[Fanfiction] [Crossover] The Wishers
Title: The Wishers
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician
Series: xxxHolic crossovers
Rating: K-T
Genre: Romance, Mystery
Status: In-progress
Comments/Warnings: Spoilers galore! Expect the unexpected. Loveless, Fruits Basket, Cardcaptor Sakura, Death Note and more...
The Wishers
A Multi-Fandom Crossover
Four: Family Reunion
Featuring: Shaman King
oOoOoOo
Watanuki Kimihiro spent Christmas Eve on running errands. He couldn't haven been busier with Yuuko's mad obsession with the holiday. He had been sent to a bunch of odd jobs and odd requests from ordinary people who saw Yuuko so he hadn't had the time to observe the season. But he had a nagging feeling that he should get something for Yuuko, Mokona, Maru and Moro while he was in town…
The black-haired boy smiled even though he was carrying a bunch of heavy packages. It would be nice if they could celebrate Christmas tonight with hot cocoa and carols. Maybe Yuuko would stop ordering impossible snacks and that would be enough…
He tripped.
The packages fell to the cold sidewalk. With a groan, he started to pick them up before they got cold. He was going to cook dinner with those! There was no way he was going to allow dirty germs from contaminating the precious food…
"Here you go," a voice said. He looked up to see a smiling brown-haired boy holding almost half of the packages in his arms. There was a pair of orange headphones hanging around his neck. He was wearing green slacks, white shirt and a green coat. "You're welcome."
"Thank you," Watanuki said gratefully. "She'll get mad if she finds out I dropped them…"
"Won't she?" The smiling stranger said. "My friend also gets mad when I stumble while doing her errands."
"You too?" The black-haired boy could hardly believe his ears. He looked at the stranger with new eyes. It seemed like a long time ago when he talked to a kindred soul. "Does your friend like to boss you around?"
The other young man laughed easily. "She does. I'm Asakura Yoh by the way."
"Watanuki Kimihiro." They shook hands. "Christmas shopping, is it?"
Yoh nodded. His dark brown eyes twinkled when he saw his new friend staring at something behind him. "You can see Amidamaru."
"Amidamaru," Watanuki murmured, still staring. The samurai spirit had wild silver hair, flashing gold eyes and a strong aura. He couldn't believe that a strong spirit was hanging around the carefree young man. "You're haunted by a spirit!"
The brown-haired boy laughed. "No, I'm not. Amidamaru is my power spirit. Don't you have one?"
"No, I don't." His new friend shuddered. "I don't like them much."
Amidamaru floated along as they walked. Yoh smiled as he asked casually, "Are you a shaman?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Watanuki said, frowning. As far as he knew, he wasn't. His ability to see spirits wasn't his favorite. It brought him troubles ever since he was young. He never saw it as a good blessing. "It's weird. I've never met anyone who can see spirits too. Isn't it annoying?"
Yoh shook his head. "No. I've met lots of good ones."
"I haven't," the black-haired boy sighed. When he was young, he was always chased around by ghosts and spirits. They always wanted to eat him. "I don't think I have. Seeing spirits is like a curse to me…"
"But you know," his new friend said "I believe that only good people can see spirits."
Watanuki flushed. He always believed that he was a good person. Maybe he'd learn something from this mysterious young man.
"I've grown up with spirits. My family is a strong spiritual clan that's been preparing me to take the title of the Shaman King," Yoh winced "and I got engaged to a really beautiful but really strict girl because of that. So I never thought that seeing spirits was a bad thing."
"Shaman King?" Watanuki frowned slightly. "What's that?"
"You must have heard about it sometime," said the brown-haired boy "it's a contest every five hundred years to find the next ruler of the Great Spirits. When you win the Great Spirits, you can have one wish. It's a bloody battle, you know. We barely survived…"
"A wish," Watanuki repeated. The law of equality immediately jumped into his mind. Hanging around Yuuko had him thinking about wishes and their prices without even trying.
"Yes," nodded the spirit. "Master Yoh worked very hard."
"You used Amidamaru for battles, didn't you?" the black-haired boy said, slightly shocked. He realized that they were almost at the shop. Yuuko would love to hear about this.
