Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King!
Thought / dreams
'Telepathic voice'
[Voice from the past]
=Telephone=
Letter
"Dialogue"
Emphasis
A dangerous tone
"So, let me get this straight." Lyserg stated as he stared at Hao, while his hands moved to cut a piece of meat using a fork and a knife. "After we escaped, the Angels went after you and injured you. You fell from the Sky and were saved by Yoh. Then you found out that he's your Heart, and decided to stay with him … without thinking of telling us first?".
They were currently in Yoh's Dining Room, having a late meal together. They didn't get the chance to eat in the party due to the fight, and by the time the fight was over, the party was already over and the food was gone as well. Hao was explaining to Lyserg about what happened to him after they got attacked and his meeting with Yoh, while Mary and Macchi listened as well out of curiosity.
Mary was there because Macchi told her to stay with Yoh for the time being. Considering that Mary had attacked one of the Angels, they might list her as an Enemy already. Yoh's Mansion was big enough for more than 5 people, so it wasn't a problem at all. Also, Macchi had used her Magic to create a portal from Mary's house to the room Mary chose for herself – after Yoh told her to take any room she wanted, so she could move her belongings easily.
Hao smiled sheepishly at Lyserg. "Well, I didn't know where you escaped to, so I didn't know how to tell you all." He explained slowly, "Besides, even if I knew where you were, it's hard to go find you with that many Angels patrolling around".
"I guess you are right." Lyserg said with a sigh, before taking a bite of the grilled fish that Yoh cooked for them. He moaned in delight, "My Gosh. This is delicious, and the fact that it's warm makes it even better." He commented before proceeding to enjoying every bit of it.
"You never eat warm food before?" Macchi asked curiously as she watched them eat. She was a Spirit, so there's no need for her to eat or drink. Yoh still put a small portion as an offering for her though, and she was happy about it even though she wouldn't eat it. It was the feeling that counted.
"We are Demons, Macchi." Hao answered her, "We don't have money like Humans do, so we mostly get our food by stealing. We couldn't steal warm food, since it would risk us getting caught more than stealing something like bread and boiled eggs." He explained with a smile, "If we happen to be near a forest or lake, we will get food by hunting and fishing, and only then that we could eat warm food. So you could say that eating warm food is a Luxury for us".
"Well, now that you are here, you can eat warm and cold food whenever you want." Yoh said as he walked in while carrying a tray with mugs on it, "Here, try this." He placed a mug in front of Lyserg, then went to gave Mary and Hao a mug each as well.
"What is this?" Lyserg asked curiously as he looked at the liquid inside the mug.
"It's a mix of Milk, Honey, and Ginger Tea." Yoh answered as he casually take a seat beside Hao, "It's good to replenish energy, and we were having a fight earlier, so this will help us".
"Really?" Hao and Lyserg asked in curiously before trying it, their eyes immediately widened at the taste. "This is good." Lyserg said in amazement, while Hao nodded in agreement.
"Ah, I wish I can still have that stuff." Macchi said with a sigh, "It's really tiring fighting against an Angel".
"Oh, right!" Hao turned to look at Yoh beside him, "You never told me that you are Meene's Cousin, and have that much Power".
Yoh shrugged, "It's not important." He said calmly before sipping his drink, "I don't want you to get worried for nothing, so I stayed quiet about the fact that I have a Cousin who was chosen to be an Angel. I don't like to brag either, so I never talk much about my abilities, aside from what most people already know of me".
"Mary also never knew that Macchi could fight like that." Mary commented as she looked at her best friend, "Was that all of your Power or do you still have more?".
"I still have some more spells that I could use." Macchi said with a grin, "But they are mostly Wide Area Attack, so I don't use them often. They use up so much of my mana anyway".
"Mana?" Mary asked curiously.
"Mana is a Witch's way of calling their Magical Energy. It's shorter and easier than calling Magical Energy all the time." Yoh explained for her, "While in Shaman's case – like me and my family, or the Taoist – we call our Spiritual Energy as Furyoku. Even though the way we call them different, the way they works are similar".
"But it's really amazing that you can use Magic, even after you have become a Spirit, Macchi-san." Lyserg commented as he looked at the Spirit. He didn't know why he was acting at ease around them, since he had only just met them, but he didn't care one bit about it at the moment.
"I'm a Half-blood Witch." Macchi explained with a grin, "A Pureblood Witch is Immortal, they won't die unless someone is strong enough to kill them or they kill themselves. In Half-blood Witch's case, since I'm not Immortal, I can choose when to move on from the world and – while I'm wandering the world as a Spirit, I can still use my Magic as an exchange for Immortality".
