The Ice Queens
As the sun went down a young woman in her late teens walked down a hill and continued deeper into a park where already the darkness was creeping out. A blonde of average height the girl in question didn't look all that threatening until you looked into her eyes and then you'd likely run away as quickly as possible at what they would see in the icy depths of those eyes. Anna was so mad she could barely see straight and though her finance often made her angry this was the first time he'd brought it quite to this peak and he didn't even know he'd done it. The again the lazy idiot didn't know a lot of things, Anna thought with gray storm clouds practically circling around her as she grumbled and walked down the park walk, the area relatively deserted given the time if day. The park wasn't in the safest neighborhood so most but the unsavory avoided it as it edged into night. Too pissed to care Anna had ignored the one person who'd been willing to approach her to try and warn her. In her present mood no mugger or rapist would stand a chance against her. She should have just kicked Yoh's ass over it, she'd feel so much better but when she'd seen him flirting with that stupid girl she'd just felt so hurt that she'd wandered off instead, then by the time she'd let her temper overshadow the hurt she'd been in this neighborhood with absolutely no idea where she was. Of course it would be easy enough to find out but right now she was in no hurry to go anywhere. It wasn't like anyone would miss her. Actually change that, they'd notice she wasn't around and rejoice over the fact, Anna thought darkly as she kicked an empty can in her way, the can gong flying to bounce off a tree before hitting the dirt. After all she was the slave driver, the crazy torturing bitch. Nevermind that Yoh would have never survived any of his Shaman fights after his first battle with Ren if not for her. But did she get thanks or credit, Hell no. All she got were complaints, excuses and headaches. She didn't like..okay maybe she liked being a bitch a bit but she was a big one only because that was the only way to get Yoh to get off his ass and train.
Hearing muttering Anna came out of her mood to see a girl about her age walking towards her looking in as bitchy a mood as she was with four guys trailing after her, making cat calls and generally being the stupid idiots they obviously were. The girl was keeping her cool though, she was acting like they weren't even there. Of at least the girl did until one of the idiots grabbed her ass, then she swung around and decked the guy with a right cross Anna had to admire. When the other three decided that they needed to teach the girl a lesson though Anna smiled, here was a perfectly outlet for her anger. At a speed walk so that she could get there before it was over Anna had to admire the girl, she was giving the idiots one hell of a beating. Not wanting to get into a cat fight Anna decided to ask first before she started letting her anger loose. "Mind if I give you a hand, I really could use the outlet."
Rika looked over at the blonde as she smashed two heads together and shrugged. "You can have the other two." She said as she motioned over to the one who she'd first hit getting to his feet with the help of a friend who'd received a kick in the crotch and was a little shaky on his feet. Not bothering to see if the blonde succeeded Rika went back to beating the two idiots to a pulp. One had gotten in a lucky punch and she would bet anything that she was going to have a black eye as a result which meant trouble. First her mom was bound to freak out, then her grandmother and then all her friends too. But worst of all would be the idiots asking the stupid questions like "Oh did you walk into a door" or "Gee does it hurt?". These idiots were going to pay.
Walking over to the two in question Anna watched them look at her in confusion as her lips turned up in a smile and not a nice one at that. However stupid they were they weren't that stupid and reading her look correctly made an attempt to get the hell out of there without their buddies. Not about to let that happen Anna used her long legs and with a speed that was surprising was in front of them in a flash. She'd had to be fast otherwise Yoh would have snuck out of his training every chance he got. Just as quickly Anna pulled back a fist and plowed it into the stomach of the closer one who'd been the recipient of the first blow. Apparently the asshole had been drinking because he staggered back a few steps before heaving up whatever else had been in his stomach other then liquor. Wrinkling her nose delicately at the smell Anna decided to finish him off quickly.
Five minutes later
"That was some impressive idiot kicking." The redhead said as she and Anna sat on the bench in front of the park while they rested from the brief fight. Well it had been chasing after the cowards more then the actually fight that had worn them out but in the end they'd triumphed and were pretty sure the asses would hesitate the next time they got it into their heads to harass some girl out for a walk. "I don't recognize you but then again I go to a private school. Rika Nonaka." The girl added as she held out her hand, shaking Anna's firmly.
