Disclaimer: Shaman King, as usually and always, is not owned by yours truly.
Author Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed this little ficcy and thank you for reading up to this far in the fic. For this chapter, don't hold any expectations!
Warnings: OOC, as it is written in Anna's POV… And in my humbly useless opinion, is the hardest point of view to write from. Rushed… A lot of dialogue… I tried to minimize it… but it's hard since there's a lot of… explaining to do
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Yoh held my hand tightly as he followed me into the house. I could see his face didn't approve of this encounter, which was quite odd… since he usually… approved of anyone and everyone within seconds. He stared blankly at the two behind him. If he had something to say right then and there, he didn't. He bit his lip, probably trying to swallow the unexpectedly gloomy atmosphere.
"We know this is a little… awkward," the man spoke with a slight chuckle. Oh my! Give the man a pat on the back! He's finally figured out what Yoh and I were feeling ever since their faces appeared. Besides… it's BEYOND awkward. Awkward is an understatement that doesn't even compare to what this meeting has been.
"We know that… our arrival has been… somewhat of a bomb dropping. What I mean is -- if you have any questions… Don't hesitate?"
As a response, I glared at him, hinting that the only question I had in mind was: When will you two leave?
I guess they saw the question in my eyes because they started explaning right away, "We thought about you everyday. We always wonder what our little girl was doing, how she would grow up to be, what she would be like, what friends she had made, what kind of life you led… We always… regretted… that day," the brown haired woman spoke as her voice broke.
Now that's a laugh… isn't that typical? That they regret it -- only after they did it… And what does that show? That they didn't think before doing it. Which tells me that they ditched me without a second thought. Still, I found myself asked, "Why did you do it then? Afraid of the powers I possessed? Afraid of the destruction I could do? Afraid of the threat I may pose? What?"
She answered slowly, "After learning that you had the ability to see spirits… we didn't know what to do. We couldn't tell you that spirits didn't exist when you could see them with your own eyes nor could we tell you that spirits and humans were the same… When they weren't."
"People… began to talk about your powers," the tall man started again, "Vulgar names were called and we didn't know how much we could take it anymore. We didn't want our daughter to be labelled as some kind of demon that only deserved death."
I bit my lip in frustration. I remember the times where I could still hear the names called ringing in my head. They wanted me dead… because of a power I didn't want to have back then. Preoccupied with my own thoughts, I didn't see Yoh behind me, tightening his fists until his knuckles turned white.
The brunette took a step forward as she looked into my eyes, "You don't have to believe us when we say that… we wanted the best for you. Now… we realize that we should have stayed by you… till the very end. But at that time, we didn't want you to live in a world where people could kill you at any time. What parents could have their own daughter living in fear? We… left you, in hopes that… you could find happiness elsewhere. We heard… of Asakura Kino and her skills and we thought that… perhaps she could train you, so at least you could fend for yourself. By the looks of it, we were right to leave you in her hands."
Translation: "We were right to leave you."
"Why didn't we move?" I asked, suddenly aware of the hidden interest in me.
Tears began to form and fall from the woman's eyes. The man whispered to her, "It's ok. I'll take it from here."
He held her weeping figure in his arms, as he spoke quietly, "We didn't want to risk another situation like the other one. People would have figured out and then the only life you would lead is constant escape from others. Always running… always on the move… We wanted you to lead a stable life… even if it wasn't a normal life."
"So… you left me at a store, made me believe and hope in your return and let Kino-sensei pick me up? ...Just like that?"
"We hoped that you would understand some day. That was part of the reason we came back… to see maybe… if there was a chance that we could… slowly come back into your life again. We know the chances of that are… slim to none… but we didn't want to lose all hope," he said as he looked towards the floor.
I knew it. Now to help ease their guilty consciences they ask for forgiveness and now they WANT to be a part of my life. "You guys didn't bother to show up then… why now?"
"There was really… never a perfect time where we could just come in and… tell you all this. We just thought that since you're 17 now… maybe you could have understood all of this more."
"How did you know where to find me?"
The man was about to reply when the woman shook her head. She smiled wryly as she responded, "We… searched for weeks to find anything that might have led us to you. Schools, phone books, newspapers… anything. But we found nothing. After a while we tried searching for Asakura-san instead… hoping that maybe she may have kept in touch with you throughout the years. We were about to let it go… when we found someone who knew her. After a visit, she told us of your whereabouts and---"
Yoh and I looked up at her. Kino-sensei would never do that! She wouldn't have told them… it couldn't be. There has to be a reason… There has to be... I shouldn't jump into conclusions.
"What? She told you?"
"She didn't want to tell us at first. We begged and begged… we had to prove ourselves first… We had to sit and wait at her doorstep for over a week so she was convinced that we were serious about rebuilding our relationship with you… And after that we had undergo some sort of strange training and then we were under an intense interrogation. The whole thing lasted for almost a month."
Now that was the Kino-sensei I knew. She would never hand over things without reasoning or evidential proof. Although I still felt a sense of betrayal… my parents… I guess… are really… willing to work this out.
"We really want to be a part of your life. We've already missed half of the years where you've grown to become a teenager… we don't want to miss the years where you further grow to become a woman. We've made the mistake… of leaving you once… and look how much you've grown…" the brunette brushed away her tears as she went on, "If we had the ability to go back in time and relive life… we would have chosen that day and just moved away instead of leaving you there."
My head lowered as the floor suddenly became the sight of interest. If we would have moved… I would have never met… Yoh. From the corner of my eye, I could see his face facing towards the ground, much like the way I was. "I'm not sure… that I would have wanted to move… at all."
They were taken back a little as I explained why, "It's funny how a bad situation can come out just the opposite. If you hadn't left me there… If I weren't trained under Kino-sensei… then I never would have met…the boy I love."
