Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Ivy, Shaman Runaway ❯ Poison Ivy ( Chapter 46 )

 

Poison Ivy

`How dare he! How dare he lie to me! How dare he use me! How dare he take advantage of me! How did he?! How, Hao!!? I shouldn't be asking how; I should be asking why.

 

`Why did he do it? Why did he continue to lie and con me into loving him? Why did he take advantage of me like that? When I had lost my memory he let me think that I loved him, and what did he plan to do once I regained my memories of Yoh? He didn't think this through very well now did he? Not at all if he only got as far as `have fun with Ivy while she can't remember she hates me'.

 

`Damn him! Why did he do this to me? Is he that sex-starved that he had to try to ravish me while I didn't remember? Thank God that I remembered before I married him and he had his way with me.

`Marriage. Why did he propose if all he wanted was my body? I don't understand. Did he really intend to marry me and then kill me after he got what he wanted? Or did he have another motive all together? Does he really want to marry me? Now why would he want that? Why does anyone get married? Because they want to, I suppose. But, why me?

 

`Why me, Hao? Why me out of all your groupies and your fans? Why fall for a girl who hates you? He didn't. He wanted my power and to make the Asakuras mad. That's why he stopped me from destroying any more of that village…that's why he taught me to control it. That's why he forced me to become his fiancée. He's never loved me…but I've loved him.

 

`There's no use denying it. I was in love with him. Then I found out who he was, and how he was using me. Love really is blind. And stupid. Stupid Cupid. I must be stupid, must be crazy, must be out of my mind to think that a monster like that could fall in love. I was such an idiot.

 

`He won't get away with this. I'll get him. I will. I'll make him pay for all the pain and suffering he put me through. He'll pay for all the lies. All the times he's hurt me, and everything else. And I do mean everything. I'll make him suffer like I suffered. I'll tear his heart into little shreds. He says he loves me, but I know he's lying again trying to get at my powers. I'll let him have a little fun before I completely destroy him. Poison Ivy has her work cut out for her tonight, but in the mean time until then I'll have to keep up this amnesia charade.

 

`Well Hao, tonight you get a dose of your own medicine, and I don't think you'll like it very much. HAHAHAHAHA!!! Goodbye `My darling fiancée'!'

 

About an hour or so later, I walked back to camp with a goal in mind: find out how Hao was keeping me from getting too far away. I had realized while out walking that I could only go a certain distance away from camp until I hit a sort of force field. Except, it only affected me. I was the only one that was pulled back towards camp if I wandered too far. I knew this because I had witnessed the Hanagumi walking past where I couldn't and waltzing straight into town.

 

I walked around camp looking for someone close to Hao's inner circle; someone that would know why only I was unable to get away from the camp. That someone had to be either Luca or Opacho; whomever I could find first.

 

“Are you looking for something, Madam?” A deep voice from behind me made me jump.

 

“Ah—“ I started to scream, but a huge, rough hand covered my mouth.

 

The gigantic man turned me around and I started up into the (somewhat creepy) face of Luca, Hao's third in command after Opacho.

 

“Sorry, Madam. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you all right, or did you need something? You seemed to be searching for something…” He furrowed his brow as he looked down at me.

 

“Oh…um…I was just looking for Opacho—have you seen him?” I rubbed the back of my neck, looking a little scared and embarrassed at the same time.

 

“No. I haven't seen him, but if I do, I'll tell him you're looking for him. I think he went off into the woods though.” Luca promised me.

 

“Thanks! I'll go look for him there.” I started to turn and run, but found that my feet no longer touched the ground. “What the—hey Luca put me down!!”

 

“Sorry Miss Ivy, but I cannot allow you to run off into the woods by yourself.” Luca stated sternly, so that I couldn't argue with him.

 

Of course that didn't stop me from arguing anyway. “Why not?!” I whined.

 

“Because, you may be waylaid by thieves, or rapists, or other shamans! Since you are Master Hao's bride-to-be, everyone will be out to use you to get to him. It's simply too dangerous to just go running off without an attendant. Do you understand?” Luca pulled me up to his eye level.

 

“Yes.” I grumbled. He was right, I didn't want a repeat of the Ashil incident. “So you'll come with me to find him then?”

