Digimon 1. Shadow Dancer and Flaming Arrow

Shaman Games By: Kendosakuyamon  
  
Hello People! Ok, I know you have seen this story on another file, known as Ice Blue Ishida. Leeeme explain.  
Ice Blue Ishida was my old FF Name. Recently, a friend of mine asked for that file. I agreed, so I'm moving this story over to this file.  
I know that sounds like a lie but if you email my friend, she'll tell you it's true. If you don't believe it, then I'm sorry.  
  
Ok, onto the story!  
  
Dedication: This is dedicated to Dragi, my beta reader -Waves- Domo Arigato!!  
  
Once again, I would like to introduce my muse, Viximon! - Cheers -  
  
Viximon: Chapter 17 of SOM will be up soon, she's just too lazy, and I don't know WHAT happened to Minority Flame!  
  
Heheh , anyway. . . .  
  
Note 1: In this chapter, it says that Izumi's Shaman has Purple eyes one minute, and blue eyes the next, that will all be revealed next chapter. . .  
  
Disclaimer: Digimon belongs only to those who put the time and hard work into creating the show, the videogames, the comics, the songs, and various other creations.  
  
KS: What a boring disclaimer. .  
  
Viximon: Leave it. . .  
  
KS: I know!  
  
Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me, but one day, Takouji shall reign the world of anime - Laughs evilly -  
  
Viximon: o0 '  
  
Chapter one- Shadow Dancer and Flaming Arrow

**Izumi.**  
  
_The Dream_  
  
' I had another dream last night. Not a normal dream, but a vision. These dreams are really starting to creep me out. I know, that as a Shaman apprentice, I should welcome these visions like rain but. . . . '  
" Izuyamilahya! ". I shook my head and blinked. My teacher, Zephyr, was giving me that look again. The look that people sometimes give you when they know what you've been thinking. Or at least, it seems like they do. I can never be sure but with Zephyr I'm not taking any chances. She sighed. Even at her age, she still has a handsome face. I peered at it now, being careful to avoid the eyes. I am so envious of those eyes, they trap the essense of pure Amethyst within them. Instead, I focused on the necklace of feathers and bones. I decided a while ago that when I recieved my tribe necklace, I would not wear bones, even from the ancestors of our spirit beast, the mighty eagle Garuda, guardian of the skies. They freak me out, a lot. Fortunatly, we do not have boneyard sorcerers in our tribe. Ours is a pretty small tribe actually. There are around forty tribesmen and women. There are also the five servents of the Shaman. They see to all her needs, whether materially, physically or spiritually. Not that anyone can help a shaman with spiritual issues. It is a burdan which a Shaman must carry alone. There are also the two mediums, Zephyr and Aquila. Finally, there is the leader of our clan, the Shaman. From what I've heard, rumors have suggested that I may be chosen for the next Shaman. Personally, I'd rather be captured by Kage tribe, but then again, who am I to judge the will of the spirits?  
" Izuyamilahya, are you listening to me? " Zephyr asked. I nodded.  
" Yes elder ". Spirits forgive me for the lie. I cannot seem to grasp what she is saying today, try as I might. Noticing that I was being watched during my long thoughts, I dragged my mind back onto the subject of which she found to be of great importance.  
". . . . .so it has been decided, Have you prepared? " Zephyr asked. All I could do was stare at her dumbly, only now realizing the error of my inattentivness. " I take that as a no " she said. I nodded. " Well, the negotiations shall take place tonight. The Shaman will want to see you before then however. She wishes to speak with the spirits, and she would like for you to join her "  
" But Elder, what can I do to help a Shaman? I possess not the talent of foresight " I countered respectfully, the words falling off my tongue before I could bite them back. To answer back to an Elder is a deep disrespect, even among the Hai tribe. But instead of flaring up, often the trademark of the Hai clan, we often take the calmer approach to disipline. I bowed my head before she could even speak.  
" Forgive me for my tongue, for Garuda has blessed it with wings of its own, and it seeks to spread them " I apologized. She gave a nod, signalling my forgiveness, and my dismissal. I bowed and left meekly. The gift of Garuda, the gift of flight. He often blessed a Shaman of our clan with that gift. It was another sign for one who would become a Shaman. That is why I hadn't mentioned the itch between my shoulder blades. I had prayed and begged the spirits but still it had not desisted. There were so many ties to becoming a Shaman that I do not even want to think about.

**Takuya**  
  
_Arguments and Flames_  
  
" No way!, I'm not doing it! " I said stubbornly. My father glared at my bad attitude but I didn't care. No way was I going to become Shaman. They could just forget it. I had better things to do for Agni's sake!  
" Takagekuryuya, you have no decision in the matter, now go to the Shaman and apologize for your attitude this minute!! " My mother shouted. " You mean the boring crone " I muttered under my breath. Not quietly enough however,as a minute later I felt a sting on my left cheek as my mother slapped me.  
" Go! " they both ordered. I slumped and walked out of the building that I shared with my foul parents. Sometimes I wonder if I was adopted. Not likely. I walked across the camp area where many tribesmen and women were dancing round the fire, giving praise to the mighty Agni. Ha!, what has he ever done for us? Storming across the grounds, I made my way to a too familiar tent. We all, like many of the other tribes, used buildings, but the Shaman insisted in a tent. Probably wants to feel all special. I. . .well. .not exactly knocked, but I made quite clear that my presense was waiting outside in a manner that made the dancers and others nearby turn round. Ignoring them, I waited for the Shaman to get off his backside so I could spill a few words of apology, resuming more important things in life. The Hai tribe. The fire folk. Isn't it ironic that our camp is situated next to a volcano that goes off every hour, on the hour.  
A sudden pull on my ear alerted my senses and I wrenched it out of the persons grasp. The Shaman stood there, in all his festering glory. Most people bowed before the Shaman but I stood straight backed, defiant. " Ah, Flaming Arrow, so you have finally arrived. Has your flame simmered in any slight way? " he said. His voice reminded me of the time I acidently knocked over a pile of firewood, which then landed in the fire. The hissing noise that had come from the smoldering noise was much like the Shamans voice. Unfortunatly, at our last encounter, I never got a chance to tell the high oh mighty Shaman that. Oh well, there's always the next time they try to declare that I'm to be the new Shaman. Looking him straight in the eye, we held each others gaze.  
" Shaman, my name is Takuya " I said, maintaining a little respect. The sooner he dismissed me, the sooner I could get away, and I wasn't about to get away with having a foul mouth. He leaned in closer and I stepped back.  
" Er, Shaman? " I inquired as he stared at me. He creeps me out big time.  
" So, Flaming Arrow, what can I help you with other than a practice target for your foul tongue? " he asked, apparently with great amuzment as he grinned. Yeah, that's right, laugh it up. You know what I'm here for and you just want to revel in that fact. Oh well, best to get it over and done with.  
" I've come to apologize for my rudeness earlier " I mumbled. He leant in closer.  
" Pardon, what was that, young one? ". I knew that my patience was gonna snap at any moment. Giving a loud and obvious sigh of exasperation, I repeated my words. His smile grew and he lay a hand on my shoulder and turned me towards the horizon.  
" Flaming Arrow, as a Shaman dies, another must rise to take their place. It is the law of Agni " he said slowly, each sylabble making me clench my teeth, Don't get me wrong, I'm not normally like this, I just hate to worship people if they haven't if earned my respect. To be forced to do something is bad enough, but to take our the role of the person I'm forced to worship is pure torture.  
" Flaming Arrow, unless I am mistaken, you have the mark of Agni " he continued. I chose not to answer, but in truth, I do. I'd looked one morning in the lake, and there it was. The weirdest symbol too. A small circle, with a backwards spiked C surrounding half of it. It reminded me of a t-shirt that I used to wear. . . .  
" Flaming Arrow! " the Shaman snapped me out of my thoughts. man, why is he always a dark cloud looming over my future? Anyone could have the damn mark but it had to be me. And the worst thing was, it was so large, that it wasn't exactly the easiest thing to hide.  
" You should thank Hihaika for enlightening us in your blessing " he rambled on. Yeah, Hihaika, what a hero. I hate her. I mean it. One day, I'm gonna rip that flouncy hair of hers off her head and feed it to the flames. Why did she have to interfere, why.  
I know I'm whining but. . . . WHY!!!, why did she have to humiliate me in front of everyone with her petty " ooh over here everyone, Takuya's got something on his back! " Acting all naive with her stupid little petty friends. It's not fair. Everyone my age apart from me is a girl!. How is that possible?. The only boys I really know are ones about five years older than me!! Why me.  
" Flaming Arrow! " the Shaman called. I clenched my fist. I wasn't in the mood for Shaman games and if he didn't get his hands off me I was going to do something that I. . . . . . .no. . . . . I wouldn't regret it. Next thing I knew, the Shaman was hopping up and down in pain as he tried to stamp out the fire. The fire that I started. I watched as the fire wrapped itself almost lovenly around my legs. I groaned. Two fires in one day. It must be a world record. It was just one problem after another.  
  
