Yeah I'm dead. Manage to find a nice shaman and oversoul...we're writing this fic. I won't say anything else and just get straight to it.
Legend:
(.…bla bla….) Is thoughts
"….bla bla…." Is normal speech
….bla bla…. Is notes/signs/etc.
….bla bla….Is memories
…bla bla.. Is sound effect
Aniki
Chapter 13 (ooo blame it on the unlucky number)
Day 5
"Hao-sama! Stop pacing! Hao-sa-" the little girl pleaded.
"Urusai!" Hao shouted at her, shocking himself with the harshness of his tone.
Opacho bit at her lip, the burst of tears just seconds away. The older shaman stopped in his tracks and looked up at her spectral, feeling little bit guilty for his sudden outburst. After all, the child had cared enough to come looking for him when he had not returned back to his base as expected.
"I-I, just leave me alone for now Opacho. Go home." Hao said turning away.
"O-ok Hao-sama…" Opacho sobbed, sensing the other shaman's foul mood.
Within an instant the little girl's spirit disappeared, back to wherever her body was. Hao sighed at her departure, calming down a fraction. The shaman was growing uneasy as time passed by and by without any sign of anyone emerging from the mouth of that cave.
"Damn it." He growled.
How does one describe the feeling of nothing?
A feeling of bliss. A feeling of emptiness.
No pain. No joy.
No loneliness. No companionship.
No enemies. No friends.
Nothing that was everything. Everything that was nothing.
Yoh sighed and buried himself closer into the warmth that enclosed his whole body. This warmth that was the only thing that was not unfamiliar. It was the warmth that melted him in his mind. Melted his mind into something other than nothing. It started with a soft golden glow, something so different from what he had been experiencing for so long that he did not know what to make of it.
And that something grew larger and larger and with it came sounds and smell and touch. Senses that were dulled to the point of non-existence for as long as Yoh could remember.
"Child…"
The young shaman winced at the sound of her voice for it was the first sound that he had heard since, since. He could not remember when.
Yoh blinked as the earlier glow developed into a scenery with plain dry land, yellowing trees and a huge mansion which loomed before him as if to swallow him whole. A row of steady wooden gates border the mansion with a sturdy looking postbox with the name "Lances" next to its entrance. The familiarity of the scene itched at the edge of his mind but he paid it no particular heed as he observed with curious eyes.
He barely registered the silvery spectral form that materialized beside him or the fact that the both of them looked to be transparent in the world that had now replaced the nothingness like ghosts who have accidentally wandered into another realm.
"My child. What isss thisss?" The serpent guardian hissed out wonderingly.
The young shaman searched his mind for an answer to the question but could not find one.
"I-I don't know…" He stammered still staring at the unfolding scene.
He blinked as a child rushed out of the mansion towards the wooden gates that border the land a piece of white paper gripped firmly in his hands. Sounds of cheerful laughter rang in the air followed by a gentle feminine hush. He watched as a beautiful blond lady walked gracefully towards the young boy who was waving his arms excitedly at the gates. She was garmented in a simple blue old fashioned dress that complimented her bright blue eyes and the long golden locks that curl at its ends. Yoh felt a small smile grace his lips as he looked nostalgically at the lady.
"Interesssting…"
Yoh's attention snapped back to the serpent who he had momentarily forgotten at his side.
"Yuu-chan?" The shaman asked, his midnight eyes shining brightly with curiousity.
Not minding the term of endearment he had used, Shin-yuu gave him a smile at his innocent expression before replying,
"The fact that your mind insssisssted on ssshowing you thisss, ssshowsss itsss sssignificance. Yet you claim to have no memory of it."
"Memory…" Yoh looked at her, a bit confused, a bit curious.
"It ssseemsss I have not control over thisss visssion. I sssuppossse we'll jussst sssee how it goesss…" Shin-yuu said averting her gaze back towards the unfolding scene.
Yoh following suit, held back his many questions till later as he noticed the piece of paper that has flown to his feet. Instinctively he bent over to pick up the white parchment which was noticeably a bit torn around the edges. Not that surprised but a little disappointed when his nimble fingers passed through the paper like it was made out of thin air, the brown-haired shaman straightened himself up again only to find a pair of eyes staring into his.
Or rather they were staring right through him. Yoh gulped as he looked at 'himself', staring at the features that were as familiar to him as night and day albeit a few many years younger.
"Sean…Is everything alright dear?" A soft voice asked with a tinge of worry.
Younger looking Yoh, or 'Sean' it seems, broke away from his gaze, shouted a loud "Yup!" and hastily picked up his paper, subsequently running back towards the lady in the blue dress.
"Mama! Look look!"
The woman gave a graceful smile and bent down to look at her son's painting. Curious, Yoh moved nearer to the pair who remained oblivious to him and peered down from behind the lady's shoulders. As the woman gave praises to the young boy whose face blushed red, the shaman made a quick study of the piece of art in front of him.
