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Tsubame: Hey, everyone! I can’t believe that there are still some people reading my Shaman King fics. Well, here is, “The Switch.” It is back from deletion and I hope it is better than ever but… hehe… I really don’t know about that. :P
This is a different genre from “Leave me alone.” This is more on drama… I just realized that I was very much into drama when I was younger. Why am I so happy now? Hmmm… Oh, well…
“The Switch”
By: Tsubame Ongaku
Chapter 1: Her fear; his promise
Anna closed her eyes and tried to relax the turmoil in her heart. He was gone. Hao was gone and he left a warning or a promise depending on how you see it.
“I have to tell Yoh,” she thought. She should have told him months ago but something stopped her.
She looked up to the sky and remembered. She tried to remember that night Hao Asakura showed himself to her one last time before disappearing. She knew very well that she should just forget it… forget him. But how do you forget such a warning?
She was brushing her hair in front of her vanity mirror exactly three months ago. It was the night after the second performance of ’10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU’.
‘’You look lovely tonight, Anna…”
Anna dropped her brush in surprise. She was taken off-guard and it didn’t happen very often. Anna’s senses were very sharp and could usually hear a normal person ten feet away. Unfortunately, she knew very well that Hao Asakura was not just an ordinary person. “Huh? Hao? What are you doing here? In my room!”
He laughed as if it was an amusing little joke. ‘’I’m just visiting my Future Shaman Queen…”
Anna frowned as she gripped the table tightly. Somehow, she didn’t like the way he said that. He was up to something again. She wasn’t sure she liked it. ‘’That’s very flattering of you, Hao…but Yoh and I don’t get married for two more years.”
Hao sat down on the stool by the window. He was making himself comfortable in her room and she didn’t like it one bit. Hao was perfectly aware of that fact. ‘’Don’t worry, Anna. You’ll be Queen sooner than you think…”
Anna stared fiercely. What did he mean by that?
“What are you up to, Hao?” she demanded. She reached for her prayer beads but then she realized they weren’t in the drawer where she usually hid it. She looked up and saw that they were in Hao’s hands. He was fiddling with them like a little toy.
‘’Up to?” he feigned innocence. “My dear, you wound me. What makes you think I’m up to something?”
“I’m not YOUR dear. I know you have something planned. And as your future Queen, I order you to tell me!” She was armless but was not helpless. She refused to be the damsel in distress because she was not.
He sighed. “As you wish, my dear... My plan is simple actually. I just hit two birds with one stone. I become Shaman King and I plan to make you my queen...”
“Are you crazy?” She smirked.
“Yes, I agree. I was crazy to hand you over to my sad excuse of a brother that’s for sure.” He snorted. “He was never good enough… then again, Anna, my dear, he’s still me.”
Anna ignored the endearment. Hao didn’t mean it. He never means halfof what he says. “If you really believe that, you really are crazy,” she whispered.
Hao chuckled, stood up from the stool he sat and walked towards her.
“Stay away from me, Hao!” she warned, rising from her stool. She was ready to fight.
He ignored her and continued to walk towards her. She feared him and he could feel her fear from where he sat. What made her admirable though is her little knack for hiding it but… she can hardly hide it from him. “Anna, you were mine to begin with and will be mine at last…remember that.”
She tried to back away but only to be blocked by her vanity mirror. Hao grabbed her wrist before she could make her escape. “You cannot escape from me.” He kissed her cheek. Surprised, she drew back tried to wipe the spot with the back of her hand HARD.
“It won’t go away, Anna,” he whispered into her ear, softly. He smirked. “The deed is done.”
“You…you…scoundrel!” she said and tried to slap him. He grabbed before it reached impact. She tried with the other hand but he grabbed it too.
He shook his head arrogantly. “You can’t use the same trick on me twice, Anna.”
“Let me go,” she hissed. “Or I swear you’ll regret it. Leave me alone, Hao! Just get out.”
He trapped both her small hands in his bigger one. He then used his free hand to stroke her soft, golden hair. “Not before I do this…”
He kissed her, almost punishing. Was he punishing her for falling in love with Yoh? Did he know? As far as she knew she and Yoh had done a very convincing act of hating each other.
Anna struggled. Heaven knows she tried but even the invulnerable Anna knows her limits.
“Now…that wasn’t so bad was it?” he said, finally breaking the kiss. He gently stroked her soft blonde hair.
She backed away and glared. “You’re right…it was worse…”
‘’How would you know? I don’t think my brother had the guts to kiss you,” he said, laughing arrogantly. “That brother of mine is nothing but a spineless fool.”
Now, it was Anna’s turn to smile. “Wrong, Mr. Know-it-all.”
Hao frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“What made you think that Yoh wouldn’t kiss me?” She smirked. “Yoh loves me and I love him. Do you really think that…” Instead of continuing she smiled and turned away. “I don’t need to explain anything to you. Just leave me alone.”