Yoh nodded. "Yes. It's necessary for a shaman to have a power spirit. Without one, a shaman is no one. Anyone who can see spirits can become a shaman though... You seem strong, Watanuki-kun. Don't you want to be one?"
Watanuki wondered why he never got tapped for that sort of thing before.
"I just want an easy life," Yoh laughed.
"Who doesn't?" Yuuko's employee sighed.
oOoOoOo
Asakura Hao found his destination without a problem.
The little girls led him inside. He watched their serious faces with amusement. Their mistress didn't like him before. It would be wonderful to know what she still thought of him.
"A customer, mistress," the twin girls announced. They pulled the delicate rice paper doors to reveal the grand sitting room. He noticed the pretty butterflies- the witch's emblem- stenciled on the doors and the walls.
"You came back." It wasn't a question.
Hao stepped inside the sitting room and gave the Witch of Dimensions an insolent smile. She was still beautiful- silky hair, long limbs and creamy skin. Her eyes watched his every move with barely concealed amusement. The dress that she wore was ruby red with butterflies. Ah, he loved burning butterflies.
"I reincarnated," he said airily. She gestured for him to sit. He preferred to remain standing. "You haven't changed."
Yuuko merely smiled. Five hundred years hadn't changed him one bit. He was still as insolent and fiery as before. The powerful shaman was the only guest who came back to her shop twice.
He was also the only guest she'd turn down twice.
Some wishes just weren't meant to be granted.
"It's a pity my Spirit of Fire can't enter," Hao drawled as his eyes wandered around the room. It was definitely cleaner than he remembered. "He would've loved to provide us a fire."
"There's no need for primitive methods to warm the house," she replied as she shifted her position. The red chaise lounge intensified the illusion that she was a flame, a phoenix. "My barriers will keep your Spirit of Fire struggling."
"Powerful things," Hao observed. He stared at her with interest. "You always loved power, didn't you?"
"Didn't you?" she returned with a catlike smile. "What do you need, Asakura Hao? What's your wish this time?"
"I want to become the Shaman King," Hao said flatly. His brown eyes burned. She even mused that she could feel heat coming from him. "I want the power to achieve my goals."
"My answer was no five hundred years ago," Yuuko said darkly "and it still stands."
"We all deserve a chance," his voice softened as if he expected her to melt.
If only Clow Reed wasn't that drunk, she thought angrily. Then you wouldn't know his reincarnation spell and you wouldn't be here at all.
But she remained cool and collected in front of him. "Some wishes can't come true."
"I guess I'd rather catch the Great Spirit on my own," Hao said lightly "and remove all humans from earth. You'll be the first to go, Yuuko-san."
"How I love to hear you say that," she smiled venomously.
"Maybe in the next lifetime," he mused as he adjusted his cloak "I'll get the chance to change your mind…"
The door tinkled.
Maru and Moro opened the shoji doors hesitantly. Her servants looked scared. "Mistress, another guest came to see you."
It was strange to get two guests in the same day but Yuuko knew better than to question it. She was used to the strange and the weird anyway. There were no coincidences and no accidents. There was only the inevitable.
Maru and Moro led a blonde young woman inside. She was petite and beautiful with longish blonde hair and cold brown eyes. Around her neck were ceremonial beads of an itako.
Yuuko almost laughed. Now that was not something she saw everyday. Here was young woman who didn't fear the Witch of Dimensions. She glanced at Hao and laughed.
Hao stared at his sister-in-law, shocked. At the lovely sound of Yuuko's laughter, he turned to her with red cheeks. "Let me introduce you to my sister-in-law, Yuuko-san," he recovered immediately "Asakura Anna, the Shaman Queen."
The Witch of Dimensions gazed at the poker face with interested eyes. She couldn't help but look into her heart. It would be interesting to see what a Shaman Queen wished for. A few moments later and she knew already.
"You lost already," Yuuko chuckled "but you still came to me. I didn't know you're so masochistic, Hao."
Hao had the grace to blush. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he muttered under his breath.
"If you're done wasting my time," she said with a regal nod to dismiss him "you can leave. I've got another person to attend to."