The painting was typical of an elementary child's work with bits of crayon green for trees and blue for the sky. In the middle of the picture was four stick figures side by side with happy expressions on them. The one on the farthest left was who Yoh concluded to be young Sean himself with the brown spikes as hair and the shortest of the lot. Beside him was a much taller stick person, the tallest of the four with dark short black hair and a mustache though to Yoh it looked like the mouth had extended up to its nose. Yoh concluded him to be the boy's father. Next came the lady with the obvious long yellow colored streaks. And lastly was one that intrigued him. It was a stick figure a little bit taller than Sean with long brown strokes of crayon for hair. Yoh concluded him to be the brother he had then. And Yoh wondered how he noticed it but noticed he did, that this one's hair was brown as well.
During his past dreams or visions, everything was in black and white. And now with the power of a color he was left with another question. Why is his brother not blond or raven-haired like his parents. Though many factors like the tallest figure was not the father or even that Sean had not enough black crayons passed fleetingly through his mind, Yoh had a feeling that those were not the answers that he was looking for.
However, he was not able to ponder it any longer for the lady straightened herself up while entwining her long fingers with young Sean's shorter stubbier ones and headed back towards the house. Yoh pushed the thought to a corner of his mind for later reflection as he observed the pair further.
"Why we don't we go wait inside? Your father and brother should be home from their hunting soon." She said smiling.
Young Sean nodded in agreement mirroring her smile.
"Maybe they'll bring back some turkey. Then I shall cook us my special roast for dinner." She said in a wondering tone.
"Or maybe they'll bring back an elephant!" Sean shouted excitedly earning healthy laughter from his mother.
"Yes perhaps they will!" the lady agreed heartily.
As their forms disappeared gradually from his sight, Yoh quickly ran towards them, passing through the closing doors in his haste and shocking himself in the process. He was still not used to this conditions that made him feel like a lost ghost wandering through his own memories.
Slowly recovering from his initial shock, Yoh made his way past the typical western furniture and the warm-looking fireplace following the mother and son who were making their way up the elegant flight of stairs. No doubt in his mind, this was a house of the wealthy. They passed by a couple dressed in black and white, presumably the servants of this house who gave a polite bow to them and went back to their respective chores.
Yoh continued on his trailing until he reached a large room with a beautiful four poster king-sized bed with very comfortable looking covers that Yoh knew he would fall into instant sleep he ever had the chance to snuggle in it. Looking jealously as young Sean jumped onto the bed and began to make a mess of the once neatly arranged comforter, the shaman gave a pout and wondered if he could pester someone into buying him something like that.
"What are you doing Mama?" came a curious question from the bed, snapping Yoh out of his wonderings.
The shaman looked towards the lady who was sitting in front of an antique looking dressing table having momentarily forgotten about her in favor of the inviting bed. She seemed to pause in whatever she was doing and looked towards her son,
"I'm writing my diary dear." She replied.
"Diary?" young Sean cocked his head sideways in an enquiring way, which would indeed have made a pretty humorous sight if they could see Yoh who was doing exactly the same thing.
"I'm writing how much I love you, Seth and of course your Papa." The woman explained kindly.
"Really! Let me see! Let me see!" Sean said excitedly jumping off the bed towards his mother.
The lady quickly closed her diary as the young boy reached up and tried to jump and sneak a peek. By that time Yoh had also made his way there and he took a glance at the thin blue leather covered book with golden letterings saying "Katherine's Diary" sitting innocently on the table.
"Sorry dear. It's for me to see only. If anyone else sees it, all their hair falls out and they keep on saying the word 'turtle' forever and ever!" She said seriously.
Young Sean's mouth opened in disbelief and looks as if his eyes were about to fall off. Just then there was a sound from downstairs of the door opening and closing.
"Looks like they're home." The lady, Katherine it seems, stated earning a panicked reply from her son.
"I have to tell them not to see at Mama's diary!" He exclaimed and got up hurriedly to go downstairs.
Yoh felt the need to follow the boy and so he made his way towards the door but not before he saw Katherine reach up to a high spot and knocked three times on the wall. He gazed in surprise a small rectangular spot on the wall popped out like a drawer and after Katherine stored the blue book into it, closed it with a small click. And it looked like any ordinary wall once more.
The shaman blinked at his discovery and made himself remember this particular piece of information. It only served to relight his spark of interest in finding out his past. And then he gradually remembered as he heard the shouts of panic and laughter downstairs that he had to find out about his past family, about the kind Katherine, the elusive father and the mysterious Seth.
And then he remembered what he was doing here and what he was supposed to do. The world then faded again and this time into darkness that surrounded his every being. In a moment of time he started to panic but a steady silvery glow appeared before him.
Seeing the huge serpent suddenly materialize out of thin air served to calm him for the moment yet at the same time induced a bout of nervousness in him. Neither moved nor spoke in the next few seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity as they stared at each other in contemplation.