"By the way, Macchi." Yoh called her out, "Have you tell your Mother that you died?" He asked curiously.
Macchi cringed, "No, she will be very angry that I died too early without having a child first." She said with a pout, "She wants to spoil her Grandchildren she said, so I don't have the courage to tell her and break her dream".
"But it's already been two years." Mary commented with a frown of confusion, "Surely she would have heard the news already?".
"No." Macchi shook her head, "My Mom lived alone in France – in the middle of a forest – after Dad died 5 years ago. She would only get into the town somewhere in the world when she needs to get groceries – in order to avoid people's suspicion, considering that she didn't age. She doesn't care about what's happening around the world, so I figure that she's still oblivious to the fact that I have died." She explained before sighing deeply, "But I couldn't keep this a secret forever, I have to go and tell her sooner or later".
"Just go then." Yoh said with a carefree grin, "I mean, for you it would only take a few seconds to go from here to France".
"I don't want to get yelled at this early, Yoh." Macchi said with a frown.
"She won't, trust me." Yoh said with a reassuring smile, "She might be sad and disappointed, but it couldn't be help. After all, you couldn't foresee your own death".
Macchi was still looking unsure, and Mary saw it, so she touched Macchi's hand to get her attention. "Mary will accompany Macchi if Macchi is afraid." She said with a smile.
Macchi smiled, "Thank you, Mary." She said gratefully, "Well, the sooner the better then." She muttered to herself before looking at Yoh, "Yoh, I and Mary will go Tomorrow Morning, but in case there's another attack from the Angels, please inform me".
"Why?" Yoh asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yoh-sama's Enemy is Mary's Enemy as well." Mary said seriously.
"You heard her." Macchi said with a grin, "And whoever her Enemy is my Enemy, so I will help you fight them if they attack you again".
Yoh nodded calmly with a smile, "Sure, I will inform you the usual way." He promised and stood up from his seat, "Well, it's really late, we better get some shut eye before the Sun decides that we don't need it." He said with a grin and walked to the stairs, "You can chose whatever Room you want to be your Bedroom, Lyserg." He said with a wave of his hand as he climbed up the stairs, "Good Night".
"Good Night." Mary, Macchi, and Hao answered while Lyserg just looked at Yoh's retreating back in surprise.
"He will let me stay here?" Lyserg asked Hao with blinking eyes, Hao merely smiled in answer.
XXXXX
The next day, Lyserg – who had decided to stay in the Mansion for the night, before going out to tell Anna and Ren that he had found Hao – walked out of his room. He was on his way to the Living Room, to see if anyone was awake yet, when he saw someone walking into the Mansion through the window. He raised an eyebrow and walked closer to the window to get a better look, and then he gasped when he saw the clothes that the person was wearing. He get away from the window ran to the Living Room immediately.
He looked around and found that Yoh was already in the Kitchen, so he went over to the Onmyouji. "Yoh-kun." He called out urgently, "I think that I and Hao need to get out of here for a bit".
Yoh turned to him and raised an eyebrow, "Why?" He asked curiously as he tried the taste of his cooking.
"A Miko is coming!" Lyserg answered in panic, "You are a strange one for an Onmyouji – that's why I don't mind being around you, but that Miko might be coming here because she felt Hao's and my presence here. She will kill us!" He explained in a hurry, and was expecting the boy to panic as well and told him and Hao to get away immediately, but he didn't expect for the boy to just blink his eyes at him.
"A Miko you said?" Yoh asked calmly, and Lyserg nodded many times frantically in answer. He sighed as he dreaded the identity of the Miko. "Does she have long Golden hair tied in ponytail?" He asked, Lyserg nodded again, "Carrying a Samurai sword with her?" Again answered with a nod, and Yoh sighed again. "It's fine. Just get Hao and have your Breakfast. I will eat later." He said as he turned off the stove.
"What?" Lyserg asked in surprise, before frowning when the boy just went into the Dining Room and placed two bowls of Ramen on it. "Yoh-kun, I and Hao need to get away from her, she is surely coming because she felt us. You might already make it clear that you would protect us from the Angels, but it's impossible to do the same thing with a Miko, you will get in trouble with the other Mikos and Onmyoujis".
Yoh smiled at Lyserg, "Thanks for your concern." He said calmly before walking to the front door, "But trust me, it's alright".
"What is alright?" Hao asked curiously as he entered the Dining Room.
"Ah, Hao, just in time." Yoh smiled at him, "The Breakfast is ready. You can eat first if you want. I will eat later".