"I'm Anna." Anna said with a small smirk as she shared a look with Rika that said they were quite pleased with their work. "I spend a lot of time at home so we likely wouldn't have met up at any of the usual teen hangouts anyway."
"I'm not much for those places either unless one of my idiot friends drags me there. My best friend Jeri loves those places so I get dragged there a lot more then I'd like. So anyway what are you doing out in this park, it's really not a safe place to be out alone even when you're an ass kicker. I wouldn't be here except for that my ride home turned out to have octopus hands so I exited the car and started walking, ended up here. Of all the times to forget my cell phone at home." Rika said with a smirk.
"I didn't mean to end up here either but it was either here or jail for murder even if I could have gotten away with it." Anna said with a dark look in her eyes that was a bit scary though in the growing darkness of the night it lost a lot of its punch. "My fiancé likes to flirt way too much, half the time I think the baka doesn't even realize he's doing it which only make me want to kick his ass more."
"You're engaged..already?" Rika said in surprise, the girl not exactly striking her as the kind who would get married, much less at such a young age. "Parents push you into it?" Rika asked figuring that was the politest way of asking if the ass had knocked her up and therefore they had to get married. If that was the case Rika was going to have to set her straight because that only made the situation worse, not better. She should know, that's why her parents had gotten married when they were too young to drink in some countries.
"We've been engaged since we were kids and Yoh was entering in the Shaman..well since we were really young but the older we get the more it seems like it's never going to lead to marriage." Anna said with a decided stony look though the idea hurt more then she cared to admit. She loved Yoh but ever day that passed made him seem farther and farther from her grasp. "Yoh's the type that tends to let things happen when their suppose to and let fate decide his course..he doesn't take things into his hands unless his back is against the wall. He took our engagement like it was no big deal and even now I sometimes think that he doesn't even realize that engagements are suppose to lead to marriage and till death do us part."
"That's rough." Rika said thinking that this girl obviously loved this guy even though she was putting up a pretty good act of coldness where this Yoh was concerned. "I don't have a guy, don't want one either. They're nothing but trouble and pain."
"He would rather hurt himself then someone unless it was self defense or necessary." Anna said with a rueful look on her pretty face. "As you saw I'm more of the violent ass kicking type. That's the thing about Yoh and I, we balance each other out so well, like ying and yang."
"That you guys do." A voice said and the two girls turned to see a tall figure standing close enough to listen, her green hair pulled back by a clip as she stood there in a floor length black cape over a black dress in Chinese style with a dragon design wrapped around it. "I'm sorry to intrude but I've been looking for you, Anna."
"Jun, what are you doing here?" Anna said in surprise as she got to her feet, Rika right behind her. "This isn't exactly your type of hang out."
"Obviously but Yoh has quite a few people and...friends out looking for you, he got worried when you went running out and hadn't returned home." Jun said as she crossed her arms in front of her as it was a tad chilly out, using the term friend instead of ghost since she didn't know the girl with Anna. "I'm Tao Jun by the way." Jun added as she nodded to Rika, glad she'd left Bailong in the shadows since she'd wanted to talk to Anna one on one.
"Rika Nonaka." Rika said with a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Yoh..got worried?" Anna said with a surprised and pleased look that quickly changed into her usual tough and indifferent face. "What Manta and Ryu weren't around to make him supper? Maybe he should have asked one of his girls to do it."
"You know Yoh isn't like that, Anna. Such a comment is beneath you." Jun said with censor in her voice. She'd known Yoh and Anna since they were kids and she couldn't imagine a pair that better suited each other. Yoh needed Anna to support and keep him focus and on track while Anna needed him to need her, to care about her and show her the lighter side of things. "He thought you might have gotten in trouble and is out looking for you with Amidamaru right this minute."