 

“What?!” Luca scrunched up his nose in a childish way more fitting to Opacho than to this 50 year-old man.

 

“You're coming with me to find Opacho.” I told him.

 

“I'm sorry Miss, it's getting late, and I don't think it best for you to leave the camp at all, with or without an attendant; especially without an attendant. You should go back to the Master's tent and wait there. Opacho will turn up eventually.” Luca still had not put me down.

 

“I'm sorry; you presumed I was giving you a choice. I'm going with or without you.” I was firm in my decision, leaving no room for an argument from the other party.

 

That doesn't mean that an argument didn't arise anyway. “Ivy, I'm not letting you go anywhere, so sit down, shut up, and think before you act. You don't think of the consequences of your actions do you?”

 

“Grrrr…PUT ME DOOOOOOOOOOOWN!!!!!” I shrieked childishly, probably busting his eardrums. Whatever happened, Luca dropped me some 5 feet to cover his ears. “Owwwwwwwwwwwww…” I moaned.

 

“My thoughts exactly.” Luca stated bitterly, rubbing his sore ears.

 

“What's going on here?!” Hao suddenly appeared out of nowhere, demanding an explanation.

 

I was too busy lamenting my pain and suffering to notice my `fiancée's' entrance, so that left Luca to explain the situation.

 

“I'll tell you what's going on! That fiancée of yours screams like a harpy! I told her that she couldn't run off by herself into the woods this close to night time, but she insisted on going!” Luca huffed and puffed angrily.

 

“And then you dropped me!! Tell him how you dropped me!!” I nagged, just tuning into the conversation.

 

Hao, just noticing me lying on the ground grumbling and whining, dashed to my side and propped me up so that I was lying in his arms. “Ivy! Are you all right?! You're not hurt are you?!”

 

“Oh please! She's just acting! She's fine!” Luca glared at me.

 

“Am not!!” I whined as I snuggled into Hao's embrace. “Just you wait until I start coughing up blood, then we'll see who's acting!”

 

“Idiot! You're not hurt at all! I can sense it! You're absolutely fine only you're acting pathetic to get attention!” Luca gave up on trying to convince Hao I was faking, and resorted to muttering under his breath. “She'll do anything to get a man to look at her. Such a sluty little wimp.”

 

Unfortunately for him, Hao heard. “What. Did. You. Say.” Hao gently set me down on the ground and rose to his feet. I could tell Luca was in trouble just by the dangerously lethal tone in Hao's voice.

 

Luca apparently didn't hear the tone of voice Hao was using, or else I'm sure Luca wouldn't have continued his little rant, “I said that that little whore you sleep with is going to run away again with the next man she sees! She doesn't love you; don't you see that Master? She's going to break your heart again, and run off with Y—“

 

“—Enough!” Hao roared as he turned on Luca, ready to kill.

 

“No!! It's not enough! It's not enough that she's bewitched you into fawning over her every moment; she's only using you! She doesn't love you at all, and she's got you tied to her finger by a string! Don't you see the way she's manipulating and playing with you?! Please Master, listen to reason: I know what snakes women can be, and this one is no exception. Trust me. I know what women like her are capable of doing to men…I know…”

 

“Luca. If you utter another syllable, I will cut out your tongue.” Hao walked closer to Luca, and I felt sorry for the poor soul. Luca was right. Luca was right, and I knew it. He was only trying to protect Hao, yet Hao didn't realize it. All this trouble over me…

 

“No, Master.” Luca shook his head sadly as he got to his knees. “I will save you from that wench even if it costs me my own life. I can't stand seeing her torment you anymore! The pain she puts you through is unbearable, and I won't let her hurt you any longer! I don't care if you like it or not, but I'm freeing you from her evil influence once and for all!”

 

“I've had it with you!” Suddenly an enormous being rose from behind Hao and me. I knew what it was even without looking: the eater of souls, the legendary elemental spirit, The Spirit of Fire.

 

That thing scares me to death, and it's only natural to be scared stiff of the thing. It's so huge and ominous and just plain scary looking!