"Hao!" Lyserg cried out, "We need to get away, a Miko is coming!".
"A Miko?" Hao asked in surprise. Lyserg nodded in answer with a pale face. He then looked at Yoh who already opened the door, with a girl wearing a Miko's outfit in front of it, "It's seems that we are a bit late".
"Yoh." The Miko said with a smile on her face, her Brown eyes staring calmly at Yoh, "Long time no see".
"Long time no see, Shanna." Yoh answered calmly and let the girl entered his Mansion, "What's bring you here?" He asked with a lazy smile.
Shanna sighed and took a seat on one of the Sofas in the Living Room. "Don't play dumb. You know why I come here." She told Yoh, before her eyes caught a sight of Hao and Lyserg – who were frozen in place while staring at the Miko. She just rolled her eyes and looked at Yoh, "So?".
"The answer is still the same, a big NO." Yoh answered with a smile.
Shanna pouted, "Why not?" She asked in annoyance, "Dad really wants you back, you know? We miss you being there with us".
"I don't really mind staying with you and Uncle Silva." Yoh sighed as he sat down as well, "But I have my Friends here, and I need to protect the people here from the Onis. They have a bunch of other Mikos and Onmyoujis in there, so there's no need for me to be there as well." He then smiled mischievously at the girl, "Besides, I have a job here. My position is quite high, so the others would be in a lot of trouble if I am to go so suddenly".
"You can give them orders from Izumo, you know?" Shanna pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"My Friends are here, remember? There's no way I can meet them as often if I'm in Izumo." Yoh countered with a grin.
Shanna pointed at the watching Demons, making them tensed again. "If you go back with me, I won't tell the Head Council that you took in two other non-human beings under your care." She said with a smirk, "They are Demonic Beings, right? You will get in trouble, you know?".
"Are you trying to threaten me with that?" Yoh asked with a smirk, "Or are you trying to get my friends here to force me to go back with you with that excuse?" He raised an eyebrow and Shanna pouted again, "You know as well as I do that the Council wouldn't touch those under my care, unless they have a solid proof without manipulation that anyone under my care had harmed humans intentionally. They know better than to get onto my bad side, again." He hissed the 'again' word, as fury entered his eyes for a second, before it disappeared again a second later.
Shanna sighed loudly as she stood up before pointing at Yoh, "Fine then, fight me!" She said boldly, "If I win, you go home with me!".
"First, have you eaten?" Yoh asked curiously.
Shanna nodded, "I brought something from home and ate them on the train." She answered right away, but her stomach growling in protest. She blushed again and muttered a curse under her breath.
Yoh chuckled, "Let's have Breakfast first, or you couldn't fight to the fullest." He smirked at the girl, "I won't let you use the excuse that you lose to me because you haven't eat yet, and then demand a rematch after you eat and fully rested".
Shanna pouted and blushed again, before sighing and walked to the Dining Table. "What do you have?" She asked as she passed the still tense Demons. She glanced at them and sighed as she sat down at random place, "You don't need to be tense like that, you know. I don't bite".
Yoh blinked, "Didn't I tell you to eat first?" He asked as he walked to the Kitchen, "I already said that it's alright".
Hao and Lyserg exchanged look, before shrugging and each sat down on a chair. "We thought that she will kill us." Hao admitted, "So we didn't dare to sit and were tense, ready to fly away if she attacks".
"I won't attack you." Shanna said with a wave of her hand before raising an eyebrow at them, "By the way, what are you if you are not humans?".
"Their kind is called the Demon of Heart." Yoh answered as he brought two other bowls into the table, "Here, I cooked Ramen for Breakfast." He said as he placed one of the bowls in front of her, and then sat beside her.
Shanna licked her lips, "I love Ramen." She said before looking at the still tense Demons, "I already said I won't attack you, calm down." She complained before looking curiously at them, "I never heard of the Demons of Heart before. Why are you called that?" She asked before getting some of the Ramen into her mouth using the Chopstick.
"How do I explain this?" Hao muttered to himself thoughtfully, "We – the Demons of Heart – were Spirits who had pulled the Darkness into ourselves, and then were reborn as a Demon because there's still something that we wish to do before we died. Unfortunately, the Memory of what was causing us to hold on to live so tightly were hidden from us. The only way to get that Memory back is to have the Key with us, and the Key is normally a human. We can tell if a human is our Key when the pain – that constantly reside in our Heart – had subsided after meeting the human".
"Humans are fragile creatures." Lyserg continued for him, a bit less tense after knowing that the Miko didn't act hostile towards them, "This fact makes us wanting to protect our Hearts".