"He can stay," Anna spoke for the first time. Her eyes roved on the tattered and torn Asakura twin before settling back on Yuuko. "Though I don't know why he's here when I came…"
"There's no coincidence in this world," Yuuko said quietly, holding her gaze "but there's only hitsuzen. You're both here because you're meant to meet."
"No comfort there," Anna retorted. Hao bit back a laugh. "What is this place?"
"A shop of wishes," Hao answered before Yuuko could say anything. "The Witch of Dimensions will grant a wish for a fair price. Think carefully because she doesn't accept cancellations."
"She can't trick me," the blonde shot him a look. "Shut up."
Yuuko laughed when Hao pouted. So he met his match.
The door tinkled again to lead Watanuki inside. She could sense the black-haired boy entering the kitchen with another guest… Then she almost smiled.
"I'm back, Yuuko-san!" Watanuki was carrying Mokona in his arms. The black creature was asleep in his basket in the kitchen. Behind Watanuki was a mirror-image of her first guest. "I've brought a guest…"
"Aniki!" Yoh exclaimed. His eyes widened when he saw his wife. "Anna!"
"Yoh!" the two chorused.
"Who are you?" Watanuki asked, confused.
"It's so interesting how fate works," Yuuko said as she stroked Mokona's head. The creature laughed uproariously. "What are your wishes?"
"I want to live an easy life," Yoh said promptly.
"I want him to remain as the Shaman King." Anna glared at her husband. "And I don't care about the hot spring hotel…"
"I want to be the Shaman King," Hao added, grinning like a cat in the cream.
Watanuki stared at all of them. "You all know each other?"
"I can grant yours," Yuuko said toYoh "for a fair price. But you have to be sure."
"I'm sure," Yoh nodded.
"Yoh!" Anna cut in. "Don't be so rash. I'll make you run a hundred laps if you do this!"
Her husband took her hand and stared into her eyes. A look of understanding was passed. Anna looked away first.
Yuuko watched Hao avert his gaze. His cheeks were flushed. She read his heart and finally understood why he wanted to be the Shaman King so much. If she granted Yoh's wish then she could grant Hao's…
Then she frowned. If she did that then Anna's wish will never be granted. What a complicated situation it was.
"I still want it," Yoh said, staring into her eyes. "I want an easy life."
Yuuko nodded. "Can you live without your powers? Can you live without talking to the spirits? Can you live with knowing that you've passed up the chance to make a difference? Can you say goodbye to your wife?"
Yoh thought about it and sighed. At least he tried. He didn't think the price was so high… "I… No."
Anna glanced at him.
"You can have an easy life if you stop struggling," Yuuko said quietly. "Learn to live with what you have."
Watanuki realized that she was also talking about him. A look at Yoh confirmed his initial thought that Yoh only wanted to know which direction he should take. The blonde who was holding his hand looked just the slightest bit relieved.
Hao sighed exaggeratedly.
Yuuko turned to him, smirking. "Nice try, Hao."
The black-haired boy realized that the storm had passed. The wishes were granted. He said tentatively, "Would you want to stay for Christmas dinner?"
"Sake! Sake! Lots and lots of sake!" Yuuko ordered with a laugh. "I want sake and lots of snacks to go with it!"
"Sake for Mokona! Sake for Hao!" Mokona sang madly. "Sake for Yuuko! Sake for Yoh!"
"We could stay," Yoh smiled. "Right, Anna?"
Anna frowned but she sat down.
Hao winked at Yuuko. "I'll stay as an old friend. Now, don't look at me like that, Yuuko-san. I won't try to seduce you this time… Or maybe I should. That damned Clow Reed isn't around…"
Yuuko glared.
Maru and Moro sensed the party. They hurried inside the room, laughing and cheering with Mokona. Before they got any rowdier, Watanuki left the room. He had a huge order in front of him and it was best to get started.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw Amidamaru hovering just outside the barrier-gates.
The spirit waved with a smile.
Watanuki smiled back.
oOoOoOo
A/N: Dedications to CrazyGirlofManyNames, aPpLecHeRrY and nequam-tenshi for your reviews. It encouraged me a lot. Thank you!
