Disclaimer: Yada YadaYada.

Hey all. I know, it's been too long. But don't hate me too much, cause I've had to work a ton on a lot of stuff. But here it is: we are sadly at the end. This is the last chapter of my Shaman King fic; my fist ever fic. We've come a long way, seen lots of stuff, laughed, cried, and cheered for true love. This is it. Yoh has destroyed his emotions so Amidamaru wouldn't be able stop him from killing Hao after he claimed to have killed Anna; (who is still alive,) and Yoh is on a rampage with the King of Spirits, destroying the city. Amidamaru is speeding towards the Asakura compound to see if there is a way for Yoh to be saved, (for the full explanation, read the end of chapter 10.) The climax has arrived. Thank you for being here with me as I did this.

And now, for the last time…on with the story:

Chapter 11: Redemption

Amindamaru forced down his still rising tears as he flew at breakneck speed towards the Asakura compound. Though it was mostly destroyed, he hoped and prayed that a few Shamans there would have hidden themselves from Hao. And he was betting on those few survivors, (assuming there were some left,) to aid in stopping and saving Yoh. He gulped down, willing the tears to remain hidden in spite of loosing his best friend and master, as well as his master's wife, in the same night. But he knew that Yoh had to be stopped, or he would reign destruction down upon the Earth far greater than Hao ever could have. He saw the ruins still smoldering in the rising sun, splashed against his perspective like a large animal skeleton on the horizon. A single tear leaked out beyond his control, falling to the ground.

So much loss. So much death. For what cause and what end? And me…powerless to do anything.

Refusing to let grief secure its grip on him, he doubled his speed, hoping to reach the compound before Yoh moved on to another city.

…

Anna gasped as if a giant weight had been lifted from her body. A moment ago, she had been totally immobilized by furioku; helpless. But now it suddenly ceased, and with it…she could have sworn she heard a scream of total death.

Pausing, she sat up in the bed, still nude from Hao's violation. Pausing, she realized that she didn't feel sullied anymore, as if that horror from only a few minuets ago had never even happened. Closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, she considered the possibilities.

It's as if his entire presence has been erased from this earth, like he never existed at all. Which means that all presence of him has been erased, so…therefore…

Anna gave a small gasp of happiness and smiled.

So therefore it's as if he didn't actually…do that to me. It's been erased from existence.

A small tear trickled out of her eye. It was followed by a whole torrent. She was still Yoh's and only Yoh's, and Yoh was now and always would be her first, last, and only. Laying a hand across her belly, she beamed.

Her smile suddenly vanished as she suddenly felt a spirit presence so powerful it was as if she was placed back in the furioku prison.

Christ…this power…god…

She could tell that this had to be the King of Spirits, but he was being commanded by a will that was stronger than it was. She probed this feeling further, pondering what force could draw the King of Spirits into such violence and pain.

It took two seconds to recognize the furioku.

NO.

It was Yoh, but only a shadow of what he once had been. There was nothing but pain, nothing but sadness. But…it wasn't being expressed through emotion. To the contrary, there was no emotion. The only way the pain could be embodied was through destruction.

Her mind going over 10 miles per second, she deduced what must have happened. Once she had done so, she wasted no time. Grabbing a towel and covering her once again monogamous nude form, she ran out of the house and back to her and Yoh's home. Bursting through the door, she first dressed herself in her room, then grabbed the 1080. Finally, she wound the beads around her hand, closed her eyes, pressed her palms together, and called out.

Amidamaru, Len, Trey, Jocco, Rio, Yoh needs you. He needs US. Come to our house immediately. We have to save him. We NEED to save him.

Ending her trance, she walked swiftly over to the TV and flicked it on. It was on every channel, and was exactly what she had expected. Yoh was destroying the city, using the King of Spirits. Anna sat down in shock. Although she had expected this, she still wasn't prepared for it. Seeing the destroyed buildings and screaming people, with Yoh being the cause of it, was too much to bear. She nearly tuned out the news anchor, but a phrase snapped her attention.

"…while this supposed madman demigod is currently reigning havoc and chaos across the map, there has yet to be reported any deaths. As several people at ground zero state, it is as if this glowing man is actually taking steps to cause destruction without causing death. We go now to Evan Baker, a fisherman who was right in the demon's path.

'well, it-he-whatever looked right at me, hands all glowy and sparking with power or something, but instead of blasting the whole building with me in it, he only blasted half of it, giving me time to run away before blasting the other half. Blew my mind.'

