Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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The little girl healed quickly after that. Her knee grew stronger. She gained weight. But more importantly, she became part of the family. Mikihisa was "Daddy," Keiko was "Mama." She followed Yoh like a little duckling at school, and he made her a part of his group of friends. Her smiles were more and more frequent, and she even started giggling.

Until…

"Mom!" Yoh shouted. "There's a taxi coming up the drive!"

Keiko poked her head out the door. "I wasn't expecting anyone," she said.

Anna got up from the grass. "It's Kino," she whispered. She ran to Keiko and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Mama, Kino-sama's come back."

"Honey, honey, it's okay," Keiko soothed. She rubbed the slender, suddenly cold little arms. "Yoh, take Anna inside and get your father." Yoh took Anna by the hand and led her inside. Keiko crossed her arms as she walked closer to the taxi. "Hi, Mom," she said, her voice cool. She knew she should have at least some respect for her mother-in-law, but every time she saw her, all she could think of was the fear in a little girl's eyes.

"Don't wait long, I'll be back in a moment," Kino said to the cabdriver. She slammed the door. "I'm here for Anna, Keiko. Bring her here." Keiko shifted her weight from foot to foot. Kino slammed her cane on the ground. "Didn't you hear me? Bring the child here!"

"No," Keiko said. She rubbed her elbows. "I can't let you take her. I can't."

"And why is that?" Kino snapped.

"You beat her!" Keiko exclaimed. "You ruled her life with an iron rod, she starts shaking in fear whenever she thinks about you!"

"She should respect her elders-"

"Respect? She's terrified!" Keiko snorted. "Oh, come on, Kino, she's a ten-year-old child! She's nothing but a baby."

"Kei? Keiko, what is it?" Mikihisa came behind his wife. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

"I came for Anna, and your idiot for a wife refuses to bring her to me," Kino said.

"Keiko is my wife, Mother; you will speak of her with respect," Mikihisa retorted.

Kino beat her cane down again. "I, quite frankly, don't care," she said. "Bring me the child. Bring her here now."

"She doesn't want to go with you, Grammy," Yoh said.

Keiko wrapped her arms protectively around her child. "Yoh, honey, go inside and take care of Anna," she said. "Stay out of it, baby."

"So she's inside, is she?" Kino said. She started towards the front door. Yoh wriggled out of his mother's arms and bolted.

"You can't have her. All you do is make her unhappy!" Yoh blurted out.

Kino studied her grandson for a moment. Then she used the head of her cane to hit him aside. Yoh stumbled to the ground.

"Yoh!" Anna tumbled out of the house and fell on her knees beside him.

"Anna, Anna, sweetheart, go inside, go inside now!" Keiko said. "I'll take care of Yoh. Miki, get Anna." Mikihisa swept the little girl into his arms, cradling her like a baby. Keiko helped Yoh up; his hand went to the rapidly developing bruise on his temple. "I can't believe you would hit your own grandson."

"I do not see him as my grandson, I see him as the future Shaman King," Kino said coldly. "And she will be his wife. His wishes come far before his. She will serve two purposes in life: the consort and the concubine. She will train him to be a king, and she will bear the heirs of the Asakura family."

"She is a child," Mikihisa said, cuddling Anna against his chest. "And a human being. She will be no one's concubine."

"I don't even know what that is," Yoh muttered. Keiko couldn't help but laugh quietly as she smoothed Yoh's hair.

"I have to go," Anna murmured. Her little arms twined around Mikihisa's neck. "Daddy, if I'm going to take care of Yoh, I need to go."

"But who's going to take care of you, bunny?" he asked. He kissed the side of her head. "You'll be alone, bunny."

"No, I won't, Daddy; put me down," she said. Mikihisa set her down cautiously, keeping her weight off of her bad knee.

"Baby, baby, be careful!" Keiko warned.

"I'm okay, Mama," Anna said. She stepped cautiously toward Kino, limping heavily. "I have to take care of Yoh. He needs me to take care of him…I need him to take care of me."

"You don't need anyone to take care of you, Anna," Kino said. "You are-"

"I need him," she said quietly. "But more importantly, you need me." Her voice was calm, collected, and far too mature for a ten-year-old. "Kino-san, you have trained me since I was a baby. There is no way you can find someone else to take my place as the shaman queen. You need me. I will return with you, as long you train me as an itako…and have no other contact with me."

Mikihisa stood behind Anna, placing his big hands on her tiny narrow shoulders. "The little one is wiser than her years," he said. "Listen to her."

"She's endured enough abuse," Keiko said. Kino's eyes were murderous.

Yoh pushed himself off the ground. "Does anyone care what I think?" he asked. He barreled on without waiting for a response. "Anna's going to be my wife. She's going to be my responsibility, and it's my responsibility to make sure she's happy."

"She's not meant to be happy. She's meant to be an itako." Kino shifted her anger towards him. "Don't you know that you're to be the shaman king? That all of the hopes and dreams of five hundred years rest on your scrawny shoulders?"

"I don't care!" Yoh blurted out. "I just want her to be happy!"

Anna turned to Yoh. "I haven't been really happy yet, but I'll tell you as soon as I am," she said. She reached over and took his hands. "We'll take care of each other, okay?"

Yoh studied her face carefully. "All right," he conceded. "Promise you'll be okay?" She nodded, smiling sweetly and innocently. "I trust you."

Anna leaned over, and they exchanged kisses on the cheek. "I trust you too."

Mikihisa turned to his mother. "You will take excellent care of her," he said, his voice laced with threats.

"I will grant her request," Kino said stiffly, unable to back down. "I will teach her to be an itako, but otherwise, she will be left to her own devices."

Keiko pulled Anna against her, cuddling her closely. "If anything happens, baby, you promise you'll call me?" Anna responded with a kiss on the cheek. Keiko closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of her small daughter in her arms. She sent up a silent prayer of protection and blessing for the child.

She was gone by the end of the day. Keiko moped around the house for while, and Mikihisa kept finding little reminders of her around the house. Yoh was the only one who seemed unaffected by Anna's absence. He continued to keep his cheerful smile.

They only saw Anna a couple of times a year- New Year's, the summer break. The two children grew taller, older. Keiko could see the changes in her little girl. She became more and more beautiful and confident in herself. The years of abuse had taken its toll, true, but she had become strong.

Years passed. Finally, it was time. Time to buy a white gown, crimson roses, a ring. Yoh and Anna stood before the altar, hands held tightly. They exchanged their vows, their rings, their hearts.

And as Yoh bent to kiss his new little bride, her murmured in her ear:

"Are you happy?"

She pulled away from him softly, her lips rosy from his kiss and a soft blush on her cheeks.

"The happiest."

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Author's Note:

And now the real breaking point, when Anna learns to be strong but not hard, loving but not defenseless.

Why do I write such sappy endings?