Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Ivy, Shaman Runaway ❯ Unlocking The Doors of The Past ( Chapter 25 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

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Unlocking The Doors of The Past

“Who was she? What was she like? Where'd you meet her? Did she ever say she loved you back? Did you have any kids? Did you ever get married? What was her—“ Yoh started bombarding me with questions.

“—Whoa!! Stop! One at a time. What if I just tell you the story?” I asked Yoh and he shook his head very enthusiastically.

==Flashback==

It was a cold winter's day, and fifteen year-old Mosuke was looking after the other orphans as I went out to fetch more firewood. I was eleven at the time. It had been snowing all week and snow was in big mounds and piles all over the ground. Under one of those piles was the wood. I started searching through a pile and got the fright of my life when I uncovered the body of a half frozen girl.

She looked to be no more than four or five years old. Light brown, chest length hair, and pale skin. Her lips were starting to turn blue; she was hardly dressed. Despite her ragged clothes, at her side was a magnificent samurai sword.

I checked to see if she was still alive, scooped her up in my arms, and ran back with her to the place we were currently staying. I barged in the door, “Mosuke!!!”

Mosuke got up and rushed over to me. “What's the matter Amida—who do we have here?” he spied the small girl.

“I don't know. I found her out in the snow drifts when I was looking for wood.” I reported, still holding the girl.

“Take her over by the fire, wrap her in warm blankets, and keep her as warm as possible. Even use your own body heat if necessary.” Mosuke instructed.

So I did, and she spent the night safe in my embrace. When morning came I found the girl's color had returned to her and she was speaking dreamily in her sleep.

“Daddy how long until the tournament? I want to compete, but I still need a guardian.” She mumbled.

`What a strange thing to say. I've rescued a psychopath…' I silently thought as I starred down at the girl.

“She's looking better today.” I looked up and saw Mosuke standing over me.

I got to my feet and answered, “Yep. I think she's going to be okay. I wonder what she was doing out there in the first place…”

“I was looking for a place to stay.” A small voice rang out like little bells ringing in the wind.

Mosuke and I looked down at the small girl sitting up on the floor. Mosuke kneeled down to her eye level and began to speak to the girl. “Hello there. I'm Mosuke and this is my friend Amidamaru. You were buried out in the snow, and he rescued you. What's your name?”

The girl looked the both of us over suspiciously at first, but soon a smile replaced her frown and she happily quirked, “My name is Aikido! My mama and papa were a puppet master and a fighter—that's my papa's sword right there—, but a fire-wielder with long brown hair came and asked them to fight with him in the tournament. They said no, and he murdered them, he started after me too, but I got away. I was looking for some other people with ghosts, but I got lost and then this huge snow-storm came, and now I'm here.”

Mosuke and I gaped at her. When I finally regained my voice I spat out, “What are you talking about?! Are you feeling okay?”

She looked questioning at me, realized I had no idea what she was telling me, and sighed sadly. “Oh…you're not like me. Maybe I should keep searching. I need to learn how to fight so I can win the tournament.”

I felt guilty about making her feel badly, “I could teach you to be a samurai.” I offered.

Her face immediately brightened, “Oh, really!!? I'd love that!”

I looked at Mosuke for a nod of approval. He rolled his eyes and sighed as he walked off saying, “Just another mouth to feed.”

Ten years later when I was 21, Mosuke was 25, and Aikido was 15, we went out to find jobs working for a powerful lord.

“I don't like this.” Aikido said out of the blue when we approached the compound gate.

Mosuke raised an eyebrow at her blunt statement. Aikido had a strange way of sensing danger hours before something bad happened. “Are you sure girl?” Mosuke asked.

“Ahum…I've got a funny feeling about this. It will not end well for us all.” She nodded solemnly.

“Any visions, Kido?” I asked.

“Yes. Kind of scary one.” She bit her lip as was becoming her annoying habit.

“Well? Let's hear it.” I asked while gazing worriedly at her.

She closed her eyes as she began to tell her prophecy. It was kind of scary how she slipped into a trance like that sometimes. I could never tell if the closed eyes and dreamy voice were all an act, or if she really was a clairvoyant. Clairvoyant or not, her predictions were almost always correct.

“An ugly, skinny man gives an order. A samurai refuses to obey. The friends make a pact. Someone sees and squeals. Blood everywhere. `The Fiend' is born. A sobbing girl kneeling by a grave. An unhappy bride. Murder. Two friends conversing at a gravesite. A girl on her way to execution. The tournament passes, the world is saved. Years flying by. The next tournament. Orange headphones. Bright red lipstick. The fire-wielder reborn and the stars.” Her eyes flickered open and shrugged her shoulders before walking onward toward the gate.

Mosuke and I just stood there. “I think that was her most important prophecy yet.” I commented.

“Yes,” Mosuke watched Aikido walking away. He looked troubled. “But I think that was also her most vague prophecy ever. What on Earth are headphones anyway?”

“Yes…hey! Ki!! What is this `tournament' you're always talking about?” I called after her retreating figure.

She looked back over her shoulder and wink seductively at me, “Oh nothing! Just something my people do every couple hundred years or so!”