Even so, the public is encouraged to avoid this beast and flee the city if possible."

Anna gave a swift intake of breath, then a sparkle of hope entered her eyes.

There's still hope. He doesn't want to kill anyone. Just taking out his pain since he removed his emotions to try stop feeling pain at loosing me. He's not a monster. There's still time. He can be saved.

Laying a hand across her belly once more, she muttered,

"Not even here yet, and already having to save the world. Certainly are your father's."

…

Grief stricken, all attempts at holding back emotions abandoned, Amidamaru wept as he tore through the carnage, already aware of the fact that there were no survivors; that no one could save Yoh. That he had failed.

"Amidamaru……… Yoh needs you. He needs US. Come to our house immediately. We have to save him. We NEED to save him."

Snapping his head up and stopping in mid sob, he gurgled in disbelief.

"Miss Anna? You're…you…how…?"

after a moment of confusion, he realized it didn't matter how. Only that she survived and she could help Yoh. Without wasting another moment, he flew straight towards Yoh and Anna's home.

…

At different points across the world, Len, Trey, Rio and Jocco looked up from their TV's horrified, listening to Anna's message. Not bothering to ask questions, they oversouled and flew to Yoh's house, to aid their friend.

…

Pain. Nothing existed but pain. But…there was no meaning in the word. No way to express it. Pain. It confused him. It was a mass of energy…of negative energy…that had no way out. Pain. It was so enormous that he felt like he would burst. Pain. No way of expressing it. No emotion to channel it. Pain. Only the energy existed. And the only way to express this…pain…was to try equalizing it. Balance the equation. If he felt pain, everyone else must feel the same as he was. That was the equation became balanced. And he may find peace, although that word also meant nothing. Pain. Pain…and power.

…

Len squinted in the distance, and he could clearly make out the dim outlines of the other's giant oversouls. He breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't crazy. The relief was short lived, however, as he arrived over the city, and saw Yoh. A glowing beacon, he was flying around, blasting buildings down, tearing up streets, uprooting telephone lines, a senceless force of destruction. Len snarled.

"No, Yoh. I will not allow you to be lost in the shadows as I was. You saved me. I shall return the favor…my friend."

…

The remainder of the team landed and canceled their oversouls, exchanged brief greetings, then bolted inside the house, greeting Anna. Sitting around their table, Anna began to brief them on the situation. They spent nearly a half hour deliberating over all possible outcomes, until they agreed on Anna's hypothesis of Yoh's emotions being destroyed in an effort to cease Amidamaru's control over him, so he could kill Hao and destroy his soul. This led to the result of Yoh being a beacon of obliteration.

"Well, is there anyway we will be able to restore his emotions?" Len pressed. His hands were slammed against the table, his eyes were wide, and he was breathing heavily. Trey lifted a hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Listen, dude. Yoh is Yoh, and we have to accept that we can't make him change by force."

Len whirled around, prepared to lash out at Trey. "SHUT UP! Don't talk like there's no hope, you dumb shit!" Jocco remained silent, arms folded. "Who said anything about hope being lost? You're always such a hothead."

Len raised his Kwan Do and came dangerously close to slitting Jocco's throat, although the youth didn't flinch. "Call me that again, shithead." Rio slowly raised a hand and lowered Len's weapon. "We must work as one in order to save master Yoh."

"Oh, CUT THE CRAP!" Everyone except Anna was shocked at Len's response. "Yoh's been lost to the shadow. He was the one who could keep us together. He was the one who led us. HE WAS THE ONLY REASON WE'RE ALIVE AND STRONG!"

Anna slowly walked up to Len, and slapped him across the face so hard he fell flat on his back. "Pathetic. Yoh isn't here and yet you fall apart, laying waist to all he tried to teach you; spiting on his memory."

All in attendance gased at Anna, the inspiration of strength, and the wife of their friend. She turned and faced them. "You have all forgotten Yoh's message and meaning. Remember it. Learn from his memory. Does he have to be there holding your hand all the time?!"

Len slowly stood, as if rising from a dream. Yoh's…memory? Turning to Anna, he spoke. "Thank you. How do we save him?"

Anna sat down and folded her arms. "Yoh needs to be made aware of himself again. It needs to become the first and only thing in his mind. Once he remembers himself, his emotions will return. We must all go to him and make him remember. We MUST save him."

Anna refused to falter, or appear weak or scared. She needed to be strong for her husband…

and for…

She placed a hand on her stomach briefly before turning and speaking in a commanding voice. "We move NOW."

