Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King!

Thought / dreams

'Telepathic voice'

[Voice from the past]

=Telephone=

Letter

"Dialogue"

Emphasis

A dangerous tone

Shanna stretched up after she finished her Lesson with Yoh. "Thanks, Yoh!" She said cheerfully as she got up, and then closed the notebook Yoh gave her to write on during the Lesson, "I will get my motorcycle this time".

Yoh smiled lazily at her, "It's nothing, really." He said softly, "Just don't ride your bike too fast after you got it".

"I won't." Shanna promised with a wink.

They walked out from the Library and to the front door, "Well then, I'm going." Shanna said as she turned to hugged Yoh for a few seconds, "Don't get yourself in trouble so much, take care, Cousin".

"You as well, Cousin." Yoh answered as he hugged her back.

Shanna pulled back and looked at the two Demons behind Yoh, "Hey, Hao." She called out for the long haired Demon, "I know you said that you are protective over your Heart, and I'm happy if you will be there to protect Yoh, but don't overdo it, alright?".

"I will try." Hao said with a smile. The tension between them had disappeared completely during the time Yoh taught Shanna Math – the girl turned out to be a gentle and caring girl, so he and Lyserg didn't fear her anymore.

"Good." She said then looked at Lyserg, "I hope you will find your Heart soon, Lyserg".

Lyserg smiled and nodded at her, "Thank you." He said softly.

Shanna nodded back and then ran out of the gate, she was out of sight immediately.

Hao turned to Yoh, "So, is she Meene's Little Sister?" He asked curiously, "Forgive me, but they look nothing alike".

"Because they aren't Sisters." Yoh answered with a smile as he closed the door then turned to them, "Meene is my Cousin by Blood, but Shanna isn't. Shanna's family all died long ago, killed by Onis. My Uncle found her being swept away in the river and took her in, then he adopted her after he found out that she had no family left and has a strong Sixth Sense. My Uncle had just lost Meene that time, and with Shanna also alone, they kind of adopted each other. The worst part is, Shanna was really traumatized that she had locked her own memories away, so she doesn't remember anything aside from her name when my Uncle found her. None of her memory has returned yet to this day".

"Poor girl." Hao said sadly, Yoh and Lyserg nodded in agreement.

"But really …" Lyserg sighed as he looked at Yoh, "You have an Angel for a Cousin, then a Miko. Do your family are full of surprise?".

"Who knows?" Yoh asked in carefree way, "This world is full of surprise, as far as I know, I might have some non-human as a family out there and don't have any clue about it*." He shrugged and looked at the clock, "How's Dinner sound?".

(*AN: Foreshadowing much?)

"Welcomed with open arms." Hao and Lyserg answered at the same time, causing all of them to chuckle.

XXXXX

Shanna shivered as she walked through the street on her way to the train station. It's near Winter already, so the air had gradually grow colder with each passing day – the fact that she was wearing a thin Miko's outfit was not helping at all. She looked up when she heard a dim explosion from the forest direction. An Oni? She thought as she gripped her Sword – that was wrapped in talismans, just like Yoh's – tighter. She decided that it would be best to check it out, in case it really was an Oni.

She entered the forest and was relying on her Sixth Sense to guide her to whatever was causing the explosion. She did felt a dim Oni's aura earlier, but it had disappeared soon after the explosion. She still wanted to check it out though, just to be sure. She was walking as silently as possible, because it's better safe than sorry. She didn't want to rush there and alerted whatever causing the explosion of her presence, or she might be the one who was in for a surprise attack instead.

She arrived in a clearing and immediately saw a trace of an explosion. Some of the trees were lightly burning – the fire was diminishing rapidly as the second passed by, and some stones nearby were scorched. She looked around to see if there's an Oni, but what she found was something different altogether. A girl was half lying on the ground while panting heavily. One hand being used to hold herself up a bit, while the other outstretched shakily to her feet, or maybe the space where a crater was seen near her feet.