I smiled back gazing at her fondly. `She always has been such a flirt.'

Mosuke looked from me to her, back to me, then back to her. Finally his gaze rested on me as he waved a hand in front of my face, “Earth to Amidamaru!! I don't think it wise to look at Aikido that way. She's only a girl after all.”

I could feel myself blush bright red, as I answered hastily, “I was thinking no such things, Mosuke She's like a sister to me!”

Mosuke only smirked back at me. He continued walking forward after Aikido. “In some cultures brothers and sisters get married.”

Regaining my composure, I rushed after them. “But she's so much younger than me!”

“Five and a half isn't much. There have been bigger gaps.” Mosuke struck down my excuse. “Admit it. You're in love with Aikido. It took you twenty-one years, but you finally managed to fall in love!”

I looked thoughtfully at Aikido for a moment; chest length fawn colored hair being blown about in the breeze, Onyx eyes gleaming with mischief, red wine lips set against her pale complexion. She was a skinny little thing, but she still had good-sized hips and chest. She never let her small stature get in the way during a fight; in fact, I think it made her more agile. She was tricky, sly, slick, and very misleading. She would make someone a fine wife someday when she was older and ready to wed. I could definitely see her marrying a rich and powerful shogun. She had the potential.

“Yes,” I sighed dreamily. “I'm in love with Aikido. I'M IN LOVE!!”

Apparently I had said the last little part too loud, for Aikido turned around and said, “What?!! With whom?!!”

I immediately blushed and muttered, “We'll talk later.” I have to admit she looked a bit distressed.

We walked on for a while into the compound in silence. Aikido never could stand silence for very long, so she asked, “Do you guys think I'm pretty?” out of the blue. She tended to bring up random subjects all the time.

I was stunned into speechlessness. `Of course you're pretty!! You're gorgeous!!'

Mosuke answered for the both of us, “The answer is quite obvious. You are very pretty. Beautiful even. Don't worry about that.”

“Yes, no worries.” I chimed in, “You could get any guy you wanted.”

She smiled at us before our group slipped back into silence. We finally made it to appear before the lord. Mosuke and I were very eager to find jobs, but Aikido was quite sullen. The lord accepted Mosuke and I to be his blacksmith and samurai. We all three tensed when the lord finally came to inspect Aikido.

“Hmmm…what do we have here? A young woman samurai? Don't see many of those around here. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Aikido.” The lord said as he circled and examined her seeing to it that every inch was to his liking.

“The pleasure is mine, Sire.” Aikido replied just as Mosuke had taught her. She bowed deeply to our new master.

The Master chuckled haughtily, “Such a polite young woman. You seem very obedient as well.”

“I am sir.” She did not look at him directly, but instead kept her head low.

“She'll make me a fine wife.”

Aikido's head snapped up to look him square in the eye as she hotly exclaimed “WIFE!!?? Who said anything about me becoming your wife!!?”

I turned pale at the thought. She could not go against the word of her master. If he said the word, she had no choice. Like it or not, she had to marry him. There was no hope for us to ever be together now.

Mosuke sensed Aikido's temper flaring up, and noticed she was about to attack the 45 year-old Master. “Aikido!”

Aikido recognized the warning tone of Mosuke's voice, and instantaneously settled down. “Yes Master…” she grumbled.

“Yes, yes. You'll be a fine wife, and we'll have many beautiful children together!” The master cried excited at the thought. I could just see Aikido cringe.

The ugly old man clapped twice and servants came running to wait on their lord. “Servants! Take Aikido and show her to her quarters! Make sure she gets into something a little more suitable for a lady to wear.” Aikido was lead off in the opposite direction from Mosuke and me.

I was out in the courtyard late at night honing my sword skills when I sensed someone watching me. I turned around and saw a beautiful maiden in a red and blue flowered kimono. She had her silky hair tied up on top of her head and her pale face was covered in dainty, brightly colored make-up.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but instead of the angelic, softly spoken words I expected to hear from a woman of such beauty and grace, all I hear is, “Don't gawk at me like that you son of a boar. I absolutely loath this clown suit!” Aikido.

I swear I almost fell over. I hadn't even recognized Aikido when she was dressed as a woman!! “Aikido, watch your language. You're a Lady now. My master's future bride.”

“Oh get off it! I'm partially American on my Mama's side, so I'll cruse like a sailor if I want!! Just you try and stop me. Where's Mosuke?” She barked. The voice didn't seem to fit the appearance of the woman standing before me.

“I have no idea. What do you need?” I tried to ignore her annoyed tone.

“I need to get out of here. That's what I need.” She sighed before she launched herself into my arms and started sobbing her heart out. “Oh, Amidamaru!! I don't want to get married!! I don't love him at all!! I never could love such a man!! I love someone else, but now it seems that he and I can never be!!”

I held her and tried soothing her, but it seemed nothing could console her. I pulled away from her and gently wiped away her tears. “It'll be okay. You'll find some way to stall him. I promise. As for you and your fellow,” I kissed her softly on the cheek. “I hope you two are very happy together.” I walked back inside, leaving Aikido standing by herself in the courtyard. As I reached the doorway, I wiped a tear from my own eyes. `If she's happy, I'll be happy.'