****

**Izumi**  
  
_The Spirits_  
  
I walked across the village, taking in the morning air. Fires that had burned merrily the night befoe had now subsided to a smoldering pile of ashes. Ashes, the sacred dust. They say that Garuda ruled the skies night and day, and that when he died, he would be reborn from the ashes. We often used ashes for burial cerimonies, on the hope that the soul would be reborn once again. We all mourned for departed ones, but never for family, because everyone in our tribe is family. When a child is born into our tribe, the child is taken from the mother and father and raised by the tribeswomen, or tribemen of the village, depending on the gender. The mother and father then take an Oath of silence. They are never allowed to reveal who their child is, I look round at the people of the tribe, happily content with life on the plain, everyday just like the other. I try to fit in with the other girls of my age but they all seem so, obedient, so subduced towards their fate. Not that I am a troublemaker, I just won't lie down to the fact that I will have to marry. The worst thing is, that I, and the other girls, are to be promised to neighbouring tribes. There are five tribes to ours, the Hai tribe, followers of the fire Guardian Agni, the Kori tribe, followers of the Ice guardian Ikkaku, the Yakari clan, followers of the Guardian of Light, known as Garuru, and the Guardian of Darkness, Lowe. Finally, there is the Rai clan, followers of the Guardian of Thunder, Kabuteri. Originally, our clan stuck to it's own people, but the recent Shaman believes that we should make peace with other clans by joining their tribe family. So, we are all used as peace envoys. I think a tribe member I would prefer to be married to would be the Hai clan. They are nearest to us and I have friends from there. I do not know much of the Yakari clan, only that it was once two seperate clans, the Hikari and the Yami clan. They recently joined as one. Apart from the Kori clan, they are the farthest tribe from our own. The Hai and Kaze tribes have gotten along since. . .well. . forever. Hai', although brash and fiery, make good partners for Kaze, because Kaze calms Hai with gentle flowing words and Hai bestows the confidence of Agni within Kaze. The Rai, however, are a different matter. Unpredictable, forceful people, few Kaze ever married a Rai, although Rai had often tried. Kori wasn't really an option, due to the fact that they were the farthest from us. They often married people from the far outskirts.  
" Hey Izumi! " I turned to hear the owner of the voice, and I observed Tatsuhonomaki, 'Sumaki ', , running towards me. She is a child of both Kaze and Hai, you can tell by her attitude. I gave a smile and clasped hands with her, the sign of friendship. " Guess what?! " she exclaimed, after checking there were no elders to chide on her free-reined attitude. " What? " I asked, jealous once more, this time for the brown locks that cascaded down Sumaki's back. Brown hair and purple eyes, that is what I would have like to have been blessed with. Instead I get straight blonde hair and naive green eyes. " Hellooo, Izumi, earth to Izumi " she waved a hand in front of my face. I wasn't daydreaming, I could see her hand, but I decided to tease her a little more. I continued my blank stare, ignoring all faces that she pulled. Eventually, a worried expresion twisted itself on to her face and she leaned towards me, to check. I moved suddenly, and she jumped back like she had been shocked. I laughed at her expression and she pulled her face into a pout. It was really surprising how animated she could make her features. " Fine, I''m not gonna tell you what I heard ". Her tone suggested the contrary but still I was quick to apologize. Her face brightened once more.  
" Ok, here's what I heard, in three moons time, a tribe is gonna visit, you know, to pick out people from our clan to marry, another tribe will visit too. Rulle got the eagles back this morning. I'm so excited, you think I'll get picked? " She said this all too quickly, without taking a breath, that it's a wonder that I caught it. I did however, and the news caught in my throat like an unwelcome illness. It is too soon. Sumaki must have seen the panic in my face for a minute later she was staring at me, concerned.  
" What's wrong? " she asked. I shook my head, words, words that usually flew from my tongue, with elegence and yet clumsiness, failed me now. She shrugged and continued. " From what I've heard, it's Rai and Yakari and from what else I've heard, Yuri's already been asked for by a Rai, and the tribe has agreed. ". At that moment, I knew that my legs would fail me so hastened to sit down on the floor. Sumaki, tactless as always, ran off to tell others, leaving me with many thoughts to sort through. I looked round at the tribe, many girls of my age, friends of mine, were to be married off to arrogent, harsh Rai. And everyone was joyous about this?. I too, may perhaps be arranged for. No!, why should I marry a Rai, so that we can send envoys to people we can't even trust? I stood up, and ignoring looks of surprise from my friends, stormed over to a desolate part of the grasslands. The sounds of the tribe began to grow distant as I sat on the floor. It was here that the wind blew best, yet even the cool morning breeze could do nothing about my dismay. I lay back on the grass, and imagined a world where people could be free, with no shaman restrictions, or marriage bindings. My frustration began to build. This was not normal for Kaze, why do I feel this way?. In an attempt to nuttralize the thoguhts that threatened to overflow, I rubbed the material of my clothing against my shoulder blades, wanting to be free from this acursed itching. My hand made it's way under the clothing and I began to scratch at the irritated skin. Except that smooth skin was not what I felt as I reached my shoulder blades. I ran my hand over them cautiously, checking for signs of bruising or cuts. None whatsoever. More gently now, I stroked the bumps that had appeared . Two of them, exactly the same size. Luckily, my clothing was slightly baggy, so I could get away with it discreetly. I'd wondered why it had been so uncomfortable during my slumber. There was no denying it. I was growing wings.