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician
Series: xxxHolic crossovers
Rating: K-T
Genre: Romance, Mystery
Status: In-progress
Comments/Warnings: Spoilers galore! Expect the unexpected. Loveless, Fruits Basket, Cardcaptor Sakura, Death Note and more...
The Wishers
A Multi-Fandom Crossover
Four: Family Reunion
Featuring: Shaman King
oOoOoOo
Watanuki Kimihiro spent Christmas Eve on running errands. He couldn't haven been busier with Yuuko's mad obsession with the holiday. He had been sent to a bunch of odd jobs and odd requests from ordinary people who saw Yuuko so he hadn't had the time to observe the season. But he had a nagging feeling that he should get something for Yuuko, Mokona, Maru and Moro while he was in town…
The black-haired boy smiled even though he was carrying a bunch of heavy packages. It would be nice if they could celebrate Christmas tonight with hot cocoa and carols. Maybe Yuuko would stop ordering impossible snacks and that would be enough…
He tripped.
The packages fell to the cold sidewalk. With a groan, he started to pick them up before they got cold. He was going to cook dinner with those! There was no way he was going to allow dirty germs from contaminating the precious food…
"Here you go," a voice said. He looked up to see a smiling brown-haired boy holding almost half of the packages in his arms. There was a pair of orange headphones hanging around his neck. He was wearing green slacks, white shirt and a green coat. "You're welcome."
"Thank you," Watanuki said gratefully. "She'll get mad if she finds out I dropped them…"
"Won't she?" The smiling stranger said. "My friend also gets mad when I stumble while doing her errands."
"You too?" The black-haired boy could hardly believe his ears. He looked at the stranger with new eyes. It seemed like a long time ago when he talked to a kindred soul. "Does your friend like to boss you around?"
The other young man laughed easily. "She does. I'm Asakura Yoh by the way."
"Watanuki Kimihiro." They shook hands. "Christmas shopping, is it?"
Yoh nodded. His dark brown eyes twinkled when he saw his new friend staring at something behind him. "You can see Amidamaru."
"Amidamaru," Watanuki murmured, still staring. The samurai spirit had wild silver hair, flashing gold eyes and a strong aura. He couldn't believe that a strong spirit was hanging around the carefree young man. "You're haunted by a spirit!"
The brown-haired boy laughed. "No, I'm not. Amidamaru is my power spirit. Don't you have one?"
"No, I don't." His new friend shuddered. "I don't like them much."
Amidamaru floated along as they walked. Yoh smiled as he asked casually, "Are you a shaman?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Watanuki said, frowning. As far as he knew, he wasn't. His ability to see spirits wasn't his favorite. It brought him troubles ever since he was young. He never saw it as a good blessing. "It's weird. I've never met anyone who can see spirits too. Isn't it annoying?"
Yoh shook his head. "No. I've met lots of good ones."
"I haven't," the black-haired boy sighed. When he was young, he was always chased around by ghosts and spirits. They always wanted to eat him. "I don't think I have. Seeing spirits is like a curse to me…"
"But you know," his new friend said "I believe that only good people can see spirits."
Watanuki flushed. He always believed that he was a good person. Maybe he'd learn something from this mysterious young man.
"I've grown up with spirits. My family is a strong spiritual clan that's been preparing me to take the title of the Shaman King," Yoh winced "and I got engaged to a really beautiful but really strict girl because of that. So I never thought that seeing spirits was a bad thing."
"Shaman King?" Watanuki frowned slightly. "What's that?"
"You must have heard about it sometime," said the brown-haired boy "it's a contest every five hundred years to find the next ruler of the Great Spirits. When you win the Great Spirits, you can have one wish. It's a bloody battle, you know. We barely survived…"
"A wish," Watanuki repeated. The law of equality immediately jumped into his mind. Hanging around Yuuko had him thinking about wishes and their prices without even trying.
"Yes," nodded the spirit. "Master Yoh worked very hard."
"You used Amidamaru for battles, didn't you?" the black-haired boy said, slightly shocked. He realized that they were almost at the shop. Yuuko would love to hear about this.