Somehow she managed to talk the Master into waiting for a few years to get married when she turned twenty-one. I don't know how she ever managed it, but she did. Over the passing of those five or six years tragic events occurred. Of course everyone knows about the little incident where I was sent to kill Mosuke, but we were seen making a pact, and someone snitched to the Master about our plan. Mosuke and I were both killed. I can still see Aikido standing in that field that was covered in blood-soaked corpses. She searched high and low for my body, and when she found it she held me close, getting blood all over herself, and she cried for hours.

Every day she would come up to that hilltop and visit my grave. Everyday for six years. And she grew up over those years into an even more beautiful woman. I fell deeper in love with her after death as I watched her grow and mature. Everyday she would sit on top of the hill and talk to me. I knew she couldn't really see my ghostly form, but I liked to pretend that she could. Whenever she asked a question, I would answer. She would wait for my reply before she continued her conversation with herself. Sometimes I swore she could actually see me; she looked right at me when speaking to me!!! Some days anyway…most of the time she would look out over the hills and valleys, talking to thin air.

I remember one day's conversation in particular. It was the last time I ever saw Aikido.

I watched from a top my grave as she ascended the hill. She sat down under the huge oak tree and propped herself up so she could look over the cliff as she spoke with me.

“Hello, Amidamaru! How are you doing today?” She smiled pleasantly as she looked at the rising sun.

“I'm as great as any dead person can be. And you?” I replied even though she couldn't hear me.

“Me? I'm doing perfectly awful. Don't you know what today is?” She muttered indignantly to thin air.

“What's today? I don't remember you telling me anything of great importance coming up…except your birthday!! I'm so sorry! I had almost forgotten your birthday is today!!” I answered.

“It's my twenty-first birthday.” She sighed solemnly.

“Your wedding day…” I let the words hang in the air. I didn't want her to marry that scum and have his children. `The person she should be marrying and having the children of is ME!!'

“My wedding day…” She echoed. “They'll be coming soon. As soon as they find the body.”

“Body?!?!?!” I exclaimed.

“I've killed him Amidamaru. I had to do it. That lecherous man would have been unbearable to live with, and he was always so mean to me, and he always use to threaten me! I couldn't take it!! I had to do it! They'll be coming for me soon, Amidamaru. Coming to kill me for murdering their master.” She looked at me as if begging for forgiveness.

“It's not your fault. I would have done the same thing in your situation. You had better run for it. They won't stop till they find you, but if they never find you, then they can't hurt you. If having you safe means never seeing you again, then I think it's best to have you safe.” I decided firmly.

“I'm not running Amidamaru. I'm going to face death like a true warrior. I could always be a guardian in the tournament next time…” She drifted off into thought, and her gaze returned to the horizon.

Her words were too close in reply to my answer for her to just be making up a whole two-sided conversation. She had to be able to hear me. “Aikido? Please, I need to know, can you really, truly see me standing before you?”

“…” No response.

I felt like crying. “Then you can't see me after all. I guess it can do you no harm to know that I've always loved you. I love you Aikido.”

“…There they are; those men coming up the hill now have come to execute me for murdering that old lord. Looks like I must be going.”

The men came up and snickered at Aikido. “Any last words, Doll?”

“Yes. Give me a minutes peace to say goodbye to my friend.” The men shrugged and walked down the hill a ways, mumbling something about insane women talking to ghosts.

“Goodbye Amidamaru. I won't be visiting any more after they kill me. I'm going straight up to Heaven. I don't believe we'll be seeing each other anymore. I'm sorry. Goodbye.” She wiped silent tears from her eyes as she began to walk away.

“I'll always love you Aikido.” I said one last time.

“I love you too. I wish you would have said something before though.” She turned and looked straight at me.

“Wait…what?! You can see me?!” I gapped.

“As plain as day. I always have been able to see your kind. It's what my people pride themselves on. Don't you think it would have been really awkward if you knew I could hear everything you were saying?” She smirked.

I was still astonished that she could see me; no one else seemed to notice me. “How come they don't seem to care about me being here?” I pointed to the men who were going to take Aikido away.

“They're not gifted like I am. I've seen your kind since I was small. I have to go, but know that I have loved you from the moment we met.” She blew a kiss to me and walked off into the hands of her murderers.

“I love you Aikido. Never forget me.” I softly called after her. We were star-crossed lovers, never destined to be together.

==End Flashback==

“Wow…” Yoh gapped at the end of my story. “I hope Ivy and I don't end like that. I want to be with her forever. Are you okay, Amidamaru?”

I smiled lightly at my shaman. “Of course, Master Yoh. I've lived without her for hundreds of years. What's a few more.”

He smiled back up at me, “So do you understand how I feel about Ivy now?” My lovesick master asked hopefully.

I nodded. “Yes, who am I to try to stop you when it's obvious that you've already given your heart and sold your soul to this girl even if she is going to end up hurting you in the end. Go back to sleep Yoh. Tomorrow is another day.”