I smiled lightly as I turned to see Yoh looking up. My parents were shocked, probably still confused on who he is and how I met him. I guess we have to go through the introductions before they start asking questions.
"That guy over there…" I pointed without looking, "…Is my future husband. Asakura Yoh… Kino-sensei's grandson."
"Husband?!?!" They both exclaimed aloud simultaneously. I always wanted to laugh when I see the expression on people's faces when they learn that Yoh and I are engaged.
"We knew Kino would take you under her wing and raise you… but to set up wedding engagements… that was unexpected…" the blond man chuckled in disbelief.
"She did the right thing… Yoh and I couldn't be happier with one another. Right, Yoh?" I glanced at him as he began to walk towards us.
"Right." He slipped an arm around my waist and kissed my cheek.
"We live together in this former inn." I proudly replied as I leaned against his shoulder.
In turn, they smiled at us. "We're just glad to see you happy. We're still not proud of our decision, but if it led to your meeting with Yoh-kun," she drifted off.
"It's a complex situation. To be honest… I don't know how to respond to your abrupt meeting. Even if your intentions are as pure as you say they are… I can't help but feel that I have to put a shield around myself whenever I think about what you've done. What you did… has really impacted my life… Even though someone good came out of it… I can't neglect the fact that you've abandoned me."
Yoh squeezed my hand in comfort. It was his way of saying, "I'm here.." And I thank God for that…
Slowly… my mother spoke in response, "We understand that… we knew bringing this on to you so unexpectedly would be hard. We're already grateful that you decided to hear us out. We want a second chance -- to be your parents. And even though we might not get it… It was… wonderful to see you again… all grown up."
Yes… I finally refer her as my mother… Don't get me wrong… I haven't forgiven them, and no I don't feel any gratitude towards them. They may have brought the boy I love in my life… but they also gave me the greatest obstacle in life. When people feel emotional pain, automatically they become protective of themselves, closing themselves from the world and from others. When the pain grows, so does their withdrawal in society. You can probably only imagine how much pain I felt during that time in my life.
Luckily, I met Yoh and gradually… he helped me open up again. He never gave up, never stopped and never doubted that one day I could be freed from the shields that bound me.
Will I give my parents a second chance?
"Right now… all I can say is… I'm not ready to start… seeing you two again. Perhaps in time… but right now… it's too soon. I can't do it and I don't when I can."
I appreciate… that they *tried* to mend things between us. Ha! Can you imagine that? The words appreciate and my parents in the same sentence. I hate this yearning feeling inside me… always wondering what it was like to grow up with parents…. Wondering what it was like to say, 'Mom' or 'Dad'. It was stupid really… even more stupid that I can't help feeling this way. Without that emotion… more than likely, I wouldn't have even tried to listen to what they had to say.
After I said those words, they nodded as they showed themselves towards the door. All of us knew nothing they could have said would ever change my mind. My father gave us a piece of paper, telling us where and how to reach them. They didn't seem to live too far away, after all they did live in the city. A train-ride away… I guess.
"We know these words probably don't mean anything to you… but we feel we should at least say them to you," my father said as he slid open the main door, "We never stopped loving you, Anna. What we did then… what we're doing now… We always tried to keep your best interests in mind and in heart. We know that doing that in the past wasn't the most… 'parent-like' way of solving things. We only thought of a way to a better life you could have led."
I looked away, feeling the words slip away from me, "I know."
Hours later, Yoh and I were getting ready for bed. Yoh plopped down on the futon with his arms and leg spread out.
"It's been a tiring day," he said when I looked at him suspiciously.
I smiled as I headed down to curl up beside him. Once I was on the futon, he pulled me down on top of him, hugging me tightly.
I rose up slightly so I could talk to him face to face. "What's wrong? You've been acting all edgy since my parents got here."
"It's nothing." His hand softly caressing my cheek as he replied, "Can't I hug my beautiful fiancée anymore?"
"You know that's not it. Do you honestly believe that I'll let this go?"
"Alright… It's just that… even though they're your parents and even if they really want to be a part of your life again-- Well… I just don't want to see you hurt anymore."
"Is that what your worried about? I can take care of myself…"
"I know… but… I just feel that… I have to sort of… protect you. I mean… you've been working so hard on opening up again. I hate to see you closing up once more. What kind of husband would I be if I just stood aside and watched his wife getting hurt again by the same people?"
"…Yoh…"
This is the first time I heard him referring us as already being married. I knew from the look in his eyes that he was serious.
"It's ok," I reassured him, "That's why we're taking this slow remember? I still haven't forgiven them… but letting them go without a second chance to repent and try to make amends just doesn't seem right either."
"Whoa... hold it. You're starting to sound more like me and less of yourself," Yoh interrupted with a weird look marked on his features.
"Is that a bad thing? You are my soon-to-be-husband after all. Besides, you are a positive influence in my life. I probably wouldn't have even heard them out if it wasn't for you," I brushed his hair away from his face.
"Me? But I didn't really think talking to them was a good idea in the first place."
"Well, if they weren't my parents… you would have listened to them… And besides.. You were only looking out for me… which did I mention is a very sweet and thoughtful idea?"
"No. Do I get anything out of it?" he hinted subtly.
I nodded slowly as I lowered my head towards his. "Maybe…" I answered when we were inches apart. "Maybe not…"
Yoh grinned as he muttered a "Come here." He slipped his arm around my body and gently rolled me towards the futon. Closing the space between us, he brushed his lips softly over mine before embracing it in a passionate kiss.
Maybe in time I could forgive them, but right now all I want to do is live in the present without having to think about that moment in my life.