Yoh nodded. "Yes. It's necessary for a shaman to have a power spirit. Without one, a shaman is no one. Anyone who can see spirits can become a shaman though... You seem strong, Watanuki-kun. Don't you want to be one?"
Watanuki wondered why he never got tapped for that sort of thing before.
"I just want an easy life," Yoh laughed.
"Who doesn't?" Yuuko's employee sighed.
oOoOoOo
Asakura Hao found his destination without a problem.
The little girls led him inside. He watched their serious faces with amusement. Their mistress didn't like him before. It would be wonderful to know what she still thought of him.
"A customer, mistress," the twin girls announced. They pulled the delicate rice paper doors to reveal the grand sitting room. He noticed the pretty butterflies- the witch's emblem- stenciled on the doors and the walls.
"You came back." It wasn't a question.
Hao stepped inside the sitting room and gave the Witch of Dimensions an insolent smile. She was still beautiful- silky hair, long limbs and creamy skin. Her eyes watched his every move with barely concealed amusement. The dress that she wore was ruby red with butterflies. Ah, he loved burning butterflies.
"I reincarnated," he said airily. She gestured for him to sit. He preferred to remain standing. "You haven't changed."
Yuuko merely smiled. Five hundred years hadn't changed him one bit. He was still as insolent and fiery as before. The powerful shaman was the only guest who came back to her shop twice.
He was also the only guest she'd turn down twice.
Some wishes just weren't meant to be granted.
"It's a pity my Spirit of Fire can't enter," Hao drawled as his eyes wandered around the room. It was definitely cleaner than he remembered. "He would've loved to provide us a fire."
"There's no need for primitive methods to warm the house," she replied as she shifted her position. The red chaise lounge intensified the illusion that she was a flame, a phoenix. "My barriers will keep your Spirit of Fire struggling."
"Powerful things," Hao observed. He stared at her with interest. "You always loved power, didn't you?"
"Didn't you?" she returned with a catlike smile. "What do you need, Asakura Hao? What's your wish this time?"
"I want to become the Shaman King," Hao said flatly. His brown eyes burned. She even mused that she could feel heat coming from him. "I want the power to achieve my goals."
"My answer was no five hundred years ago," Yuuko said darkly "and it still stands."
"We all deserve a chance," his voice softened as if he expected her to melt.
If only Clow Reed wasn't that drunk, she thought angrily. Then you wouldn't know his reincarnation spell and you wouldn't be here at all.
But she remained cool and collected in front of him. "Some wishes can't come true."
"I guess I'd rather catch the Great Spirit on my own," Hao said lightly "and remove all humans from earth. You'll be the first to go, Yuuko-san."
"How I love to hear you say that," she smiled venomously.
"Maybe in the next lifetime," he mused as he adjusted his cloak "I'll get the chance to change your mind…"
The door tinkled.
Maru and Moro opened the shoji doors hesitantly. Her servants looked scared. "Mistress, another guest came to see you."
It was strange to get two guests in the same day but Yuuko knew better than to question it. She was used to the strange and the weird anyway. There were no coincidences and no accidents. There was only the inevitable.
Maru and Moro led a blonde young woman inside. She was petite and beautiful with longish blonde hair and cold brown eyes. Around her neck were ceremonial beads of an itako.
Yuuko almost laughed. Now that was not something she saw everyday. Here was young woman who didn't fear the Witch of Dimensions. She glanced at Hao and laughed.
Hao stared at his sister-in-law, shocked. At the lovely sound of Yuuko's laughter, he turned to her with red cheeks. "Let me introduce you to my sister-in-law, Yuuko-san," he recovered immediately "Asakura Anna, the Shaman Queen."
The Witch of Dimensions gazed at the poker face with interested eyes. She couldn't help but look into her heart. It would be interesting to see what a Shaman Queen wished for. A few moments later and she knew already.
"You lost already," Yuuko chuckled "but you still came to me. I didn't know you're so masochistic, Hao."
Hao had the grace to blush. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he muttered under his breath.
"If you're done wasting my time," she said with a regal nod to dismiss him "you can leave. I've got another person to attend to."