****

**Takuya**  
  
_Punishment and Girls  
_  
I sat moodily on my bed as I leant against the wall. Five times now my parents had come in to ask if I would apologize and each time I had refused. . . .and each time I'd been left with a rather red face, marked by either my mother's or father's hand. Luckily, it was mostly my mother. Not that I enjoyed being slapped but if there was a slapping competition between my mother and father, my father would win, hands down. So now I'm enjoying being stuck in my room, sometimes staring at the ceiling, sometimes at the opposite wall. What an interesting life I lead. I can't remember one day when I haven't been s;lapped for something. Well, someone in Hai was normally hitting someone else. Even when I'm forced to go out with Hihaika and her friends, I normally come home with red knuckles. I normally come home with a black eye too but it's like nine girls against one boy. Most people would say that hitting a girl is wrong but in the Hai tribe, both men and women learn how to fight. Besides, they always start the fight, I just finish it.  
My mother pokes her head into the room. She looks a lot calmer. That's another trademark of the Hai tribe. We're not cruel fighters like the Rai, we just ecentric people with hot tempers. Even the Shaman. It's in Hai blood. Although sometimes the Shaman like to pretend he's always calm. . .  
" Takagekuryuya? " my mother looked at me. I looked back. I wasn't annoyed. It was the same thing almost everyday. We would be a happy family, would fight, be annoyed with each other for a few hours, then go back to being a happy family.  
" Yes mother? " I asked.  
" You'd better have your bath " she said softly. I nodded and stood up but before I could move, she pulled me into a suffocating hug.  
" Oh Takagekuryuya, you must understand, your father and I love you very much and we just want you to grow up to be proper " she sobbed into my shoulder as I fought for air. Jeez, we're too emotional. And I'm a hypocrite. Finaaly, she released me from her grip and I made my way to the hot springs. That is a wicked advantage of having camp near a volcano. All the springs around are hot. Have you ever been in a hot spring? Well, you haven't lived till you've been in one. I swear, you could sit in one all night and wouldn't have to get out. The best time to have one is during the night. There have been countless times when I''ve snuck from my room to the hot spring. As I looked around, I saw people going about their business. The dancers, having finished their fire-dancing, were now talking loudly as they feasted on this evening's hunting catch. I couldn't tell what it was from where I stood, so I continued my walk to the spring farthest from the village. We have five springs. One for drinking, ( although, we normally cool the water before drinking it) one for bathing, one for washing clothes, household items, etc, one for our animals and a private one for the Shaman. I looked at it wistfully now, as I walked past it. It's the largest spring with the best view. Sometimes I think it'll be worth becoming Shaman just to get a private spring. Get this, I have to share the hot spring with the girls. Talk about embarrassing. Luckily, we don't bathe at the same time. It's normally older boys in the early morning, before they go hunting, then the older girls, then the younger girls, and finally, me. It's kind of an advantage being the only boy of my age. It means that I get the spring to myself. And that's just how I like it. I got to the spring and looked back at the village. It seemed so far away. I gave a satisfied grin and began to strip. After discarding my clothes, I gingerly tipped my left foot into the water. My reflexes caused my foot to pull back. This time, I dipped in my right foot with the same result. Sitting on the edge, I slowly slid my body into the water, Once my body was completly submerged, I leaned back against my arms, closed my eyes and sighed in contentment. Now this was the life. Out underneath the stars, surrounded my boiling spring water. I felt the mark twinge as it reacted to the heat of the water. The water seemed slightly cooler after that. I'll admit, I don't like having the mark on my back but ever since it's appeared, it have given me two useful skills. One, I can now touch any heat, including fire, and i don't get burned. Seriously, I don't even get a mark. I tried it. One day, as a joke, I challenged Hihaika to a fire touching contest. It's basiclly a game where we try to catch the flame while dodging it. I started small, so she would think that it hurt. She kept up really well but after a while I decided to stretch. It was just my luck that my hand went straight through the fire. And of course, Hihaika thought that my stretch had been my turn, so the stupid girl put her hand straight into the fire, expecting the same result. Except that was not what happened. Two minutes later, I was being slapped and told off for ' forcing her hand into the fire '. What a lier. Just because she couldn't admit that she'd been stupid, she had to get me in trouble. Man I hate her.  
The second skill is the coolest skill ever, well, the hottest, cos it certainly isn't cold. I can manipulate fire and heat to my will. That's why the flames curled round my legs earlier. It was unintentional but I don't seem sorry about it as I thought I would be. So basiclly, I'm a walking talking fire. Typically, but true nonetheless, there are weaknesses. The first is a hunger, and I don't mean ravanging every meal that comes my way. Fire has a hunger to breed, to spread, to destroy. I too have that hunger. I share my feelings with the fire, and in order for the village to remain. . .well. .a village, I have to keep that under control. The second weakness is the cold. True, I can heat things up. But for some strange reason, I'm extra sensitive to the cold. That basiclly means that if I get chucked into a pool of ice, I would die within minutes. The third weakness, and the most dangerous, is the fact that my skills are tied to my emotions. Like earlier on, I lost my temper, the Shaman lost a foot. I wish. It may seems harmless, but if I ever lose it, I don't know what I'd do. That's why whenever I'm angry, I generally take it outside the village. Man, I wish Hihaika would follow, I'd just love to torch her. Heh. A sudden noise made me open an eye. No one there. I closed my eye and slid deeper into water. Unfortunatly, I didn't see the jet of water that hit me a second later. Giggling followed. Coughing and spluttering, I looked to the source of the giggling. I didn't have to look far. The sight made me slide deeper into water. Hihaika, and about five of her friends, stood in front of me.  
" Hey Takky, how are you? " Hihaika called. I growled but the fact that my mouth was underwater ruined the effect. I lifted my chin out of water and looked at her defiantly " I'm fine, go away " I said. This only started the girls off laughing. Growling once more, I turned away from their stupid faces and leant my arms against the ground. A pull to my hair made me look up. There, Hihaika stood towereing over me. The fact that I was lying down probably made her feel superior. The fact that I wasn't wearing any clothes made me agree. " Aw, Takky, we just wanna spend some time with ya " she said sweetly, her eyes gleaming maliciously.  
" Now?, while I'm in the bath? " I asked, exasperated by her attitude. She nodded. " Go away " I repeated. Her answer to that was for her and her group to move round the spring and slowly slip in. I backed away. Why me??

**Izumi**  
  
_The Shaman_  
  
" Oh Garuda, why me?, why not someone else? " I said aloud. The only answer I received was the wind's soft caress against my skin. I closed my eyes, and, letting my troubles flow to the back of my mind, I began to head back the way I came. I was greeted by Sumaki, who seemed rather quiet as I greeted her. I wondered what was wrong with her. My question was answered as I reached the midst of the village. A crowd had gathered and I struggled to see what the commotion was about. A hand placed itself on my shoulder. I looked up to see Zephyr. Her face was grave and I feared the reason why. I had never seen Zephyr so serious. She made to lead me away but a clear voice rang out.  
" Let her through, she has to see this ". The hand grudgenly lifted, and people moved aside so that my eyes could feast apon the horror that had left an entire tribe silent. The shaman stood near a still body that lay on the floor. One look at its awkward position and I knew the person was dead. There was no need to look however, the smell of death had reached me and left me shivering in it's wake. I stepped closer, not daring to believe it. My steps were meek, I did not want to intrude apon the Shamans space. The Shaman however, had other ideas. She beckoned with her left hand and I took quick steps before my courage left me completely. Now that I stood at her side, I could see the face of the departed one. The sight of it did not bring me sadness, nor sickness. It brought apon me panic, deadliest of the three. I knew that face, not directly at least, but from my dream. . . . my vision. I looked up at the Shaman. She nodded in understanding. She saw the reconization on my face, I had betrayed myself. It seemed that my vision was not all that she knew of, for when I was allowed to leave from the debrais of this body, she placed a hand softly on my upper back, and smiled knowingly. Luckily, her silence has ensured public confession, but in return, I have been chained to fate by my own doing. Everyone looked towards the Shaman for an explanation.  
" We should not hide truth from even our children, they have a right to know " she said, in answer to all their glances form her to me. I faded out of the picture, slipping through the crowd. I was tired, and I still had some time before meeting with the Shaman. I lay down on my bed and prayed to the spirits for dreams that did not show mangled torsos covered in black blood.  
  
