A HAPPY END

FLASHBACK

Yoh held onto Amidamaru.

"I'll never let you take him away! He's my friend! We are a team!"

END FLASHBACK

Yoh remembered that particular moment when some guy tried to take Amidamaru and lock him away. Even worse, he had wanted to destroy him, thinking that the warrior controlled Yoh. "well, in a way, he does control me. All my life I had been dedicated to saving the world, becoming Shaman King and defeating Haoh. Now, that that is done, what do I still have? Anna loves me, or so she claims. Morty is becoming a shaman, with the help of Mosuke. Ryo is still searching for his true love. And me? I rule over the world and…I have no clue what-so-ever about the true life. In a few days, I'm going to be crowned. And then? Marry Anna?" A flashback of the training with his fiancée came to Yoh's spirit."No way."

Yoh was sitting by a river, trying to figure out his future life. In a strange way, he didn't see himself with Anna. He saw himself with someone else. Someone like…

"Master Yoh? Are you alright?"came out of nowhere the voice of Amidamaru.

"Jeez, Maru. You scared me half to death. Yes, I'm fine. I was just…thinking. About my life.«And about you, my protector, my half spirit»"

"You seemed troubled."

"I'm fine. Believe me, Amidamaru, I'm just fine. Now, let's talk about you. I suppose that you would like your freedom. The Great Spirit could give it to you. You could go and, finally, rest in peace. What do you say?"

"I… I wouldn't like to leave you, Lord Yoh. We have been through so much together. And, besides, Mosuke is here. Heaven would be a very nasty place without my old friend."said Amidamaru."But, of course, if you would like me to go…"

"NO! I.. I mean… I don't want you to go. I just wanted to give you back your freedom. That's all", said Yoh, with a slight blush in his cheeks.

«Gods, he looks so…so… adorable. If only I were human. I could… No!It's wrong!He will wed Lady Anna and, together, they will rule over the humans and spirits alike. I could only be his Protector.»

"Now who's spacing out?"asked Yoh laughing. He wached as Amidamaru's cheeks turned red. He was so damn cute. And not to mention sexy.«Hey, where did the word "sexy" come from?I'm mad to think this way about him, right?»

the afternoon passed quikly, for Yoh and for Amidamaru. But, when the night came, Amidamaru dissapeared. He didn't show himself for three days. When he finally came back, he was surprised to find Yoh thinner than ever, with huge bags under his eyes and a very sad expression on his face. When he saw Amidamaru, he didn't greet him like he used to, he didn't even move when the samourai tiouched his shoulder.

Amidamaru was scared, to say the least. He had gone before and had been always greeted on his return. He went away to clear his thoughts. He hadn't succeded. Images of Yoh and their fights together, images of Yoh sleeping, Yoh training with Anna, Yoh and only Yoh. He had come back to tell him that he wanted to leave and say good-bye to the only person, except Mosuke, maybe, that had accepted him and that had believed in him, to the only person that he LOVED.

"Lord Yoh, what's wrong? You are very pale."

"Where have you been Amidamaru? I haven't slept for two nights. I thought that you might have changed your mind and have left without telling me."

"I would never do that Yoh. I care to much to even think that way. But, I did some thinking «at least I tried». You will have new responsabilities. You won't have time for a simple ghost. I will only be in the way of your succesful merging with the Great Spirit. I decided that…"

"NO! I'm tired of keeping it all inside me. I don't care anymore what the others might think. I did some thinking too. Let others take the responsibility. lLst nght, I told Anna how I feel. To my surprise she understood. She said:«Yoh, I knew that a long time ago. But I kept hoping that it will all turn into a joke. I guess that, now, that you are Shaman King you can do whatever you like. you can take your life in your own hands. I cannot merge with the Great Spirit. But I know someone who could. Good-bye, Yoh. I really hope that whoever has captured your heart can keep it and guard it as I did. Good-bye. And don't forget your training.» And she left. Now, I will be crowned Shaman King tomorrow. And I need someone besides me. I need someone who has been besides me ever since I have started this tournament. Someone that has been my friend and my mentor, my protector and my shadow. Someone that has captured my heart a long time ago and has kept it safe. Someone that has never desreted me and has encouraged me. Someone who I love from the bottom of my heart and to whom I have never told anything. Not until now."At this, Yoh stopped, as if scared of what he had said. He stopped and looked Amidamaru straight in the eyes. "Will you wait till tomorrow and, then, if you want, you can go. But please, wait until tommorw."

