Felicia turned her head away in a huff, “The least you could have done was to send Kororo to me with a message explaining the situation; you know that I can understand the Koro Pokkuru just as well as you can.”
At that moment Horo Horo’s eyes widened as he stood up, walked over to Keitaro’s van, and began to bash his head repeatedly against the side, “Baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*, baka *thunk*…”
Immediately Chocolove and Ryu moved to pull him back, the biker with the outlandish hair was the first to speak, “Now, now my friend; calm down.”
Soon followed by Chocolove’s, “Yeah, bud tapir those impulses, I don’t think Keitaro’s collision policy covers bakus.”
As soon as that pun passed his lips almost everyone dropped in disgust (with the exception of Izayoi who dropped to the ground in a giggle-fit). Ren moved swift to punish the punster, when Naota passed him and El Kabonged the clueless comic.
Admiring the work, for once Ren did something unexpected… he paid someone else a complement. “Nice shot, a little over board mind you, but nice shot none the less.”
Smirking Naota replied, “Thanks, but for me this was therapy; the last person I knew that was that bad was guilty of hit and run Vespa.”
This time Yoh decided to change the course of the in conversations, “So just to be curious, exactly what are you folks after in becoming Shaman King?”
Equally curious about this group, Vash decided to strike a deal, “How about this; we’ll take turns, one of you tell us your reason, and then one of us will... deal?”
Yoh didn’t even have to think this one over, “Deal and I’ll start; to live an easy and carefree life.”
Jiyuu decided to step in next, “To help people around the world let go of old hatred.” Felicia broke the lineup a bit by agreeing with her, “That is mine as well; if you think about it age old grudges are the source of most of the world’s suffering.
Ryu decided to get things back on track, “My goal is to discover the Best Place you might say my Sacred Hang as it were.”
Midoriko decided to divulge her own mission, “I want to ask the Great Spirit, how to bring spiritual balance to my family’s art. As it stands now, everyone who ventures too far into the Mutsubetsu Kakuto-Ryu is swallowed up by their vices or emotional extremes.”
Having shaken off Naota’s blow, the comedian went next, “I want to fill the world with laughter,” Chocolove added his two cents, “After all nothing makes you feel better than a good belly laugh.”
His attacker Naota followed, “What I want is for people to begin to take joy out of life a little more; it seems like fewer and fewer people appreciate the good things anymore, and just end up going through the motions.”
Ren went next, “Mine is simple really,” he said, “for my family to be restored to their former glory.”
With an unusually distant expression Izayoi, began to state her wish in a voice almost shining with sincerity, “I want to meet my parents, I mean already know they love me, but just for once I want to meet them and tell them how much they both mean to me.”
This left Horo Horo feeling slightly guilty since it was now his turn, “I would like to grow a giant field of Coltsfoot, a place where the Koro Pokkuru can live in peace.”
Deciding to leave their team leader last, Keitaro spoke up, “I would like the great spirits help in aiding mankind in finding their soul mates; because for me much of the world’s sorrow originates from loneliness.”
Now it was Vash’s turn, “All I want,” he said, “Is for people to take off their blinders, and see past the lies that they are telling themselves before anymore people are made to suffer; cause in reality this world is filled with Love and Peace.”
*****
Moving their way about half a mile north of where the two groups were assembled, was several of the Gung-ho Guns alongside their lead Millions Knives. “And to think this will be our second meeting in the decade and a half since I left the hospice, of course if he is smart he will take my offer this time around; after all he has so much more to lose right now than his left arm.”
Of course this swept Knives down a river of nostalgia, thinking of his brother and of the others at the hospice, ‘I wonder how Rusyuna turned out; if she is anything like I remember her, the men are probably lined up around the block seeking the hand of a virtual nun. Then there’s Duo, knowing that little tinkerer he’s probably working on cars right at this very moment.’
‘At least from how Vash acted the last time I saw him I didn’t kill Rem the first time I used Duma; oh well no matter. Much like Chapel Evergreen she refused to acknowledge that the world needs the help it does, in time they shall come to see the light.’
Of course thinking of those that he grew up alongside brought up thoughts of Marco, ‘I can still recall my encounter with that fool; it was at the manor of a retired archeologist, who lived alone with his granddaughter in one of the more rural areas of Quebec.’
Knives had gone to the mansion with many of my early followers to retrieve some artifacts that he felt would be useful to him in the future, and that the gentleman was unfortunately reluctant to part with; too bad for the old fellow that his guards proved themselves inadequate upon our return, even Monev, felt that they were wasted effort.
However to the surprise of Knives he wasn’t the only one making a unexpected visit that day; the elderly gentleman with whom he had returned to have try once more to negotiate, if only for the sake of his granddaughter (in whose potential he sensed), was trying to fend off a young teenage boy with a World War II service pistol. Sensing the power behind this child Knives wasn’t too surprised when the bullet the man fired; evaporated within feet of its target, this was followed with the man himself being turned to ash. ‘Too bad the man’s five year old granddaughter was watching; what was her name again Jeanne.’
Right away the young boy could sense that Knives wasn’t a treat, and let him take the artifacts he had had come for: the trumpet of Jericho, slag from the gates of Troy, and the Hide of the Hydra. Before Knives left he asked the boy’s name, to which the child answered, “Hao.” This marked the first encounter between the leaders of the three most infamous groups within the Shaman Fight.
Still even he wasn’t expecting Marco to be there right as he and his men exited the house, foolishly thinking that he could simply get Knives to submit to him and turn himself in; he even brought the angel arm containing Michael from the hospice thinking he could threaten Knives with it. Marco’s inexperience had shown thru though, when he looked Dominique in her sinister eye and froze in place.
That moment Knives walked right up to Marco and told him to his face, “If you truly want to save anyone, try to start with the little girl in this house,” and let Duma loose on the building, damaging the supports. As he and his men walked away and Marco stood there; this time in shock Knives left him with one final thought to chew on, “Remember this, oh prideful fool, as horrific as my actions might seem today there is another who walks the same path as I to whom my power pales in comparison.” Truly the path of destiny is an interesting road indeed...’
Bowing his head now, Raidei thanked his master, “Again I thank you for your generosity Lord Knives; my guardian spirit and I wish we prove ourselves worthy, and defeat the novices who call themselves the heirs of the legendary Jubei of the Yagyu.” As he finished an ethereal image of his spirit appeared behind him; a burned and bandaged swordsman wearing the tattered remains of samurai robes, whose eyes burned with silent-fury and hellfire.
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by The Insane Hiker
(Posted Sun, 06 Mar 2005 23:33)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.