_Darkness. . . . . . . . . ._

I woke some time later. From where the star of day was, I guessed for it to be late afternoon. Stretching, I peered out of house that I shared with some of the girls of our tribe. With no family name, nor settlement, we were divided into seperate groups. There were about three different groups for the girls, and about four for the boys. Until we were married, that is where we were to live. After marriage, two men and two women one from each tribe, would set about building a new house for the new couple. In the Hai tribe, it was often the father and mother of the tribe child who would be obliged to perform this task. In the Hai tribe, every child had a mother and father to call their own. It made many of the girls at our village, including me, envious. As for where the couples would settle down, it would normally be with the males tribe. That's why Tamaki lives here. Her mother must be a Hai then, and I've yet to notice any Hai women in our village. Yawning, I covered my mouth with a hand, and made my way to the Shaman temple. It is easily the biggest building in the whole village. I must admit, I was not looking forward to the session with the shaman. Few people did. It was an enlightening, yet terrifying experience. Mustering all my courage, I waited outside the door. I dare not knock, for fear of disturbing her. She would know that I have arrived anyway, the spirits would inform her. As if reading my mind, a voice called out from inside the building.  
" Come in, One who dances with the wind, apon the darkness of shadow " Taking this as a sign for entry, I opened the door slowly. Izuyamilahya. That is what my name means, the shadow dancer. I peered inside, and remmembering my manners, stepped inside and bowed my head. Realizing that I had forgotten this greeting with my earlier encounter with the chaman, I cursed myself for forgetting such a simple and respectful feat. It seemed however, that no one had noticed. " You have been thinking much these past few days Izuyamilahya, the spirits have informed me of this. Before we begin, I would like to know, is there anything that has troubled your thoughts? " she said. Her voice, calm, soft yet edged with a harshness that could be formitable against foes. Her hair, pure white, surely dyed, hung over her shoulders, tied loosly at each side, a typical trait of the Shaman, hair of the Sakuya, watcher of Truth and Beauty. Her eyes, blue, could show sympathy, kindness, anger, sorrow. I could see all those in her eyes as I looked.  
" No Shaman, I have no thoughts disturbing or troubling " I said, praying forgivness to Sakuya, for those lies that were tied within my words. I shifted nervously.  
" So, you have no burdan apon your shoulders " she said the last word in an inquiring tone. I lowered my eyes, wanting to be out from under this woman's gaze.  
" They will grow, and blossom. It is something to be joyous about, yet you seem so sad, why? " Before I knew it, all my fears and troubles seemed to batter against my mind. I forced them into silence. pretense was long since past.  
" They hurt " I answered. Her gaze , which until now, had remained cool yet friendly, had changed.  
" So, you have finally chosen to tell me " she said softly. I nodded. She sat there for a moment, deep in thought. With my confession out in the open air, I ached to ask the Shaman a question.  
" Go ahead, this is after all, a conversation " she said faintly, still in thought.  
" How. . . .I mean to say. . .Why has Garuda not blessed you with wings, Shaman? " I asked quickly. She stood quickly, motioning for me to follow her. I realize that I may have hit a nerve so I followed in silence. Our walk led us to the spiritual part of the temple. realizing what the Shaman expected me to do next, I hastened to catch up.  
" Shaman, I am afraid and regret that I am no use to you in the skill of foresight " I said, with as much dignity possible. " On the contrary, Shadow dancer, I believe that you will be most useful in our talk with the spirits " she replied. Apon reaching the spirit house, the Shaman sat apon the floor. Mimicing her movements, I now watched as she entered phase two of the shaman trance. There are, from what I have seen during Shaman cerimonies, five different Shaman trance phases. The first is seen as simple daydreaming, the second, a peaceful meditation, where surroundings are still comfortably there, but distant. The third, A state of sleepy unconciousness, where a shaman first enters the area between concious and subconcious, the forth, an area of unconciousnes and subconciousness. And last of all, the final phase, the ecstatic trance, the stage when a Shaman becomes literally, dead to the world. I sincerely hope that the Shaman avoids that area. Strange things happen when a Shaman reaches ecstacy.

**Takuya  
**  
_Victory and Escape_  
  
I quickly looked at my odds. Six girls, all in clothes, vs, me, in no clothes. I'd have to stay underwater. " Aw c'mon Takky, it's just a little bit of fun " she said, as she moved slowly through the water.  
" Go away "  
" Ah c'mon, I wanna see the mark on your back again. It makes you look very powerful " she continued. I choked back a scoff. So this was to be my future. I was to be molested by six boy crazy girls. The future looks grim. " I'm warning you Hi " I said, trying to make my voice sound threatening. Unfortunatly, my voice still hadn't broken so all I managed was a voice that went up and down in pitch. The girls seemed to think this cute, and giggled in what they thought was a pretty way.  
" I love younger men " one of the girls said. I had to try very very hard at that point not to pout. It was bad enough that I was the only boy in our age group, but the fact that all the girls were older than me just tore it. They were barely a metre away now. I asked my brain for ideas but all I got was reminisence on what I ate for breakfast. Stupid brain. What's the point in having one when it can't help you against GOR (Girls On Rampage)?. Speaking of breakfast, I was hungry. Whoah whoah, deal with the girls first, eat later. That's if they don't eat me first.  
Suddenly it came to me. Good old brain, I will never complain about you again. I thrust my arm under waterand clenched the water. It began to get hotter, at first, subtly hotter, then considerablt hotter, then hotter. Fortunatly, I was protected. The poor girls however, were not going to know what hit them. The fireworks began to fly when the heat reached Hihaika. She gulped and tried to brave it. It's a shame for her that I'm a stubborn person. All I had to do was turn up the heat. Instantly the sair was filled with shrieks of the girls cursing as they fought to get out of the pool, scrambling over each other to get there. They ran off and made their way back to the village. I laughed as they ran back, dripping wet and sweating. I leaned back once more. As an afterthought, I turned the heat down. I didn't mind the heat, but if the girls brought the other villagers, I didn't want any proof. They didn't know my heat skill and I certainly wasn't about to give that information away freely. Obviously, they know about the fire skill (the Shaman's foot proves it). I chuckled as I thought of the girl's faces. That will be a memorable day. I think I'm one among few who have actually turned down the idea of six girls to myself. Still laughing slightly, I slid out of the spring and threw my clothes on. Luckily, I hid them behind a rock. I patted the rock as i passed, almost commending it for protecting my clothes. Commending a rock. Imagine that.  
As I made my way back to the village, I realized something, and no matter how much I tried to get t outta my head, it stuck fast.  
I didn't belong here. I would never truly belong here. I wasn't content with life as a Hai. I knew that after tonight. I would never feel right with anyone. I sound melodramatic don't I? Well, it's true. I don't think I'll ever be able to look Hi in the face again without cracking a smile. I don't think I'll ever be able to get along with the Shaman.  
The Shaman.  
That made me pause. Why doesn't he have these gifts? These skills that I have?. I guess I really don't belong. That made my mind up. I was going to run away. Seek adventure, not sit on my bed every night waiting for girls and Shaman titles. Forget it. At fifteen summers, I have my whole life ahead of me, and I sure ain't gonna spend it here. Running back to my house, I slipped into my bedroom and packed a few things. Money, food and clothing. That would be all I would need. I would have my skills for defense and offense. My parents were nowhere to be seen. Seeing that as a good omen, I stuffed things messily into a knapsack. I had wondered at the idea of stuff in a rag with a stick at the end but that seemed too obvious. Not to mention the fact that it looke stupid and I have no idea why I thought of that. I felt a tiny pang of guilt as I snuck out the back way. Most people would see this as running away from my responsibilites but I see this as valuable adventure time.  
Ok, I'm running away from responsibilities. But I can hardly be blamed. After a glance of my future tonight, I think I had the right to run away from that. I took a brief look back. They would be much happier without me anyway. I was Takky,Takagekuryuya and Flaming Arrow.  
For once I would've just like to have been known as Takuya. . . .