The girl was not human, that was for sure. Aside from the fact that there's a pair of Reddish Black bat-like Wings on her back, she was definitely the one who caused the explosion. A Demon of Heart? Shanna thought to herself as she looked at the girl's Wings. The shape was the same with Hao's and Lyserg's – she had seen them when Yoh said that it's alright to get their Wings out, if that would make them more comfortable around her. Hao's Wings were bigger than the girl's and were Pure Black in color, while Lyserg's Wings were a bit smaller than the girl's and was Greenish in color. Lyserg said that it's because Hao's Element was Darkness itself while his was Wind, their Elements influenced their Wing's color.

The girl was creating an explosion, so maybe her Element is Fire? Shanna observed thoughtfully, before noticing that the girl's left leg was bleeding – in a shape of a claw. She got attacked by an Oni? It clicked in her mind – with that injury, and the Oni's presence disappeared after the explosion that was more than likely created by the girl – the girl got attacked by an Oni, and she destroyed the Oni with her Fire Power.

Shanna walked forwards to the Demon Girl, to try and see if she could help the girl. She was sure that the girl was a Demon of Heart by the similarity of her Aura with Hao's and Lyserg's, so it's alright to help her since Hao said that Demons of Heart would never harm Humans – unless it was for self defense and the only option left. The girl's head snapped up when Shanna began walking, and then stared at her with wide, fear filled eyes. Shanna thought that maybe the girl was scared if she would get killed – considering she was wearing her Miko outfit, something that was so far away from her mind as soon as she locked eyes with the girl's eyes.

The girl's eyes narrowed and she pointed her palm at Shanna. "Don't attack me, Demon Girl." Shanna said softly – but sternly – before kneeling beside the girl's bleeding leg. The girl's eyes were instantly filled with shock and disbelief, "Let me treat that wound. I'm sure that it's painful".

The girl was still staring at her in shock and disbelief, but she sat up in a better position, and her right hand was placed on her chest. "Why … do you help me?" The girl asked in confusion, after the look of shock disappeared from her face.

Shanna chuckled as she inspected the girl's wound, "Is it really that surprising to see a Miko helping a not evil Demon?" She asked casually, "Not all of us Miko and Onmyouji are narrow-minded, you know? Some of us are open-minded enough to accept the fact that there are some good Demons who won't harm Humans." She ripped up her sleeves and tied them up around the girl's leg, "I'm sure you don't like to be called Demon all the time, like I don't like to be called Miko all the time." She looked at the girl's eyes and smiled, "So what's your name? I'm Asakura Shanna, but it's better to call me Shanna, or you might get me confused with my Dad or the others in Asakura Clan".

"My name is Anna." The girl answered slowly, surprised again when she saw a Miko smiling at her.

"Okay, Anna." Shanna began as she stood up and offered a hand to the girl, "Am I right in guessing that you are a Demon of Heart?".

Anna's eyes widened in surprise again, "How do you know that?" She asked as her body moved by itself to accept the offered hand and stood up with Shanna's help.

"I met two other Demons of Heart not long ago." Shanna explained calmly, "Hao and Lyserg. They are your friends, right?" She asked, and Anna could only nodded silently, "I heard that you, Lyserg and another Demon named Ren were searching for Hao, so I will let you know that Hao is safe and with his Heart now – along with Lyserg".

"Hao is with his Heart?" Anna asked in surprise.

"Yes, and …" Shanna looked at Anna speculatively, "This kind of fateful yet dramatic meeting, and the fact that you touched your chest after hearing my Voice … I'm your Heart, am I right?".

Anna gasped in surprise and stumbled a bit as she took a step back in surprise, Shanna immediately grabbed her arms to steady her. "Impossible. Could you read mind?" She asked in shock as she stared at Shanna's eyes.

"Nah, I can't." Shanna answered with a smile, "As I said, our meeting is kind of 'Fateful yet Dramatic', like when Hao met his Heart, who is surprisingly my adopted Cousin, Yoh. Then you were so shocked and looked at me in disbelief after hearing my voice, and your right hand was on your chest over your Heart. With all the stories I heard from Hao and Lyserg, it's easy enough to guess that I'm your Heart." She explained with a shrug.