 

A cold chill ran up my spine as I watched The Spirit of Fire raise its fist to smash Luca into the ground. Something snapped inside of me as I watched the scene unfold before me as if it was in slow motion. There was Luca, getting to his feet to stand defiantly in the face of death. The Spirit of Fire was close to smashing Luca into an oblivion, and Hao was looking on with the most psychotic and bloodthirsty look on his face.

 

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!” I screamed as I dashed into Luca, pushing him out of the way. Unfortunately, Luca was right, I don't think of the consequences of my actions. In saving Luca I took his place at death's door; I ended up on the ground looking up at the Spirit of Fire's fist, coming down hard about to smash me into a thousand bloody pieces.

 

I could feel my whole body stiffen as I snapped my eyes closed, not wanting to see the monster's hand making contact with my pretty face.

 

`Goodbye cruel world; I had a blast. Goodbye living; it was fun. Goodbye family; I'll never have one. Goodbye friends, if I did have any real friends; there were very few of them. Goodbye dear sister; oh, Anna, I know you hate me, but you have your reasons. Goodbye Yoh; I love you, plain and simple, and there's nothing that Hao can do about it. I'm so sorry that I couldn't get back to you, but even if I did, we could never get married unless we eloped, and let's face it: Anna would kill the both of us. She would track us down and kill us. Goodbye Opacho: thanks for everything from late-night therapy sessions to just being outrageously cute. Goodbye Luca; I know you didn't mean all the horrible things you said about me; you just wanted to protect Hao from me. Well, good job, Luca. Once I'm dead, Hao shouldn't have any more problems concerning me. Goodbye Mari, Macchi, and Kanna, my dearest adopted sisters; thanks for looking out for me. Goodbye Ren, En, Ran, Gramps, and Jun; thank you for taking me in and pretending I was one of the family. Goodbye Asakura family; thanks for welcoming me into your home and being yet another adoptive family to me. One last goodbye. Goodbye Hao; I hate you with every fiber of my being, but I will give this to you: you are the evilest, but sexiest man I have ever met.'

 

Having made peace with the world around me, I was ready for the end to come. It never did. Instead a voice broke through the silence, “Ivy!!!!! Ohmygod, Ivy!! Are you all right?! You're not hurt are you?! I'm so sorry!!! Ivy, please be okay!! Ivy?! Ivy?!” The voice was frantic, but it lowered to a faint whisper in my ear to plead with me. “Oh God, Ivy, please don't leave me…I love you…I'd die without you; don't you know that? Ivy, I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you. Please forgive me for being an idiot; I would take it all back if I could…I don't care if you hate me for the rest of your life, but please just don't die! I need you Ivy, and I'll do better—I promise I will, but I can't if you don't give me the chance to. I'm so sorry…don't die…don't leave me…”

 

My eyes slowly slid open when the voice stopped. I wondered if it had stopped because I had died and was no longer present on Earth to hear it. The sight before me was astounding. I was propped up in Hao's arms, and I was very much alive. Hao held me tight, like I would disappear into thin air if he didn't hold on. He had his head rested on mine, and he was crying. Hao was crying. I relaxed in his arms, and reached up to brush the tears from his eyes.

 

Hao adjusted his hold on me so that he was still holding me for dear life, but was facing me as well. “I-I-Ivy?!?!?”

 

“The one and only.” I tried to say, but it came out as a weak whisper. I was still really shaken from the near death experience.

 

“Ivy! Are you okay?! You're not hurt, are you?!” Hao flooded me with anxious questions.

 

“Yes, I'm fine, I just feel like I'm gonna faint, but really, I'm not hurt at all.” I murmured back.

 

“Oh, thank God.” I then noticed how close we were and I could feel my heart speed up.

 

“My heart's racing…” I muttered absent-mindedly, my gaze and his locked. I caught myself and added, “From almost dying I mean…”

 

“Ri~ght.” He smiled knowingly at me, but played along anyway. “Yeah, it's only natural after an experience like that.” He paused for dramatic purposes. “But, then again, my heart's racing too…”

 

And then he kissed me. “I was so scared that I was going to lose you and it would have been all my fault.” Another kiss. “I wouldn't have been able to live with that guilt Ivy.” Kiss again. “It would have been unbearable.” And another kiss.