"I will, Yoh, I will"

"Thanks Amidamaru«I love you»"

The next day, Yoh was prepared for the corronation. He was wearing his battle uniform, with his sword out, and Amidamaru was besides him in his spirit form. Silva, who was supposed to perform the ceremony, was wearing his usal attire. All of Yoh's friends were there. Manta and Mosuke, Horohoro and Korokoro and Pillica, Ryo and Tokagero, Tao Ren and Bason, Tao Jun and Lee Pailong. The opnly one missing was Anna. When the ceremony began, Yoh was only a bit attentive. He had begun merging with the Great Spirit and he was talking to him.

"Yoh, with this crown, I name you Shaman King. You will rule over people and spirits alike. Your power will be great and so will be the power of the one sitting next to you. Whom do you choose?"

"I choose…" Yoh stoppedand, when nobody expected, he unified with the Great Spirit."Now, Great Spirit. Give life to the one that has no life. Give form to the one that has no form. Give happiness to the one that is sad."

A blinding flash of light came from Yoh's sword, a flash that hit Amidamaru right in the chest. At once, the former samourai felt as if he was draged to the ground and he felt, for the first time, in many centuries, pain. Physical pain. He had crashed to the ground and had hurt his knees in the fall. As Amidamaru rose from the ground, Yoh said"I choose Amidamaru to be by my side when I merge with the Great Spirit. I choose the one that has been by my side since the bigging. And I choose him to be my comanion. Do you accept, Amidamaru? Do you still want to go now?"

Amidamaru was thunder struck. He had a body, his own, and Yoh had chosen him as his companion. At first, he had been marveled at that thought. Than he realized.« Will you wait till tomorrow and, then, if you want, you can go. But please, wait until tommorw."»had said Yoh. How could he go? «Someone that has captured my heart a long time ago and has kept it safe. Someone that has never desreted me and has encouraged me. Someone who I love from the bottom of my heart and to whom I have never told anything. Not until now.»Yoh loved him. HIM. He was so happy.

"Well, Amidamaru?asked Silva, smiling. Do you accept?"

Amidamaru only smiled at this question and, in one leap, he was in front of Yoh. "I love you". With that he kissed Yoh's lips. The lips that he had wanted to taste since…it seamed forever. They were so imersed in the kiss that, for a minute, they didn't realize that they were in front of their shocke friends.

"Well,it seems Master Yoh has finally found his true love" said Ryu. "I only wish to be as happy as he is"

"Yes, Yoh has indeed found his love. What do you say Horohoro? Should we tell them?" asked Ren.

"Sure, why not?" responded Trei

"Tell us what? What have you been hidding from us?"

"Wait until those two lovebirds separate themselves, said Ren ironically.

When Yoh and Amidamaru pulled away from the kiss, they were met with cheers from their friends. Then, Ren and Horohoro admitted that they were dating and, of course, evryone congratulated them.

The ceremony of the coronation ended, Yoh having already merged with the Great Spirit and evrybody went to their rooms some to sleep, some to chat and others…to just be alone.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you the other day, Yoh. But I really thought that you didn't see me as anything else as a spirit"

"How…could…you even…say that?" said Yoh in between kissing Amidamaru. "I always knew you were the one for me. At first, I was just a child, a child with a dream to become Shaman King. And you gave me the power to achieve this goal. Then,as I was fighting with you, I realized that I had begun to fall in love with you. And, little by little, I admitted to myself that you were the right one, that, if I win the Crown of Shaman King, I would like you to be by my side. I love you, Amidamaru. I love you and I want the whole wold to know it."

"But the world already knows. They have seen the coronation. But, I love you too. I never thought it possible, but you fell for me, even in spirit. And for that I cannot thank you enough."

The rest of the night, the two lovers spent it making love and discovering each other.

As for Anna, she has never returned. She just sent a card and, on it, she had drawn one of the many fights in whitch had been involved Amidamaru and Yoh.