"Because you will lose your chance to pass on if you lose the Human?" Shanna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A part of it, yes." Hao answered, "But it's mostly because we have this protectiveness in us about our Heart's well being. Just like Love at First Sight, but instead of Love, we feel a sudden protectiveness".
"And since it would be weird to call ourselves as Guardian Demons – considering that it's normally an Angel's job – we call ourselves as Demons of Heart instead." Lyserg finished, "At least, that was what we had been told by the older ones".
Shanna hummed as she chewed on her Ramen, "Have you found your Heart then? Both of you." She asked with soft eyes.
"I have." Hao answered calmly, "But …" He looked at Lyserg.
"I have not." Lyserg finished his words, "It's normal though, since it's hard for us to move around to search for our Heart. It's too dangerous to be alone, so we have to stay in groups".
"Who is your Heart, Hao?" Shanna asked again, now fully curious.
"Me." Yoh answered for Hao.
Shanna raised an eyebrow, "For real?" She asked casually, Yoh and Hao nodded at the same time, "No wonder you took him under your Wings. And this Lyserg boy is kinda cute, makes me want to protect him".
"What?!" Lyserg asked with wide eyes filled with shock, and blushing cheeks.
Shanna chuckled at his reaction, "I'm kidding. You are not my type." She said cheerfully before looking at Hao, "How did you meet with Yoh?".
"Um, I got attacked and injured, Yoh saved me." Hao said in thought, "I wasn't really aware of it happening though, because I was already halfway through losing my consciousness".
"I had just destroyed an Oni when I saw him got attacked, up in the sky ahead of me." Yoh explained more, "I saw him fell from the sky and rushed to his aid".
Shanna burst out laughing after she heard that, and they looked at her in surprise. "What a fateful way of meeting!" She said before laughing more, "But very dramatic!".
Yoh blinked hearing that, before chuckling as well. "Yeah." He agreed, "Dramatic." He nodded his head with a grin, "If I'm a girl, it would be like in a Romance Novel." His words causing Shanna to laugh even harder, until she fell from the chair and her sides were aching. Surprisingly, Hao and Lyserg were chuckling as well.
"Now that I think about it, it was very dramatic." Hao said in agreement.
Shanna finally managed to control her laugh, and they continued to eat. "Thanks for the food." She said to Yoh once she finished, "Now, let's fight." She said with determined face.
"You are even more stubborn than usual." Yoh pointed out, "What is it that he promised you this time?".
"A motorcycle." Shanna answered with a huge grin, "I really want it, so you have to go home with me".
"You always lose to me all this time." Yoh said calmly as he picked up all the bowls and brought them to the sink.
"But I'm stronger now." Shanna insisted, "I'm sure I can win." She then crossed her arms and pouted, "It's either I bring you home with me, or I have to get an A in my Math test the day after tomorrow at School".
"It's easier for you to just studying instead of defeating me, you know?" Yoh asked with a sweat drop.
"But it's impossible!" Shanna whined, "I'm never good in Math!".
"Because you don't understand how to do the formulas right, isn't it?" Yoh asked calmly with a smirk, "How about this. We cancel the fight and I'm going to be your tutor, so you can get an A in this test. What do you think?".
Shanna gasped and immediately stood up to grab Yoh's arms, "You really are going to teach me?" She asked hopefully with sparkling Puppy Dog Eyes.
"Yeah, isn't it easier than trying to beat me?" Yoh asked cheekily, "You are my Cousin, so of course I will help you with your studies".
"Yay!" Shanna jumped up and down as she swirled around in happiness, "I'm going to get an A for sure this time!".
"Is it really for sure?" Lyserg asked curiously, "From what I saw long ago, school test is really hard. Some students even got really stressed".
"But that's because they don't have Yoh as their teacher!" Shanna told him with a big grin, "With Yoh teaching me, I will definitely get an A!".
"Are you that smart, Yoh?" Hao asked in surprise.
Shanna moved her finger from side to side, "You don't know who you are talking to." She said confidently, "Yoh is a Genius Boy who finished all of his Education in 5 years and graduated from Collage at the age of 10! It's the top record in the whole Asia!".
Yoh face palmed when Hao and Lyserg were reduced into goldfishes. "Shanna …" He sighed exasperatedly and shook his head, "It's not that big of a deal. There are more Geniuses out there".
"But they are not my Cousin." She said cheekily before clearing her throat, "So, when do we start the Private Lesson?" She asked with sparkling eyes.
Yoh motioned for the stairs, "Now." He said with a smile.
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To be continued …
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