Fan Fiction ❯ That voice ❯ Change ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimers: I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me. Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing. Based on after ep 64 of the anime since I haven't gotten the manga or read the manga yet. May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all 64 eps of the anime series.

© April 2003

Chapter 3 - Change

Hao has taken over the body of Yoh. He disappears into the night every night, but not before checking up on Anna by peeking in through her door. Yoh didn't dare set foot in Anna's room as be was binding his time with other matters until the moment that would come when he would approach the wife of Asukura. Manta had suddenly been called away on a family affair to go to Europe for a while to deal with some family matters before he would be able to return back to Japan so it was left up to Anna to train Yoh. Ren had returned back to China, but had commented that he was sure that his sister would send him back baring gifts to Yoh again. Yoh merely smiled and nodded as Ren and Manta had left.

Yoh no longer complained and began to spend less time with Amidamaru unless the training required for the spirit to be present, but merely smiled at Anna when she would tell him to prepare food or when it came to training. Yoh seemed to struggle less each day during training, barely showing signs of fatigue no matter how much training that Anna would put him through. She had not meant to push him so hard, but his attitude lately has caused her to push him harder since she had noticed that something had happened that night. She had known that something had happened, but she hadn't known that it would be a change in Yoh. Yoh had not brought up the fact that he had heard a voice that night before so Anna had let the subject drop since Yoh had seemed to accept the fact that he had perhaps been dreaming that night.

The Yoh that she had known so well had finally changed it seemed and she wasn't sure if it was for the best or not. He had seemed to gain some form of strength, endurance to anything that she required of him or perhaps something even beyond that. Though in the past Yoh had always struggled and pushed himself to become stronger. He had endured everything especially her training so that he could make his dream a reality, but he had always struggled every step of the way toward the dream and constantly put up with the abuse that the Itako would force upon him. She would notice when he was no longer struggling and would increase his training accordingly as to how she saw fit so that he would become stronger. Anna had always watched him from a distance and had seen his strength progress throughout the years. She had always known that he had potential, but she had not known that such power would fall upon him so suddenly and quiet so soon that she began to wonder was there a need for her anymore.

Since that night that she had felt something happen, this new Yoh of unlimited strength seemed to radiate before her special super extreme training to the point that it would frustrate her to train him. She had always amused herself when it came to training him, but she wondered if there was anything that she could train him with now that would make him stronger than he already was. He seemed to watch her more often when he thought that she wasn't looking, but she could feel his eyes on her. She had noticed him staring at her and when she would turn to look at him. He would be looking off somewhere as if there was something interesting there and it was also beginning to get harder to read his thoughts. At night she couldn't tell what he was thinking when he would run off though she never said anything to him about leaving at those times, but during the day his mind continued to be the same as before or so she thought as he seemed to think about nothing, but becoming more stronger so that he can become Shaman King so that he can live an easy life. And for a moment once, she swore she could have read that he wanted to live an easy life with her, but the thought had only lasted for a second that she assumed that the thought had been hers since she had not slept that much the night before. She had taken to staying up late at night to ponder over Yoh's recent actions.

Hao pushed himself as the days went by and he found himself falling into the role of Yoh's daily duties and training. Yoh's body seemed to be already in shape enough that when Anna would instruct him in some sort of vigorous training. He would accept the task and do as she instructed. He allowed his mind to have complete control of his new body and forgot all pain. His mind would focus on Anna at those moments though he made sure that she would pick up only certain thoughts. It didn't matter is she was beside him or far away. He could still imagine her as he had so many times after their first meeting. He had always wanted to make her his though he had never experienced such a feeling before and took great pride that such a woman had been chosen to wed into the Asakura's. Through all the years, he had never known a woman like her to exist and as he was able to spend each day under her careful watch. He wondered what it would be like to have someone like her be so loyal to him like she had been to Yoh and she had demonstrated several times before the strength that she wielded.

For a moment Yoh paused in what he was doing and stopped to look toward the door that lead into the hallway. His thoughts centered on Anna yet again. What would it be like to have a child with such a woman? The question shocked him as he turned back to finish making lunch since the thought had never entered his mind. It was the weekend and he found himself beginning to train less as the weeks passed. When he would approach Anna and ask what he should do for the day. She would give him something simple to do and that he cooks. He kept finding himself with more free time than he knew what to do with because only the nights were his to use and be himself. His days were spent at school and with Anna training. So far everything seemed to be working out fine and there had been no signs of Yoh being able to reclaim his body. He smiled as be was setting the table and putting out the food. Anna walked in.

"Is it ready yet?" Yoh looked up and continued to smile at her as his gaze centered on her.

"Yes." Anna glanced at the food that he had set out that lined across the table. There had been an improvement to his cooking skills since that night of the change also, but she found herself being watched by him again.

"Yoh." He seemed to snap out of it and straighten his body in response to her calling. The response was more so due to the fact that she continued to call him Yoh and he wondered what it would be like for her to call his name for once, his real name though he had heard it before in a menacing tone from her lips, but never in a good way.

"Yes?!"

"You're staring again."

"Oh!" He realized it then as he looked away and they began to sit down at the table. He wanted to hear her say his name as if she cared. The same way she was able to say Yoh.