 

“It's not your…” I started, but was interrupted as Hao kissed me again. “…fault. It's mine. I'm the one who…” Yet again he cut me off with a kiss. “…got in the Spirit of Fire's way.”

 

“Don't be ridiculous…” He paused to kiss me. “…it's my spirit, and it would have been my fault if it killed you.” Hao kissed me again, but this one was longer than the quickies before.

 

“Mmmm…Hao.” I tried to say `It's not your fault Hao.', but it came out muffled by the kiss.

 

Hao pulled back and looked at me, studying every detail of my face. “You're beautiful, you know that?” This time he kissed me softly on the cheek. “Why are you such an idiot?” He lowered his head to kiss along my neckline.

 

“What?!” I glared at him `How dare he! One minute he's kissing me like he owns me, and the next he insults me!'

 

Hao came to eye level with me and bluntly asked, “God Ivy, what the Hell were you thinking?! You could have been killed!”

 

I was about to protest when he tilted my chin upward and leaned even closer to me, smiling lovingly.

 

I couldn't help but stare at his lips, completely mesmerized against my will. “I just couldn't let you become a murdering monster again…I…I'm sick of people dying because of me. I also am sick of seeing you covered in other peoples' blood. I can't take it.” I could feel it, I was slowly slipping under his spell. I was letting him have power over me; all this I knew, but I couldn't do anything to stop it. I slowly leaned in to kiss him.

 

“Ivy, you're such a good person. I really don't deserve you at all.” He nipped playfully at my ear.

 

I suddenly snapped out of the daze that Hao had somehow cast over me, and I remembered my plan. “No you don't, but I want you to take me anyway.”

 

“What?!” Hao looked astonished. “I'm sorry; are you talking to me?”

 

“Of course.” I started playing with a strand of his hair and smiling seductively at him. “Who else would I be talking to except for my sexy fiancée?”

 

“Umm, Ivy, I think you hit your head or something because this really isn't like you at all…” Hao's hand flew to my forehead to check for a fever.

 

“Haooooooo! I'm fine! What's the matter with you? Normally that's the only thing on your mind, and now when I suggest it you think I'm sick!? What's up with that?!” I kept telling myself, `You won't really do anything with him. Remember the plan. Remember the plan…'

 

Hao looked increasingly confused as his face turned a light shade of red. “I'm sorry, it's just…you never…I just…you really want me to…of course I would love to, but you never wanted to before, and I…you—I mean, that is to say…you always said that we were too young and…I never thought that you would say something like…well you said you wanted to wait until we were married, and then…but you…. Are you sure you want me to do this to you Ivy?” Hao finally managed to spit out.

 

“Yes.” I kissed him again, this time sticking my tongue down his throat forcefully like he had done to me so many times before.

 

The kiss soon ended though, and Hao carried me back to his tent.

 

“She's leaving him tonight then?” Opacho, who had arrived not long after Hao, asked Luca, who was sitting on the ground where he had landed after I had saved him from certain fiery doom.

 

“Yes, Opacho, I think so. She'll probably kill him before he gets to have any fun with her at all.” Luca replied somberly.

 

“Ivy won't kill Hao. Ivy wouldn't kill. She'd knock him unconscious, or slip him a sleeping pill, or drug him, but she wouldn't kill him.” Opacho stated matter-of-factly.

 

“Well, let's just hope for the best.” Luca shrugged. “She'll be gone within the hour. Everyone else is already in bed, and we should follow suit.”

 

“Luca is not going to try to stop her?” Opacho wrinkled his nose at Luca.

 

“No.” Luca looked away from the child's angry stare. “It will be better this way. She gets her Yoh, and Master doesn't suffer from her any more. They're only hurting each other when they're together, so it will be best to keep them separate.”

 

“Luca forgets that Hao is addicted to Ivy. Taking her away from him is like taking drugs away from a druggie, like taking insulin away from a diabetic, like taking a person off of life support! It's murder! He'll die! Suicide even! If Luca cares at all for Hao, he will stop Ivy from running again.” Opacho pleaded with the X X-LAW founder, but it was no use.

 

“The rumors are true aren't they?” Luca smiled slightly as he eyed Opacho.

 

“What rumors?” Opacho blinked several times, wondering what these rumors had to do with Ivy.