"Where are they?" Anna asked curiously.

"In Yoh's Mansion." Shanna answered, "A bit far from here".

"Can you show me the way?" Anna asked seriously.

Shanna frowned, "But I need to get home now, if I don't catch the train, I will late for school tomorrow." She said with a sigh before raising an eyebrow, "Well I could call Yoh and tell him to pick you up, but the question is do you want to stay with me like Hao is staying with Yoh? Or would you rather go to Hao's place so you could be your friends?".

Anna frowned, "You are not staying with your Cousin?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, my home is in Izumo." Shanna said casually, "If you decide to stay with me, then I will take you home with me to Izumo. But don't worry, I will tell Yoh to inform Hao and Lyserg that you are with me, and that I turned out to be your Heart".

Anna looked torn by the options before she sighed, "It's impossible for a Demon of Heart to stay away from their Heart, so I'm going with you." She decided, "But is this really alright? I mean, you are a Miko and I'm a Demon".

"So what?" Shanna asked lightly, "Yoh is an Onmyouji, you know? And Hao is a Demon as well. They are fine with it, so it shouldn't be a problem with us as well".

"How about your Dad?" Anna asked in worry, "You won't attack me. I can feel it and I believe you, but your Dad?".

Shanna smirked, "I have a way, but first." She pulled out a Shikigami Paper, "Inugami." A big wolf-like dog Shikigami appeared and lowered itself in front of Anna, "You can pull in your Wings, right? Please do it, we are going out of the forest since I need to get to the train station".

Anna blinked but complied. Normally, she wouldn't take order from people so easily – she was the one who order people around, but somehow she had this feeling that she should listen to this girl for now. "Climb on?" She asked as she pointed at the Shikigami in front of her.

Shanna nodded as she pulled out her phone, so Anna climbed up the Shikigami while being careful about her injured leg, she then pressed some buttons and dialed Yoh's number. She didn't have to wait long, Yoh answered at the second ring, so she was sure her Cousin was still using her special Ringtone – which was Blue Rose*. "Hi, Yoh." She called out after Yoh called her name from the other end, "You know, I just had a fateful yet Dramatic meeting like you." She said with a grin on her face as she started walking, her Shikigami walked beside her slowly.

(*AN : Blue Rose is a soundtrack from AKB0048 anime)

=Really?= Yoh asked with interest, =With whom?=

"Do you remember how Lyserg said that he was looking for Hao with his friends? I met Anna in a Dramatic way as well, although not as Dramatic as you." Shanna replied lightly, "I was walking to the train station when I felt an Oni's presence, so I went to the forest and saw Anna with her leg injured. If only I came sooner, then maybe I would end up saving her almost like you saved Hao." She chuckled along with Yoh after she said it, "Well, anyway, can you tell Hao and Lyserg that Anna will stay with me?".

=You are her Heart?= Yoh asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it seems that Fate really like to play with our lives." Shanna said with a sigh as she emerged from the forest, the people stared at her Shikigami in awe and a bit surprise. Yoh and herself often used their Shikigamis in public, and with Yoh being famous, no one in Tokyo get that surprised when seeing a Shikigami anymore – merely in awe and curious. Although, some tourists who happened to visit might found themselves surprised.

=Alright, I will tell them.= Yoh answered with a short chuckle, -So, what are you going to do? Uncle already resigned to the fate that I would keep doing things in my own way without minding about other people's opinion, but he would surely doesn't like it if you bring home a Demon with you-.

"Well, that's the reason I'm calling you." Shanna answered cheerfully, "I need you to give your protection to Anna as well, so that Father couldn't harm her".

=I can do it, but how does she looks like? I need to make sure I wouldn't get fooled later on.= Yoh asked her seriously, =I don't want to repeat the same mistake, Shanna.=

"I know." Shanna answered with a sad smile.