**Izumi  
**  
_The Shaman_  
  
Suddenly, I felt a tugging in my mind. Understanding, I too entered stage two of a Shaman trance. with phase one, everyone can do it. It is simple daydreaming. Stage two can be done by many people, so, I could safely enter stage two without arousing too much suspision from the shaman. It is my favorite stage, unlike stage three. Struggling to anchor myself to stage two, I helplessly submitted to the abyss of stage three. This one scared me, this was where the spirits first made contact with one's spirit. I felt the Shamans presense, neither of us would go beyond stage three. It would require much more preparation. I knew that phase three was going to arouse the Shaman's suspisions, but I can vaguely remember people who couold enter this stage, with much effort, so I should still be safe. But it seemed, that Stage three was not what the Shaman had planned. The tugging began once more, I resisted, but the dull irritating tugging, like someone pulling on my hair, never ceased. I did not want to enter the next stage. I'd only entered it once before, and I didn't want to do so again. I had been surprised to find that I was still alive when I had reached the security of my body. The spirits, seeming so friendly, hostile, angry, the emotions of the living, also emotions of the dead. Slipping, slowly at first, so slowly I didn't notice, my mind began to slip into semi unconciousness. I could no longer hear the outside world. And I began to panic. I did not want to here. This was Shaman ground, and It left my body unprotected, where any spirit could seize the chance once I entered complete unconciousness. I realized with shock, that I could no longer feel the Shaman. I tried to back out, but it wasn't so easy. Once in, it takes a lot of concentration to get out agin, and my mind was refusing to focus. Until I calmed down, I was stuck here.  
Unless. . .  
The Spirits, if I could find one, just one willing spirit, to guide me back to conciousness, then maybe I could get out of this forboding area. I sent my mind farther into my surroundings, steering clear of phase five. The nearer spirits semmed friendly, but I was wary. Not all friendly spirits were actually friendly. But. . . wait. . .there was a spirit, and yet. . .the spirit had an aura of the living about it. It seemed in control of its surroundings. Deciding in my mind, I made my way towards the spirit, and sent out a spiritual request for help. The Spirit paused, deciding on whether to react. It was then I realized, this was no Spirit. This was a Shaman. Not the tribe Shaman, but another. This one had a presence of a male, and from the hostile yet confident way he moved through the mass of Spirits, I could tell that he seemed more acustomed to the ways of a Shaman than. . No, not I, I was not a Shaman, I did not have aura of one. Yet, the Shaman paused and looked in my direction. In the spiritual world, we see different than in the pysical world. Things become warped and it all seems like a dream. I send out another call for help, and a few minutes past, and he agknowledged my call. I opened my mind to him, and slowly, I began to shift into phase three as my mind calmed, aided by his own. Apon reaching phase two, I sent thanks back to the Shaman, seemingly no older than myself. He gave a 'couldn't care less' agknowledgement, and disappeared into a faint aura as he entered stage four once more. Calming my excited mind, I levered myself slowly into the consiousness of phase two, then phase one, until I could see the physical form of the tribe Shaman once again. She smiled, a rare and beautiful sight.  
" Welcome back, what did your journey with the spirits show you? " she asked.  
" Shaman, I. .I saw a boy, another Shaman like me. . ." I cupped my hand to my mouth, realizing what I had just said. I had just said, that I was a Shaman. The Shaman however, shook her head.  
" Do not stop the truth flowing from your mouth, it is true, yes, you are a Shaman, and now that I have seen, I know now t that it is truly you who will take over from me. " She turned and exited the Spirit house. I followed her, many thoughts in my head, most of them on the verge of my tongue. We reached the main room, where I first met the Shaman. She nodded my dismissal but as I turned to leave, one last comment made me turn back round.  
" There is one more thing, Shadow dancer, I must ask you to take an oath of silence. Because now that I know you are a true Shaman, I now know that you know the answer to the question concerning the loss of my wings. " she said. It was with realization that I knew the answer all along. I nodded, and took the oath, never to tell any of this fact. As I left the building, my thoughts turned to my last vision. The Shaman had no wings, for she was not a Kaze. She was a Hai, and the oath I had sworn to was not to tell her daughter the truth. For I knew only one other person in the tribe with Hai blood. And it made me wonder, why was she not blessed with the power of the Shaman?  
  
Being a Shaman was not going to be easy. . . . .

**Takuya**  
  
_Freedom and Stowaway_  
  
Yeah!, Freedom! I wish I could've had more of it back home but hey.  
Slowing down slightly, I checked to see if anyone was following. I wonder how long it would be before someone would realize that I was missing?, I wonder what they would do. Heh, they'd probably shrugg and go back to what they were doing. I think that my mother and father would miss me though. . and maybe Hi. . .nah, not Hi, after what I did to her and her friends, I'll be lucky if she even turns up for my funeral. Yep, now that I've left, they'll search for a few days, moan and complain about how much they're missing me, thought they'd be doing no such thing. Finally, they'll declare me dead and arrange some funeral. Heh, I might disuise myself and go back on that day. Watching my own funeral. I bet no one can ever say that they've done that.  
I did have a brief ' I'm gonna turn back ' moment, but another thought of the girls soon set my mind straight. I wonder if I'll ever settle down with a girl. Unlikely, I have no attraction towards them. Who knows, there might be nicer girls in the Kaze tribe. The Kaze tribe, that was where I was going. I have a friend there. Izumi'll know what to do. But it all depends on whether they let me in, and if they do, whether I can follow their traditions. They say that no kaze knows their true mother and father. And that Shamans can only be women. Well, if they do accept me, at least that leaves me clear from any spiritual duties. I could have gone anywhere, But Kori is too far, I know nothing about the Hikari or the Yami tribe and the Rai are nasty folk. Besides, Kaze are our neighbouring tribe and althought It would be the first place my tribe would look for me, I'm sure that I can lay low there and after they've given up looking for me, I hope to explore the outer regions.I put my hands behind my head and began to walk. The future looked bright indeed.  
A few hours later, I considered taking back that thought as my tiredness level reached an ultimate high. It wasn't fair!,I escape and still I suffer. Typical of me not to remember to bring a horse. Luckily, I knew the way there, having been there many times, sometimes when my father knew I was there,, and most times when he didn't. At this rate, my tribe would find me. I needed to find a quicker route there.  
I must be born with the luck of the gods.  
There, just a mile ahead, was a wagon. It's lack of movment suggested uncertainty about the direction they were taking. I sprinted, using the strength that I thought I lost about forty-five minutes ago, to catch up to the wagon, apon arrival, I noted their accents.  
They were Hai. I shrunk behind the wagon as I listened to the conversation. I knew both men. Rash and Mace. " So, we take a left from here and follow the high road till we reach the steppe. We'll then be in Kaze territory " Mace said, looking at Rash for agknowledgement. He nodded as he looked at the map. It was obvious they had never been to Kaze tribe before. I couldn't alert them of my arrival, so I had to think quickly. With a sudden spasm of an idea, and before my brain could kick into to sensible drive, I swung myself up to the wagon and lay flat on the wooden floor withing the wagon. Luckily, I was light footed, so they never heard a thing. There was stillness for a few moments, before a jolt signaled our movement towards the outskirts of the Kaze tribe.  
  
This was too easy. . . . . .

* * *

Well, you've probably read this one before but. . . .what do you think?  
  
Viximon: Baka, you're talking to your computer again  
  
Awww, but Dizzy-chan's my friend! -Glomps computer-  
  
Viximon : 0-o'

KS: Oh yeah, I know some people have already reviewed this, but could you do me a really BIG favor and review it again? Pleeease?

Viximon: Name meanings (These were made up)

Izuyamilahya- Shadow dancer

Takagekuryuya- Flaming Arrow

Ja ne!


	2. Heaven's Reckless Light and Heaven's Sym...

Shaman Games

By Kendosakuyamon

Hey again. I just wanna thank those of you who reviewed and believed me. Here's the next chapter for ya!

Takuya- Oh thanks, -Blush- I'm so glad you like it

Dragi: Thank youuuuuuuuu, hehehe, hope you like this one

Notes: Um. .I don't have any. . .

Questions: Um. .What is the meaning of life? (Hint, it's got Takouji in it XD)

* * *

Chapter 2- Heavens Reckless Light and Heavens Sympathetic Darkness

**Kouji**

_My Brother_

I opened my eyes, aware that there was a presense within the living world. There, stood the Shaman. I frowned in irritation. What now?. The Shaman seemed to sense my feelings, because he approached cautiously.

" Koyakiuji, your mother wishes to speak with you " he said softly. I nodded and walked out of the tent wordlessly, leaving my father alone. This had begun to get annoying. Everytime I entered the fourth stage of trance, someone would always come to disturb me. On those times that it was my brother, I didn't mind, but everyday, I came so close to reaching exstacy, only to be disturbed for an unimportant reason.

My thoughts were cut short as the sky darkened aruptly. Sighing, I changed direction and made my way to where I knew my twin would always be.

I was not wrong.

Just outside the village, he sat there on a rock, his eyes closed, concentrating. I walked over and his eyes shot open. He grinned when he saw who his indruder was. He jumped off the rock and stood waiting until I had reached him. I sighed.

" Kouichi, why do you keep doing that? " I asked. Koichi nudged me playfully.

" Aw come on, don't be so stiff about it. I was just having some last minute fun " he said. I closed my eyes as his voice increased in volume.

" Kouichi, if it could be any other way, I would have it so " I said, Kaze tones falling from my tongue. I'd always prefered the kaze language to our own, Such a liquid language, unlike Hai. . . .

From the raised eyebrow from my brother however, I could see that he hadn't caught a word of what I had just said. I quickly switched to Hikari, and repeated my words. He nodded, then laughed.

" What? " I asked, confused at his aprupt reaction. he put his arm around me.

" I just find it funny that you're going to be the top Shaman in our village, yet to me, you''ll always be my little bro " he said playfully. I smiled. Yes, Koichi was the elder of the two, yet. . . .