 

“You like her, don't you?” Luca's smile widened as Opacho turned bright red.

 

“Opacho has no feelings for his Master's woman!” Opacho lied.

 

“Liar.” Luca rolled his eyes at the child. “It's okay, she's an easy one to fall for.”

 

“She's too old for Opacho, anyway.” Opacho sighed.

 

“Only about ten years older than you. That's not too much considering how much older Hao is than her: about 1500 and some odd years.” Luca reminded Opacho.

 

“She is so much more powerful than Opacho.” Opacho continued his list of why I could never love him.

 

“True, but she likes Yoh, and there's a major power difference there.” Luca kept bashing down Opacho's excuses.

 

“But, Ivy is Hao's! Opacho would be killed if Hao ever found out that Opacho even likes Ivy!” Opacho whimpered his last attempt.

 

“Hao likes you too much to kill you, so get over it. Ivy would kill you though, if she found out that you said she was “Hao's”. She'd be very, very angry about that. I advise that you don't say that again.” Luca wrapped up the conversation.

 

“Right…so Luca is not going to stop Ivy?” Opacho got back to the original discussion.

 

“We'll go and talk to her, but we won't be able to stop her. You know that.” Luca shot down all possible hopes that Opacho might have harbored.

 

“Opacho is well aware, but he must try to make her stay. It is his duty to Master Hao.” Opacho stated somberly.

 

Meanwhile, back in Hao's tent my plan was going perfectly. Did you know that Hao wears flame print boxers? Well, I had gotten him that far, and I was about to commence phase three of my plan.

 

“Hao?” I was going to ask about how to get past that barrier thing that was keeping me close to camp.

 

“Hmm?” Hao looked down at me and started playing with a strand of my hair.

 

“The other day, I realized that I can only go so far away from camp before I'm pulled back.”

 

Hao kissed me hungrily, not letting me ask my question. When he broke the kiss for air, he asked, “What about it?” He panted.

 

“I just wanted to know why that happened.” I tried to sound innocent.

 

“It's just to keep people out and you in so that you don't get hurt. They're called energy chains by the way. Just a little invention of mine made of my furyoku.” Hao said before he started kissing me again.

 

“And how do I get rid of them so that I can go into town sometimes?” I inquired, trying not to sound like I was trying to get away from him.

 

“Ivy, why are you asking this now of all times and places?” Hao puzzled.

 

“Just curious…” I smiled sweetly so as not to arouse suspicion.

 

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes at me and went back to work on my neck. “If you must know, you'd have to knock me out cold for the energy chains to lose their effect, but you wouldn't do that, now would you Ivy, my sweet?”

 

“Of course not.” I muttered. `Out cold hmm? Out cold I can do. But how?' Hao repositioned himself so that I was halfway sitting, held up by Hao's hand supporting the small of my back. I looked around the room for something to aid me in knocking Hao unconscious while he busied himself with my neck.

 

I found a marble statue roughly the size of a sports trophy sitting just within my reach on the bedside table. I managed to grab it without Hao noticing. I put the arm of the hand that held the statue around his neck, so that the statue was behind his back, but right above his head. I was about to do the job when Hao's voice brought my attention back to him.

 

“I love you Ivy.” Hao lowered himself to kiss me on the cheek lightly.

 

“I-I love you too.” I was on the verge of tears. I couldn't do it. I couldn't hurt him like that…it was too cruel. `But you have to escape!! You have to see Yoh again!!' My mind screamed at me as it reminded me of all the terrible things Hao had done to me. I wasn't listening; I was too busy staring into Hao's beautiful eyes. `If you stay with Hao, you'll never see Yoh again, and you'll break his heart. What's the matter with you? You must be suffering brain trauma from all those bumps on the head.'

 

I finally snapped out of it and came to my senses. I pressed my lips to Hao's in a forceful kiss. I got up my nerve and hit him on the back of the head. I pulled out of the kiss just in time to see his chocolate eyes flicker closed.

 

I sighed as I rested my head on the pillow. I looked down at Hao's head rested on my chest. `You had to do it. You had to get back to Yoh. You had to.' I almost felt pity for the poor unloved creature, but I also couldn't get the image of Yoh staring out the living room window, waiting for me like a puppy whose master is late coming home from work, out of my head.

