.

"I will be, darling." Mariko reached out her hand to smoothen the creases on Rue's forehead. "I stayed here to wait for you."

"'I'?" Rue noted.

"Because, honey, it's not your time, yet."

"Not my time for what?"

"You still have many things to do, right?"

"But I'm dead."

"Not yet, sweetheart."

"What?"

"I've waited for you here because I failed to teach you the most important teaching of our family."

"Wait, Mom, I don't understand." Rue said, desperate. "Are we going to be separated again?"

Rue's mother pulled her into a hug. She kissed the top of Rue's head and hummed. Rue remembered how this gesture calmed her down as a child whenever she had nightmares or she was teased by other children.

She wrapped her arms around her mother tightly, afraid that any moment, she might wake up from a dream and find that her mother had not been there.

"Hush now, Rue." Mariko said in a soothing voice, "calm down and listen to me. I'm afraid we don't have any more time."

With that Rue sat up. Being reminded of time, her mind suddenly went back to Yoh, Ren, Anna, their other friends, and the shaman fight. Not long ago she was fighting with them.

"Mother, if I'm not dead, what am I doing here?" she asked. She and her mother are now facing each other.

"I'm going to teach you our family's origins," Mariko answered as she tucked a strand of Rue's hair behind her ear, caressing her chin afterwards.

"And your true duty."

She found her eyes widen at her mother's words.

You have to die for Yoh, her mind went back to what Hao last told her.

Hey hey!

What's up? :D Hahaha! Okay..sorry for not updating earlier, I finished this chapter a while back, but hesitated to post it right away; I thought I might need to do changes depending on the ending I choose. XD I really do have the scenes in my mind, I just can't seem to put them into words right now.

Please tell me what you think! :)

Thank you! 'Til the next chapter! XD