Something similar had happened in the past. A non-human being that had been placed under Yoh's protection got killed, because they managed to fool Yoh by showing him a photo, and told Yoh that the said non-human being had harmed a human intentionally. Shanna cared for the little Yuki Onna like her own Sister, and she was mad that they killed the Yuki Onna. She did everything she could to prove that her Chiu didn't harm a single human, and she got the proof that the Monk that had killed her Chiu was showing Yoh a manipulated photo. She gave the proof to Yoh in hope that her Cousin could do something to justify Chiu's death, and he did.

Yoh was livid that time. He confronted the Monk and demanded explanation of his action, and the Monk foolishly said that he only did what they should do from the start, so he snapped. He challenged the Monk into a fight, with the loser had to resign from their position. Needless to say, Yoh won – laughably easily too – so the Monk had to resign and left the Temple. But Yoh's anger wasn't satisfied just like that, and thus he sealed the Monk's power and threw him out of his own house.

They didn't know just what kind of job Yoh had in Tokyo, but they soon found out that the boy was very influential in the Country – because not only that the Monk had been thrown out of his own house, but he was banished from Japan and banned from entering Japan anymore. The ex-Monk would immediately be thrown into the jail if he stepped his foot into the Country. The Monk's belongings were confiscated by the Government as well, leaving him with only half of his wealth to start over in another Country.

No one dared to touch whatever creatures Yoh placed under his protection from then on, unless they had a solid proof without manipulation that the creatures had harmed humans intentionally. They were afraid that not only Yoh would refuse to lend them a hand if they got in trouble, but they would also be thrown out from their own homeland – something that was unbearable for them since they love their Country so much.

When Shanna asked Yoh how he did it, he simply said that he only revealed the Monk's dirty little secret to the Government, and demanded for the Monk to be banished from the Country. He then let the people in the Government to do the rest of the job. That day was the day she found out that Yoh was a very dangerous fellow to be double crossed, and she promised herself to never get onto Yoh's bad side, unless her Cousin did something wrong.

Yoh rarely hate anything, and if there was something he hate more than anything, that was the act of betraying your own friends for unreasonable logic. He was merciless towards Double Crosser.

"How about I send her photo to you?" Shanna suggested after a few seconds of silence, due to them remembering what had happened the last time, "Besides, you also have me, Hao and Lyserg on your side to make sure the same thing won't ever happen again this time".

=I guess you are right.= Yoh answered, she just know that her Cousin was smiling softly now, =Well then, please send me the photo, I will send the announcement Tomorrow Morning.=

"Good then." Shanna said with a smile even though Yoh couldn't see her, "See you, Yoh. Oh, have you bought the phones for them yet? I will buy one for Anna, it would be best if they could communicate with each other, no?".

=Right, I will also buy them the phones tomorrow then. See you.= Yoh answered before the line went dead.

Shanna smiled and put her phone back into her pocket. She then returned her attention at Anna, only to see that the girl was looking at her curiously. "Yes?" She asked.

"Were you talking with your Cousin? The one that had become Hao's Heart?" Anna asked curiously, Shanna nodded her head twice, "Why?".

"Because I want to make sure the Temple wouldn't touch you." Shanna answered with a grin, "Yoh is the only one capable of that, so I ask him to place you under his protection as well".

"Does this Yoh is the Head Temple?" Anna asked in surprise.

"Nope." Shanna answered with a shake of her head, "But he is the strongest. The Temple is afraid that Yoh wouldn't lend them a hand again when they got in trouble if they harm someone under Yoh's protection, again. He is the strongest among us, see? Not only that he is a lot more powerful than the entire Temple put together, but he also got this power over the Government. So the Temple didn't want to get on his bad side again".

"Again?" Anna asked in confusion.

Shanna smiled, "Wait here." She said calmly, "I will go buy the tickets first, and I will tell you what had happened on the way, alright?" Anna nodded her head so Shanna went to buy the ticket.

She didn't know that her life would change so much the second she met Anna.

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To be continued …

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