 

I carefully slipped out from under Hao, and pulled on my shirt. I then situated Hao so that he would be more comfortable when he woke up. I tucked the covers around him, and checked to see if his head was bleeding; it wasn't. I stroked his cheek lightly, staring at him as he slept. He was so beautiful; if only he didn't lie and use people. If only he didn't murder and destroy. If only he was kind and sympathetic. If only he was Yoh.

 

I sighed as I slipped the beautiful engagement ring off my finger and admired it for a while. It really was something: a gold band with a ruby and a sapphire embedded in it. The ruby was shaped to look like a ball of flame, and the sapphire looked like a raindrop. The flame and raindrop were swirled together in a fashion similar to a yin-yang. I carefully placed the ring back in its case, and started collecting my various luggage.

 

It took all of seven minutes and I was ready to go. I took one last look at Hao, and felt horribly guilty. I set down my suitcases, and walked back over to Hao. I knelt down by his bed and played with the long strands of mahogany hair that cascaded gracefully down the side of his face.

 

“I shouldn't leave you like this without an explanation…” I checked the place where I had hit him again to make sure that it wasn't bleeding; it was still not shedding any blood, but there was a good size lump. I winced as I ran my fingers gently over it. “Ohhhhh. I'm so sorry, but you would never let me go if I just asked, and I need to go…Yoh needs me…” I closed the gap between our faces and kissed him lightly on the lips. “If only you really were the man I thought you were when I first met you…” I sighed again as I looked about the room for a piece of paper and pencil. Finding one I began scribbling furiously, my hand shaking the entire time. By the time I was done the page was dotted with wet blotches where the tears I had tried to hold back (but regrettably couldn't) had fallen.

 

When I had finished I stood and tied the note to the ring case. I dried my eyes, but tears still threatened to fall. “Goodbye Hao.” I was going to just leave the little package on the bedside table, but just then a voice interrupted me.

 

“Going somewhere, Ivy?” A gruff voice from the doorway bellowed.

 

I quickly spun around and saw Luca standing behind me. “What?! Oh, me?! Why no! No! Of course not! I was just getting a glass of water!” I smiled brightly up at the huge man.

 

“Of course you are, but why are all your worldly possessions coming with you?” Luca challenged pointing to the suitcases that surrounded me.

 

“Ivy's not thinking of leaving us is she?” Opacho pushed past Luca and attached himself to my ankle. His eyes were red and puffy, so I could tell he had been crying.

 

“Fine Luca, you win. I'm running for it.” I grumbled.

 

“That's what I thought. What shall I tell Hao when he wakes up?” Luca asked.

 

I handed him the ring box with the note tied to it. “You don't have to tell him anything. Just make sure he gets these. They're very important.” I mumbled, still not happy about being caught.

 

“Oh my Heavens! Is that what I think it is?!” Luca exclaimed as he opened the ring box.

 

“An engagement ring…” Opacho cooed. “Oh Master! Poor, poor Master! It would be better for him to never wake up!”

 

“He proposed to you then?” Luca observed solemnly.

 

“He did.” I affirmed.

 

“While you still couldn't remember?” Luca pressed.

 

“Yes. His proposal is what jogged my memories of Yoh. Yoh proposed to me as well. I have Yoh's ring with me too, but it's packed away with my stuff. I had forgotten about it until today.” I mumbled looking at the floor, not wanting to see their reactions.

 

“Ivy is marrying Yoh then?” Opacho whimpered.

 

“I don't know. I don't know about anything anymore, Opacho.” I sighed as I picked up my luggage and started walking towards the door. “Just make sure Hao gets those, you two. Luca, could you take a look at his head? I think I hit him a little hard…Take good care of him Boys, and tell him…” I turned around to look at them one last time. I could no longer hold back tears, so they were freely showering down my cheeks. “And tell him I'm sorry.” I ran out the door, and huge storm clouds rolled in, showering the land with a giant storm. The sky was reflecting my eyes, both dark ebony orbs were a tempest in their own rite, and the sky seemed to be sobbing along with me. I just couldn't figure out why I was crying…