"He can stay," Anna spoke for the first time. Her eyes roved on the tattered and torn Asakura twin before settling back on Yuuko. "Though I don't know why he's here when I came…"
"There's no coincidence in this world," Yuuko said quietly, holding her gaze "but there's only hitsuzen. You're both here because you're meant to meet."
"No comfort there," Anna retorted. Hao bit back a laugh. "What is this place?"
"A shop of wishes," Hao answered before Yuuko could say anything. "The Witch of Dimensions will grant a wish for a fair price. Think carefully because she doesn't accept cancellations."
"She can't trick me," the blonde shot him a look. "Shut up."
Yuuko laughed when Hao pouted. So he met his match.
The door tinkled again to lead Watanuki inside. She could sense the black-haired boy entering the kitchen with another guest… Then she almost smiled.
"I'm back, Yuuko-san!" Watanuki was carrying Mokona in his arms. The black creature was asleep in his basket in the kitchen. Behind Watanuki was a mirror-image of her first guest. "I've brought a guest…"
"Aniki!" Yoh exclaimed. His eyes widened when he saw his wife. "Anna!"
"Yoh!" the two chorused.
"Who are you?" Watanuki asked, confused.
"It's so interesting how fate works," Yuuko said as she stroked Mokona's head. The creature laughed uproariously. "What are your wishes?"
"I want to live an easy life," Yoh said promptly.
"I want him to remain as the Shaman King." Anna glared at her husband. "And I don't care about the hot spring hotel…"
"I want to be the Shaman King," Hao added, grinning like a cat in the cream.
Watanuki stared at all of them. "You all know each other?"
"I can grant yours," Yuuko said toYoh "for a fair price. But you have to be sure."
"I'm sure," Yoh nodded.
"Yoh!" Anna cut in. "Don't be so rash. I'll make you run a hundred laps if you do this!"
Her husband took her hand and stared into her eyes. A look of understanding was passed. Anna looked away first.
Yuuko watched Hao avert his gaze. His cheeks were flushed. She read his heart and finally understood why he wanted to be the Shaman King so much. If she granted Yoh's wish then she could grant Hao's…
Then she frowned. If she did that then Anna's wish will never be granted. What a complicated situation it was.
"I still want it," Yoh said, staring into her eyes. "I want an easy life."
Yuuko nodded. "Can you live without your powers? Can you live without talking to the spirits? Can you live with knowing that you've passed up the chance to make a difference? Can you say goodbye to your wife?"
Yoh thought about it and sighed. At least he tried. He didn't think the price was so high… "I… No."
Anna glanced at him.
"You can have an easy life if you stop struggling," Yuuko said quietly. "Learn to live with what you have."
Watanuki realized that she was also talking about him. A look at Yoh confirmed his initial thought that Yoh only wanted to know which direction he should take. The blonde who was holding his hand looked just the slightest bit relieved.
Hao sighed exaggeratedly.
Yuuko turned to him, smirking. "Nice try, Hao."
The black-haired boy realized that the storm had passed. The wishes were granted. He said tentatively, "Would you want to stay for Christmas dinner?"
"Sake! Sake! Lots and lots of sake!" Yuuko ordered with a laugh. "I want sake and lots of snacks to go with it!"
"Sake for Mokona! Sake for Hao!" Mokona sang madly. "Sake for Yuuko! Sake for Yoh!"
"We could stay," Yoh smiled. "Right, Anna?"
Anna frowned but she sat down.
Hao winked at Yuuko. "I'll stay as an old friend. Now, don't look at me like that, Yuuko-san. I won't try to seduce you this time… Or maybe I should. That damned Clow Reed isn't around…"
Yuuko glared.
Maru and Moro sensed the party. They hurried inside the room, laughing and cheering with Mokona. Before they got any rowdier, Watanuki left the room. He had a huge order in front of him and it was best to get started.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw Amidamaru hovering just outside the barrier-gates.
The spirit waved with a smile.
Watanuki smiled back.
oOoOoOo
A/N: Dedications to CrazyGirlofManyNames, aPpLecHeRrY and nequam-tenshi for your reviews. It encouraged me a lot. Thank you!