" You have the gift Kouji, and personally, better you than me. I don't want to spend all my life hanging round with the dead " he said, a hint of tease in his voice. I sat down. My mother could wait. it was her, and my acursed father, who ' forgot ' to mention that I had a brother. And although I'd rather die than admit it, I couldn't be without him now. All the fun times we've had. . . . .

" Does it bother you that you will lose your powers? You still have a chance to be shaman you know " I noted. Koichi nodded, his playful features serious. He turned to me and sat down.

" Bro, we were both given the power to become a shaman, but you were the one who put the effort into it. " His eyes twinkled " Besides, I can always bribe you into changing the time of day for me ". I smiled inwardly at his joke. Both of us had seperate powers. I could change night into day, he could change day into night. We also have other skills. He has an uncanny ability to hide himself, even in broad daylight. I'd often been startled by him apparantly ' visiting me ', when in fact I knew he just wanted to surprise me. We used to have a lot of fun with that skill, before our clans joined as one.

I've known Kouichi since I was little. Before, our clans used to be neighbouring clans. I was often. . . . .persuaded by him, to skip lessons, so we could play. Later on, when we were much older, we found out that the Shamans from our clans, our mother and father, were once together. The clan differences however, had drawn them apart. After finding the truth, we, after much hard work, persuaded the clans to join as one. Shortly after that, our parents had the courage to reveal that Kouichi and I were related. Ha!, Courage!, in my eyes, the world consisted of weaklings, cowards and fools. Even I, the Shaman to be, was nothing more than a weakling. I studied and practiced and even after all that, I felt a sense of weakness within me. I had told this to Kouichi, who immediatly disagreed.

" Kouji, you know what? " he said suddenly. I severed my chain of thoughts and brought myself back to the present.

" What? " I asked, dreading his answer from the wry smile that lit up his symmetrical features to mine.

" You're gonna have to marry " he said as he laughed. I pulled a face, which only increased his laughter. Yes, as a Shaman, I have to marry. I'd often thought about it,

but. . . . .

I changed the subject by changing the darkness in the sky to light.

" Don't change the subject " he said, grinning, as he changed the sky once more.

" I'm not " I answered, changing once again to light

" You are " Darkness

" I'm not " Light

Darkness

Light

Darkness

Light

" Will you decide what time of day it's going to be and leave it at that!!! " someone hollered from the village. Koichi and I looked at each other and laughed. Ah, life seemed so simple.

A sudden thought hit me, which made me laugh, if possible, even more.

" Ah but Kouichi, don't forget that you too have the privilage of marriage " I commented. That got him. I laughed at his expression.

" Oh yeah. . " he said, he leaned on my shoulder.

" So, do you have anyone in mind? " he asked. I thought for a moment. Kaze seemed like the best option, but. . .

" But what bro. ." he asked innocently. It took a moment for me to register what he'd just said, then. . .

" Stop that! " I said

" Stop what? " he asked, tlting his head to the side. I hit my head. I'd spoken out loud again.

" Hey, if you need someone to hit you on the head everytime you do that, then I'd be glad " he said, his face mock serious. I shoved him lightly, and he in turn pulled my hair.

Our hair is the only difference between the two of us. It is everyone's way of reconising us. In the Hikari tribe, everyone grew their hair long, and in Yami, they had it short.It was supposed to symbolize a balance in light or darkness. . .or something like that.

I too, have dark hair, usually tied back, but at Shaman sessions, left out. Kouichi's is short, and slightly rebellious. Ha, I never have that problem.

I pulled away.

" Hey, no fair " I complained.

A sudden calling of my name drifted from the village. I sighed, realizing that our ' brotherly time ' was officially over. I stood up, tied my hair back, and dusted my knees. Kouichi followed suit. We both knew that voice. It was the voice of our mother. We trudged back to the village, aware of how the heat in the air had suddenly risen. Kouichi had noticed also. I shot a look of concern, which he returned with a shrugg.

**Takuya**

_Events and surprises_

Oh my god, these guys don't know how to read a damn map!!

I've now been stuck here for four hours now, and it only takes two hours to get to Kaze!!. I curse Agni for giving these men such stupid brains!

Ok, I'm done, temper vented. I peeked outside the cart to see how far we had gotten since I'd last checked. I looked in shock. We'd driven two miles and they were lost!!. And it was a straight road!!!.

I felt the air begin to heat up and I quickly stifled my inner rampage on how stupid these men were. I needed a plan to get these guys moving. I rumaged through my bag and found what I'd been looking for.

My old hat and googles.

Grinning, I put the google on, over my eyes. I then jammed the hat on my head, causing a spasm of pain to shoot through my neck. Today just wasn't my day. I turned the hat round, making sure that the sign of Agni faced the back, tucked my obvious hair in, and jumped off the cart, whistling a tune. I walked past the cart and stopped. The two men looked at me quiziclly. I gave a smile looked towards them.

" Are you stuck? " I asked, the Kaze tones coming naturally. Heh, Izumi had taught me Kaze everytime she'd visited. The men nodded, and gathered what poor fragments of Kaze they knew, to answer.

" Yes, Kaze go, you know? " Mace asked, his accent clumsy. Half Hai, half Kaze. I grinned despite myself. I quickly changed it into a smile of sincerity.

" Of course, just follow this road up to the plain, then turn to the north east till you reach the village " the words flowed, letters singing. The men nodded to show they understood.

" You Kaze? " Mace asked. I nodded.

" You speak Hai? " he persisted. I shook his head. Who knows, they might let something slip if I was in the pretence of ignorance. . . . ..ok. . . . .too much Kaze gives me weird thoughts.

" We give lift " he said. I nodded and bowed my head slightly in thanks. I strained to listen to their mutterings as I clambered into the cart.

" These crazy Kaze with their crazy accents. It's enough to make your head spin " Rash said to Mace, in Hai

" Yeah, the sooner we get this stock to the village, the better. " he answered. I grinned and pushed the googles from my eyes to rest on my hat.

Moments, later, we'd reached Kaze. Ahh, I could be a tour guide. I hopped off, gave them my thanks in the most dressed up way I could think, leaving them confused about what I'd just said. I grinned as they grunted in response, and walked off. I shook my hair from undeneath the hat, no longer needing to hide it, I mean. .Hai's were common visiters.

Now.. .where's that Izumi?

**Izumi**

_The Flaming Arrow_

I woke, hearing my name called. The language was Kaze, but the accent was off. . somehow. Raising myself groggily, I staggered towards the door. Why do I feel so tired?

Stepping outside, I gazed apon the village as dusk approached. Wait, it was dusk when I fell into slumber, so why is it only just dusk now?. Discarding all thoughts on the time of day, I focused my energies to finding the source of the alien voice. The voice was soon revealed when I spotted a familier face amidst the crowds of kaze. It was not difficult, for the caller had reddish brown hair, unlike many Kaze, who had blondes,silvers and whites. In fact, Sumaki was the only exception to that. Children who were born of the kaze without those hair colors usually dye their hair.

I waved and called for the Hai boy. He turned apon hearing my tones, and ran towards where I stood. Many people turned to watch him run over. At my glare, they quickly turned away. Recent events revealed that the Shaman had informed the village of who the next Shaman would be. The wings that had sproated were also a big giveaway. Yes, I had finally been blessed with the great misfortune of wings. Takuya stopped as he saw my wings, before uttering one word.. . . . .

Cool!!

**Koichi**

_Travel_

I shrugged at my brother as we made our way to the source of the voice. It was, of course, our mother. I stretched as she spoke quietly with Kouji for a moment. probably some shaman business. I'm glad that Kouji chose to take the burden. I couldn't find anything more dull. besides, I don't always want to stay in this village, I want to travel one day. But for now, I'm gonna wait for Kouji to settle down into his new life. I'll admit, it has been hard on him. When he's not in a trance, he's studying, and when he's not doing that, he's teaching the Shaman. Yes, it's gotten to the point where he's surpassed the Shaman. It was a shocking fact, What was even stranger was the fact that Kouji believed that he was still too weak to become a Shaman. That's Kouji, always striving for new challenges. In fact, I think there's only one thing in life that he hasn't got going for him, and that's his feelings.