…

Pain. What does it mean? Why am I asking as if it's important. Does it matter that I feel it? Is it not better to not feel? What is Pain? What is Love? What is Friendship? Devices that leave you destroyed in the end. Pain. Friendship. Love. They mean nothing.

…

The group moved with all swiftness. They surrounded Yoh, in the midst of tearing apart a warehouse.

"Now! Use the 1080, use the technique I showed you!"

As one, the group encircled Anna and Yoh, formed dozens on complex hand seals, and erected a spirit barrier around the two of them. Completing the technique, the couple vanished inside a sphere of light, sustained by the 1080 and powered by Len, Trey, Jocco, and Rio. Amidamaru sat and meditated, praying and lending his strength to Anna. He opened a curious eye, staring and the sphere of energy, impossible to see into, wondering how Anna was saving Yoh.

…

Yoh paused. It took him a few long moments to realize that the King of spirits was no longer bonded with him. Continuing to observe his surroundings, he realized that his was suspended between time and space; a limbo of the mind and soul. Turning, he saw someone who once meant the world to him. The person who put him in this state in the first place. He knew he should feel, but he didn't.

"Yoh, it's me. Anna. In case you're dumb ass didn't realize it, I'm alive. So you can calm the fuck down."

… … … Anna's alive…Hao didn't kill her.

Yoh felt an ember stir deep within himself. But he still didn't feel. He just stared blankly at her.

Anna clenched her fists, forcing herself to continue. "You are the Shaman King and my husband. You stopped the great destruction and have saved us all. You are Yoh Asakura. My love."

The ember grew. Still no feeling. The emotions she tried to awaken were not going to rise unless Yoh was changed by one divine truth.

Anna began to sob. "Dear god, you dumb ass, why would you do this to yourself? You've doomed our family, and our future! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"

The ember was a raging flame now, but still the emotions wouldn't rise unless a truth awakened his sense of being. Realizing this, Anna slowly rose, slowed her tears as best as she could manage, and walked towards Yoh. Raising her husbands hand to her stomach, she whispered is a barely audible tone into his ear.

"We did it Yoh. We are now together. We are married. And now you and I can add another title to ourselves. Parents."

"Parents."… "Parents."… "Parents."… "Parents."…

The world resounded in the deaths of his soul. I'm…a father.

At once, all being flowed back into himself as he seized his wife and they embraced, weeping into each others arms.

"God, Anna I'm so sorry. I just couldn't stand to exist with you gone, but now you're here. And we're…we're…" Unable to finish, he continued to sob into her arms. Satisfied, Anna raised a trembling hand and cancelled the technique, removing the sphere and bringing them back to reality.

The following few hours were a blur to Yoh. The tear felt reception from his friends, the congratulations for the new child, but there was only one thing that remained clear to him. The war with Hao was over, and he could now stand tall with his wife and their unborn child and face the world.

Weeks rolled by, and after the city was rebuilt, the couple took a walk, back to the same place where Yoh proposed to Anna, which seemed like ages ago. Laying down, Yoh lay his head down on Anna's ever expanding tummy, kissing the life that was growing within. The two of them lay there often now, all barriers broken between them. Anna lay curled up against his warm body, Yoh draped his arm over her, occasionally stroking her cheek. They talked about everything and anything, but most of all how they would live now that they would be parents. Yoh lay back, remembering how tense he was at becoming Shaman King so he could marry Anna. Closing his eyes, allowed the tears of joy to well in his eyes again as they now often did.

I will teach you everything, protect you from everything, and love you with everything, my child.

Yoh lay back, realizing with a smile that although the Shaman Fight was over, he had the title, Hao was gone, and his responsibilities as a Shaman had ended, he was now only beginning to live his life with his family: to life the Life of a King.

END

My thanks to all who reviewed and kept me on the path. I am forever in you're debt. Please review so I may know that my story has reached out to all who have read, so I know how to be a better writer in the future.

That being said…who's in the mood for a sequel?

Special sneak peek of the eventual release of Life of a King 2: Chronicles of Hanna:

There's gonna be fights, memories, and old faces from the past, and new faces from…well, the future, (duh). It will focus on the birth and raising of Hana, (from my point of view, not taking into account the events of Funbari No Uta), and on the family life of YohXAnnaXHanna. As usual, it will appeal to all fans, but will lean towards a YohXAnna fic.

Should I pursue this idea for a sequel? Should I just let Life of a King die? Did I do a good job on the first one? Review and let me know.

Thank you, and long live Shaman King!

closet fan 16