"I can take care of myself, the dingbat knows that." Anna mutters though her voice was a tad lighter and softer as she held the news that Yoh was looking for her to her heart. Usually he seemed to be glad when she wasn't around since it meant she couldn't make him actually do anything unless it suited him. "But I guess I should head back before HE gets in trouble trying to save me from whatever trouble he thinks I've gotten myself in. Ah bye Rika." Anna said turning to say good bye to the other girl. "Care to walk with us till we get out of the park, just in case those guys try to bug you again when we're gone?"
"Sure I guess." Rika said with a shrug as she followed them as they headed down the path with Anna in between the two girls with Bailong following from the shadows as he watched out for possible threatens to Jun and the girls. "So you two are friends?" Rika said after a while since she figured it would be rude to not say anything even though she not a talker under any circumstances.
"I suppose you could say that." Jun said after a moment, smirking down at Anna who looked uncomfortable at the question. Hearing the sound of running feet the girls watched in surprised as a teenager about their age wearing an open white T-shirt, jeans and headphones coming towards them at a break necking speed. "Well that's the fastest I've seen Yoh move when he's not in a fight. I wonder why?" Jun added pointedly as she looked down at Anna who looked back defiantly.
"ANNA!" Yoh called out in relief as he waved at her as he ran towards the three girls with Amidamaru right behind him, equally glad to see that Lady Anna was okay. He'd been looking all over for her since he'd lost her in the crowd when she'd ran out. He didn't know why but he had a feeling she'd been upset and when she hadn't come home he'd known for sure something was wrong. He'd been out on the street looking all over the place for her when they'd finally met a ghost who'd pointed him in this direction having seen a girl fitting Anna's description here. "I've been looking all over for you." Yoh said as he stopped to lean over to catch his breath, his hands on his knees for support.
"So Jun said." Anna said crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Though why I have no idea."
"Well cause it's late out..you seemed upset the last time I saw you and when you didn't come home...well I got worried of course." Yoh said as he looked up at her in confusion, not understanding how Anna couldn't comprehend how worried he'd been when she hadn't come home. She was his fiancee and he loved her, why wouldn't he be worried when it was so late out and not sure if she was all right? He knew she was tough but there was always a chance that she could run up against something she couldn't handle. He was the Shaman King after all and as his future wife she could be used against him or hurt by someone who wanted to get back at him. "Boy was I ever glad to see you three coming down the path. Oh and hey, I'm Yoh." Yoh added as he waved over at Rika.
"Rika." Rika said with a nod, surprised by the almost childlike grin on his face and the obvious relief on the guy's face. He was obviously relieved to see Anna and it was plain to her that he was clueless as to how Anna felt. "So you're Anna's boyfriend?" Rika said, deciding to test the waters, Anna hissing at her words.
"Yup, fiancee too." Yoh said with another grin, not even noticing Anna's look of surprise at his simple reply and the fact that he sounded pleased about being able to say he was...hers. After all saying he was her boyfriend was a lot more intimate then saying you were engaged by your families. "It's nice to meet you, Rika. So you're a friend of Anna's? Any friend of hers is a friend of mine." Yoh said as he walked over to take her hand and shake it enthusiastically. "But you know this isn't a great place to go out walking, several spirits we met said so, really got me worried."
"We were on our way out." Anna said finally, getting over the shock enough to realize he had really been worried about her. That meant that he'd actually cared enough not only to go looking for her but to genuinely be afraid for her safety. Hugging that knowledge to her heart Anna didn't acknowledge how much it meant to her but decided to make dinner tomorrow instead of making him do it.
"Well then lets keep going." Yoh said with a smile as he stretched out his arms then placed them behind his head as he strolled over to Anna's right side as Jun moved over to tactfully walk beside Rika. Yoh, appreciating the move dropped his hands and took one of Anna's, waiting for her to bat it away or make some sarcastic comment and then hit him. He had been trying for a while now to get her use to him doing stuff like hug her or hold her hand, he figured he had to do that before he could ever tell her he loved her and make her believe it. Suddenly realizing she wasn't pulling away or saying anything Yoh looked down at their hands, to Anna who wouldn't meet his gaze to the two other girls who looked a touch pleased with themselves, well Jun did anyway, the other girl Rika was as hard to read as Anna though their was a small smile on her lips. "So tell me something, Rika. Do you believe in ghosts?"