For some strange reason, he always has trouble coming to terms with that. Just like when he'd found out we were brothers. . .

" Kouichi " I snapped myself out of my thoughts to turn towards him, he did not look happy.

" Ok, good news first then " I said brightly. He pulled me towards the desolation of the village.

" You know the tribe's readying themselves for the trip to kaze? " he said. I could tell he was trying to drag this out for as long as possible.

" Yeah? " I said, patient towards what he was trying to tell me.

" Well, father can't go, so. .I've got to go, to represent the Yakari clan " he finished moodily. I smiled, trying to see the best side of things.

" Hey, maybe you'll find that dream person for yourself " I said playfully. So, he would be leaving. He sighed. I could sense there was more to it.

" There's more "

I knew it.

He sighed again. This was the hard one.

" Kouichi, before I go, I have to become a fully fledged Shaman, so that I can be christened as one apon I return " he said. he then spoke something in Kaze which I couldn't understand. Until now, he had faced the wall of the house they were now hiding behind. Now however, he turned to face me.

" Koichi, they want me to claim your powers now " he said quietly. I looked at him, filled with sympathy. We both knew that this was going to be hard. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

" Bro, we knew it would come to this, besides, it's a requirement of two conflicting Shaman. . . . . ."

He wrenched his shoulder from my grasp.

" I don't care!. I've already decided! " he shouted. I looked at him in surprise. Kouji shouting?

" Decided what? " I asked.

" I'm not gonna do it. They're your powers " he answered. My face grew grave.

" Kouji, you have to, you know you have to. What are you gonna do if Kaze asks you for a demonstration? " I said calmly, although inside, I was frantic.

" That's why you're gonna come with me " he said. I looked at him like he was mad.

" Kouji, you know that only the Shaman, the mediams, the elders and the people chosen for betrothal are allowed to go. It's Taboo! " I exclaimed. Kouji cracked a small smile.

" What they don't know can't hurt them. Now tell me, honestly, do you want to go? "

Lies, excuses flitted through my head.

" Yes " I admitted truthfully.

" Well, we're leaving early tomorrow, and I'm not gonna leave without you, so I suggest you pack " he said.

" What about the elders? " I asked. Kouji turned to walk away.

" Well, you're good at hiding, aren't you? " I smiled as I realized what he meant. He went to walk off and stopped.

" Oh, and bro? "

" Yeah? "

He turned once more to face me.

" You never know, this could be your chance to find someone ". By the time I had thought of a suitable retort, he'd already gone. I smiled.

It looks like I'll be traveling sooner than I thought.

**Takuya**

_Wings and Flames_

" Cool!! " I said. She turned so I could see them. They were a fluffy white, like the kind of wings you read about. You know, those really soft neo angel wings that everyone falls head over heels over to see. I itched to feel them, just to see if they felt as soft as they looked. It must have shown on my face.

" Go ahead " she consented. I reached out and felt the softness of them. They felt like silk, and I flinched as she flexed them softly. They reacted to her wishes and flapped softly. A light breeze hit my face.

" Do they stay like this now? " I asked. She laughed and shook her head.

" No, this is just the baby stage. Soon the feathers will harden into proper quills and the color will change " she answered. I stared wistfully at the soft feathers.

" You've got new power too Takuya " she said.

" Huh? " I said, drifting out of my thoughts of feathers. Heh, I'm such a feather brain. . . . . . .heh. . . . .that was such a bad pun. Heh, stupid brain.

" You've got new power too " she repeated. I nodded. She looked at me expectantly.

" Uh, I can show you, but not here " I said quickly. She nodded brightly and pulled me towards the plain just outside of her village. I stood there nervously. She sat down on the grass.

" It's ok, it's just me Takuya, I'm not gonna alert the whole village. " she said softly, singing the soft Kaze vowels. I nodded.

" Do you want a full demonstration, or a small one? " I asked.

" I don't mind, anything that works for you " she replied. I nodded and focused on the palm of my hand. A flame jumped deptly from my fingers and curled itself lovenly around each one. Izumi's eyes widened. I then willed the flame to shape itself to my will. The flame shot up my arm and onto my back. The size of the flame increased and it took the shape of two large flame wings. I willed movement and they flapped in response. Izumi stood up.

" Are. .are they real? " she asked, her eyes sparkling. Is it me or are her eyes darker than usual?

" No, I wish they were. They're just material form. " I willed the flame to decrease. That was much harder. It was always harder to put a fire out than to start one. The flames reappeared at my hand and coaxed me into their freedom. Mustering all my strength, I willed the flames to disappear, which they did, grudgenly. A sharp spasm of pain appeared from my back and I knelt in pain. Izumi ran over to observe what was wrong.

" Takuya, your back, there is something on your back. Some kind of sign " she said. I looked round to see the mark of Agni had burned through my t-shirt. The shape of Angi had now ben burned into my t-shirt. I groaned. Not again. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid. . . . .

" Wow, it is getting so hot these days " Izumi sat, fanning herself. Realizing that I'd almost been tricked by the flames, I forced myself to calm down. Normal temperature resumed. I sat down with a sigh.

" Well, now you've seen my skills, what about you? " I asked, changing the subject of the incident. Izumi sat next to me.

" Well, I cannot fly till the wings have grown through, but that shall be one of my gifts. The other. . . .I am not sure of yet. She spoke in Haze, a language both her and I made up, consisting of Kaze speech, with a Hai accent twisted into the words, vowels consisting of Hai dialect. We'd made it our abition to learn all the tribe languages. We'd then begun to experiment with mixing certain accents, tones, vowels and speech together. She leaned on her stomach and rested her chin on her hands.

" So, what brings you to Kaze? Are you a messenger? " she asked me. I shook my head.

" No, I've run away " I said proudly. She locked her gaze with mine.

" Run away? Whatever for? " she asked. I leaned back.

" I want to live my life the way I want it. I don't want responsibility " I answered. She nodded in understanding.

" You have been chosen to become Shaman, haven't you? "

Damn girls for being smart

" Yeah, and I'm not going to, so, I decided to come here " She raised her eyebrows.

" And what now? " she asked, her voice full of interest.

" Well. . . I haven't thought that ahead " I said, as I rubbed the back of my head. She laughed.

" That's so like you Hai. You never plan too far ahead "

" Hey!, I worked really hard on that plan! " I said indignantly. She just laughed some more.

" Ok, Ok " I laughed with her. I then told her about the Hot spring incident. We spent most of the hour laughing. We then spent the next hour catching up on each others events. Finally, when it was so dark that we couldn't see any more, we headed back to the village.

" Well, I don't know what you're going to do now, but I do have some information that may be of use to you " she said, as they reached the village. I listened eagerly.

" Apparantly, The Yakari and the Rai tribe will be visiting kaze soon, to decide betrothals. Perhaps when they leave, you can travel with them for a while " she explained. I nodded. That sounds like a good plan.

Bless girls for being smart.

**Izumi**

_The Solution_

I watched as Takuya fell asleep. I was not there long. He fell asleep so fast. It must be so tiring sitting at the back of a cart all day. I smiled. He was a good friend. Tip toeing so not to wake him up, I made my way outside. It was now time for my meeting with the Shaman. However, once I made my way outside, the Shaman stood outside, waiting. She smiled gently as i bowed my head in a term of respect.

" Walk with me Shadow dancer " she said softly. We made our way slowly round the village perimeter. It was the Shaman who broke the silence first.

" I see we have a new visiter " she commented. I nodded, my time with Takuya momentarilly erasing my manners. I caught herself and hastened to answer.

" Yes Shaman "

" He is a Hai, is he not? " she asked.

" Yes, his name is Takagekuryuya " I explained. She nodded.

" Ah, Flaming Arrow " she said quietly. I took this moment of quiet to ask the Shaman a question.

" Shaman, why did you want to walk with me, if you do not mind me questioning " I asked. The Shaman stared at me for a good, long time.

" Ah, your eyes are changing, good " she commented, before continuing her walk. I looked at her, confused. What did she mean, my eyes were changing?

It hit me.