"I-I…" Yoh finally said, but was unable to continue.
"You wisssh to leave, do you not child?" Shin-yuu finished for him.
When Yoh did not say anything in reply, the serpent continued,
"I have ssseen what you have ssseen then. I know of your desssire to know more. Thisss thirssst you have I wisssh you would forget. It will ssserve nothing but to give you ssssadnessss. Ssstay. Forget and sssorrow will not touch you."
Yoh looked downward and muttered quietly under his breath.
"Ssstay child." Shin-yuu pushed gently.
"No! I can't!" the shaman suddenly shouted.
"Child!" the serpent hissed in anger at the boy's stubbornness.
"Yuu-chan please! I can't stay!" Yoh pleaded willing the serpent to try to understand.
"WHY!" the guardian of the cave bellowed, its mystical voice vibrating throughout the cavern.
"Because!..." Yoh trailed off, calming down before continuing, "Because…I need to find out about myself. I need to find out what really happened. And also because Hao and everyone, my friends are waiting for me…"
"But they are not." Shin-yuu began and soon the voices returned.
"...You're weird."
"You are not normal."
"Weirdo. Weirdo. Weirdo."
"No! I remember then…" Yoh struggled to remember, desperately clutching the sides of his head. "I remember him helping me. My brother. He helped me. I need to find him. He's alive. I feel it."
"But-" Shin-yuu began again but was cut off.
"I believe in them! My brother, Anna, Manta, Ren, Horo Horo, Ryuu, Hao, Opacho, all of them. I want to believe in them." Yoh shouted out desperately clinging to every word. "That's why…I need to…"
There was complete silence when Yoh trailed off, not feeling the need to finish his sentence anymore.
"Thisss Ssshin-yuu wasss missstaken." The serpent said then rising to an unbelievable height towering over him.
Yoh knew he was going to be killed then for defying this truly magnificent guardian of the cave. She was to him a presence that commanded great respect and he felt sure that he had angered her.
"Sorry Yuu-chan." Yoh said softly.
"Asss am I." the serpent hissed silently, as a single tear rolled down its scaly cheek and dropped down onto the ground.
Yoh readied himself for her attack unwilling to fight back against this reverend creature that even for a fleeting moment had shown him motherly kindness.
"Take it and leave." Came the words that only served to confuse him.
The serpent turned its head away from him as the features of the cavern became clearer and clearer until Yoh could make out the jagged spikes that adorn its walls.
"I wasss missstaken." She repeated. "A great shaman hasss ssstood before her. A great shaman with strong determination, not a sssimple young child. Take the Cryssstal Tear and leave. Thisss Ssshin-yuu acknowledgesss you asss one who would make a great Ssshaman King."
Yoh looked at her in shock, not being able to believe his ears. His gaze averted towards the shining item on the floor glowing an ethereal light similar to the serpent itself. He reached out and picked it up carefully as if it might crumble away with the slightest of touch. It was beautiful, tear-shaped with the lightest outline of a snake within it, and shining the changing colors of the rainbow ever so slowly one by one.
"Thank you." He said unable to form any other words.
"The moment from which the fire refusssesss to burn ssshall the assshesss of yourssself be returned. All that you sssee may not be asss it isss and all that there isss, you may not be able to sssee." Shin-yuu suddenly said.
Yoh looked at her curiously, not knowing what her words mean.
"You speak in riddles Yuu-chan. But thanks anyway." he said and did something that surprised the serpent.
He gave the giant guardian a hug. Shin-yuu was unable to respond other than to smile. (Yoh will be Yoh. I shall missss him.)
"I wisssh you happinessss and that you find that which you are looking for." She said with a true smile.
"Thanks again Yuu-chan for everything. I'll come to visit if I can. Matta ne!" the shaman exclaimed and turned to leave.
The shimmering guardian bid one last goodbye and watched as the shaman disappeared from her view. Another rare smile graced her lips as she heard the angry but worried shouts and the hurried apologies, and the great spirit guardian of the Cave of 1000 souls faded back into her slumber in wait for the next shaman who might come to seek her.
Matta ne! See ya later!
Ah! So sorry! I really am!
I haven't been into this fic for a long time so forgive me if you find any inconsistencies. Please tell me if you find anything that is out of place or doesn't make any sense. I'll try to remedy it.
And I'm sorry but I'm guessing everyone is going OOC, if not already.
Another Sorry for the road at my terrible laziness.
Shiroiai
Ps: I'm really not sure when I can update. Hope it won't take me a year again. Dodges tomatoes. And a flying piano. Anyway sorry again. I realllllly appreciate those who have e-mailed me and encouraged me to continue.
And if you want to be notified when I update leave me your e-mail please. If you have done this before, please do it again. Sorry.. I'll note down the ones from the review for this chap.