Hao’s eyes showed anger. How dare she dismiss him like that? He was Hao Asakura! Didn’t she understand what he was capable of?
“See this ring, Hao?” she asked, turning around and showing him a perfect, platinum engagement ring with a perfectly cut star diamond. “Yoh formally proposed to me three days ago! He first kissed me after the shaman tournament two years ago! You may as well be the first to know. I love him, Hao!”
“Really? But I never see the two of you act so lovey-dovey,” he replied to her challenge quietly. Even Anna couldn’t read his actions at the moment.
“Not in public, we don’t.”
Anna could see flames burning in Hao’s eyes. Flames of anger? She felt smug but as quickly as it came those flames vanished. Hao was then back to his smirking and arrogant self again.
“Since you know so much about kissing now, why not demonstrate what you learned to me?” he gritted out. He grabbed for her again but this time she was ready. She slapped him right across his face with her deadly left.
“Touch me again and I swear I’ll kill you with no restraints,” she warned.
Hao gave a most sinister laugh. “You never fail to amuse me, Anna.” But then he walked towards her window.
“Aren’t you going to use a door?’’ she said, folding her arms in front of her and never tssking her eyes off him. There was no telling what Hao planned.
“And have your fiancé know I’ve been to your room?” Hao feigned innocence again. He began to walk towards the door. “ As you wish…”
“Never mind! Use the window!”
He chuckled. But before he left he said. “I may not be your first love, Anna but remember I will be the last…”
“I will never love you,” she promised.
The next night, she heard from Yoh that his brother disappeared but she knew he’d be back. Hao was planning something big and she was almost scared to think of what it is but it was better to expect the worst…
“Anna?” She heard Yoh’s voice interrupt her troubled thoughts. “Are you okay?”
Surprised, Anna turned. She saw the boy who was soon to be a man and her husband.
She loved him. That was the first thing that came to her mind. She loved all of him, from his messy brown hair and silly earphones to the very toes on his feet. She always did since they were children but back then of course she had not realized it. Yoh Asakura, he made her feel more special than any person she’d ever met.
“I love you,” se thought.
Yoh couldn’t believe the vision in front of him. The perfectly golden sunset was put to shame compared to Anna’s golden beauty. He watched the wind play with her golden locks, her dark, deep and mysterious black eyes and the smile she reserved only for him.
“Anna? I’m done with the three hundred laps around the park. I saw you there alone and I thought we could walk together,” he said, smiling. Then he saw her tears, the smile vanished. “Anna, why the tears? ”
Anna hadn’t seen the tears fall, until Yoh wiped her them. He brushed his lips with hers. Anna fought to keep more tears from falling. “Why? What’s with the tears, Anna?”
At first she just stood there and stared at him, while he awaited her answer. The next thing she knew she was running toward him and hugging him afraid to just let go. She was holding on to him like she was afraid he’d disappear.
Yoh smiled and understood instantly. “Ssshhh… Anna, I’m here.” He soothed her hair. “Is there something wrong? I noticed that you haven’t been yourself for a while.”
She almost smiled. Trust Yoh to notice her moods. She grew serious. This was something he had to know. “Yoh! Hao is planning to hurt you!”
“Hao? Is this what this was all about? Are you worried about him?”
“Of course! Aren’t you? He almost succeeded in killing you the last time! How can you stay so calm?” She looked down as she pounded on his chest, not quite understanding why he was not at all surprised or disturbed by her announcement.
“Do you want me to become hysterical, Anna? I know if I keep a cool head, I won’t regret my decisions later.” She looked up to his gentle eyes again. “You know that, don’t you?”
He slid his hands through her soft hair. Don’t worry about the past. Yes, he almost killed me but I’m still alive, aren’t I? Stop your tears and let’s go home…”
“But, Yoh…”
“No buts. I’ll be fine. Remember I love you…I promised you I won’t go anywhere and I’m keeping it.” He reminded her. Yoh found it endearing that Anna cared about his welfare so much. Usually, she acted like a tough girl and pretended that Yoh didn’t mean a thing to her.
Yoh cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. It was a familiar gesture they do every time they were alone together.
“I repeat…I love you…”
She sighed, realizing that maybe she was worrying too much. There is no way of knowing Hao was up to something. “I love you too, Yoh…”
They kissed then and there. Anna had even missed the sunset but she didn’t mind. She didn’t even notice…she was having difficulty keeping a straight thought when he was around. Did this mean that she was weak? Was this a form of weakness?
Yoh stopped the kiss although very reluctantly. He knew that it was late and they needed to get back before everyone else got suspicious.
He whispered into her ear. “Let’s go home…good ol’e Manta probably already has dinner waiting us.”
Anna still felt dazed but nodded.
They held hands all the way home. Anna was determined to keep Hao from disturbing her thoughts. He wasn’t here now, so why could she just stay happy with Yoh…
As they disappeared to the direction of their dojo, Yoh and Anna were unaware that Hao’s prying eyes were nearer than they first had thought.
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