The last time I'd spoken to her. her eyes were blue.

But her original eye color was purple. .. .

How could I have not noticed before?

" My. . my eyes are changing? " I said, distant to everyone around me. The Shaman looked at me.

" Perhaps. . . perhaps you are ready now " she murmured. I blinked in surprise. She smiled at my shock and lay a hand on my shoulder.

" Perhaps we will wait for the final skill to emerge " she finished. I sighed in relief.

" However. . ."

There is always a however

" When the other tribes have arrived, I would like you to represent this village as a Shaman. To show that there is soon to be a new Shaman. Dusk is aprroaching for me. I can feel it. "

She left without another word, but with thousands of thoughts teaming within my mind.

****

**Kouji**

_My Longing_

I looked up from where I was readying myself for the departure. The village seemed so busy, so disturbed. Sighing, I closed my eyes, and reached once more for the first trance stage. That was as far as I planned to go today. It was just a relaxation technique, nothing more. In fact, the last time I'd gone into stage four was when I'd met the other. I sighed in irritation. I couldn't concentrate today, something was holding back. Perhaps it was my own weakness, that threatened to tear asunder, deep withing myself.

Murmuring something incomprehensible in Kaze, I stood up and stretched. Although I was unwilling towards this journey, it was comforting to know that my other half would be with me. Looking up at the sky, I figured it to be midnight. I had been under trance for five hours. Of my brother, I have seen no trace. Probably saying last goodbyes to close friends. Of those, I have none.

Listen to me, I'm thinking in Kaze again. I can see that I will have no problems communication wise.

Koichi seems excited about the whole trip. At one point, he begged me to change it to light so that we could leave sooner. I refused. Usually, I don't meddle in the day's flow of time.

Usually. . .

I made my way over to the village, throughly aware of my surroundings. Each person calling to another, each child crying. It's like I'm one with everything and nothing. I cast my thoughts back to the other Shaman. She was inexperienced, and clumsy. Her aura was that of a naive child's, but she had great power. . .

Stupid, I'm being careless, I shouldn't let my feelings of power obstruct my true goal. I want justice, and I don't mean the petty victories that most villagers gain. I want all people to be equal. Heh, like that'll ever happen. They're just empty dreams.

Yawning, I reached the village. Like my feelings, the people were hurying round, all in confusion as they readied provisions for the Shaman. How typical of my father to use his position to his advantage. Speaking of which, where was he?

I hurried through the village, he was a useless father and a useless shamn, but he was the crest of the village. I reached out through the whole perimiter of the village. . . . . . .

There.

I walked briskly. As I felt his presense, I caught the presense of a weaker one. I dimmed my spirit energy. If he was with another, I was not about to give away my position.

How ironic, I am the one who taught my father the way to track other spirit energies, only to be cautious lest he may use it against me.

There, behind the stone idol of Garuru, stood my father. . ..

With another woman.

Yes, that cruel-hearted tyrant, who dared to taint our mother with his poisonous ways, with his poisonous ' flings '. I hate him to the pits of hell.

I turned, and stormed away. he would not get away with this, for now, we needed him. I grasped hold of my spirit energy,

He would not get away with this. . ..

**Koichi**

_Dawn_

I stretched and looked round at the group. We had finally started. Hopefully, we should be there by tonight. I looked round curiously.

Where was my brother ?

I hope he hasn't done anything dangerous. I wouldn't put it past him to attempt something. But, ever since this morning, he's hardly spoken a word. I'm really worried. If he sinks too far into himself, we might not be able to get him back. i remember the last time that happened. Kouji and I were ten. Some visiters from our village, who thought that they were all high all mighty, came over to us one day. I still remember it. The memory burned deep into my mind. . . . . . .

_" Hey, look at the kid with the ponytail. Who does he think he is? " The older boy laughed and strode over to Kouji, who sat there with Kouichi, his facial features suggesting tranquility, but his eyes, narrowed and alert, like a predator's._

_" Kouji. ." Kouichi warned him, his voice low, he knew what Kouji could do if provoked. In answer, Kouji sat there, in wait. The moment the older boys had reached the proximidity of his brother,Kouichi stood up and blocked the way._

_" Leave him alone " he said, nervous under the gaze of the older boys, but defiant none the less. The youngest, most intimidating of the three, looked to be about 6 years beyond Kouji.The other two were 18, 19 maybe._

_The sixteen year old, obviously the leader, pulled Kouichi close, and looked at him._

_" Hey, will you look at that, they're twins " he sneered. Kouichi's eyes widened in fear. He pulled Kouichi closer, until their bodies were touching. He leaned over and whispered in Kouichi's ear._

_" Tell me, pretty one, do you both feel what each other feels? " he murmured. Kouichi remained silent. Kouji however, had jumped to his feet, his eyes glittering dangerously. The leader threw Kouichi to the other boys, who held his arms behind his back. The leader approached Kouji. Kouji remained deathly still. the older boy reached out and felt Kouji's long hair. _

_" Just when you find one hot guy, you find one that's even hotter " he said to Kouji, grinning evilly. Kouji tried to back off, but the boy grabbed his wrist._

_" I don't think so, you and I are going to have a little fun first " he said, his voice low and seductive. Kouji looked from him to Kouichi, then to him again. the boy follwed his gaze._

_" That's right, if you want your twin to survive, you'll let me have my way with you " he said, his voice low, and almost gentle. Kouji looked once more at his friend._

_" Listen kid, it's either you or him, personally I'd prefer you, but if you're gonna be too damn stubborn, then I'll settle for your brother. ". Kouji's arm, which until now, had been rigid, now went slack in the boy's grasp. The boy pulled him close into a possessive embrace ._

_" Good boy " he said into his ear. He ran his rugged hand across Kouji's cheek, caressing with every touch. He nodded to the other two boys. They immediatly pushed Kouichi onto the floor. Kouji watched but could do nothing. He was his now. The boy had now begun to caress his neck in a teasing manner. The other boys began to pummel Kouichi in every way possible. The boy leaned down and touched lips with Kouji. Kouji heard a sickening crack as Kouichi's anckle snapped like firewood. Kouji cried out for his brother, for his brother no longer had the stregth to cry out, to claim the pain as his own. Seeking opportunity, this gave the boy holding Kouji a chance to slip his tongue into Kouji's mouth. Kouji struggled but the boy held him in a bear hug. Kouji felt someone hook their leg round his own. next minute, he was falling. He jarred his back as it made contact with not the ground, but the oak they had been sitting under only moments before. In a careless movment, he ripped the band that held Kouji's tie in place. Kouji gritted his teeth. His blood was boiling, his mind was no longer his. _

_Kouji suddenly went deathly slack in the boys arms. He slumped to the floor, deathly white. Kouichi looked up in concern. What was going on? His question was answered a moment later, as everything went white.. . . . ._

I shook my head, clearing my mind of all thoughts. Seeing Kouji that white has scarred me for life. Only I lived that day to see what that energy was. Kouji never remembered after that. But, even though he never remembered, he had a permanent dislike towards boys and men alike from that day on. I think it was the effect from using the guardian Kendo.

Once apon a time, Kendo was a faithful guardian to men, until one day, men betrayed it, by giving away it's weakness to it's sworn enemy Dusk, for nothing but the promise of wealth.From then on, it has resented men. I think that Kendo has channelled it's hate into Kouji. That's why he hates our father, and the sexual contact with that boy that day didn't help one bit.

I don't want that to happen again. geez, I'd have rather been beaten up three times over than have him go through that.

Those boys died that day. . . .

Lowe, guardian of the night, set my brother free from Kendo's claws, because sooner or later, I'm afraid that. .

It might kill him.

* * *

0o, Kouji's scarier than Vixi-chan. And I think the rating went uuuuuuuup

Viximon: Right. . . .

Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter, I worked my butt off trying to get this in tonight -Stares guiltily at the abandoned graphics-

Um, nothing more to say. Oyasumi nasai!

Viximon: Koyakiuji- Heaven's Reckless Light

Kotaimiichi- Heaven's Sympathetic Darkness

Oh yeah! next chapter's gonna be when Kouji and Takuya meet, I promise!


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Digimon, Romance, Spiritual