Shaman King “Fractured Duality” - Alternative Universe
Continued from here.
This Mini Ep is Canon to FD
Mini Episode
“Parting Ways and Finding Ways”
Hao swiftly slid open the door to his closet and quickly pulled out the coat hanger that adorned his black bomber jacket. As he hastily went to close the door, something in the footwell caught his eye. He momentarily paused as he peered down at the packed duffle bag he seemed to vaguely recognise. He calmly hooked the hanger in his hand to the handle of his closet door and reached down and picked up the bag. He observed it curiously for a moment before taking several steps towards his dresser, laying the bag down carefully upon it. He paused briefly before unzipping it and peering inside.
Hao’s expression softened when he laid eyes on its contents. Tucked safely away neatly at the top sat a bright orange oracle pager. As he carefully took the pager out, he discovered another yellow identical device underneath. He gently placed the orange pager down on the surface of his dresser and intensely examined the yellow device. But, as he expected, pushing the buttons did not bring the device to life - and instead he observed his own partial reflection in the blank screen.
Placing his own device down on the dresser beside his younger brother’s, Hao reached inside the bag and pulled out a tightly folded garment. He laughed softly when he recognised the bright orange garish flamboyant floral pattern. He then peered back inside the bag and discovered yet another identical shirt looking back at him underneath.
“Hao?” came an innocent voice from his open bedroom door.
Hao turned around and smiled kindly at the girl nervously hiding slightly around the door frame.
“Hey,” he greeted gently. “Are you alright?”
“Yes.” came the shy reply, “Well - no. No wait - yes.” babbled the timid shaman, screwing her eyes tightly closed. “No?”
“It’s okay.” said Hao with a slight amused smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Tamao vigorously nodded her head at him in response, though she remained frozen by the doorframe and didn’t move, keeping her eyes tightly closed.
Hao calmly approached the door, then he stopped - smiling to himself as he got an idea.
“How about this…?” he said quietly as he reached for the door handle and partially slid it across so it was almost closed, creating a wall between them. “Is that better?”
“Yes.” squeaked Tamao.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re going away again.” came the quiet reply.
“Yes.” replied Hao, “We have to go. He needs our help.”
“What if something happens to you?”
Hao paused for a moment, then he sighed deeply.
“We’ll be fine. Yoh and I can handle anything.” confidently replied Hao with a soft smile. Hao waited for a moment, but the shy girl on the other side of the door remained silent. “Is there something else - worrying you? Do you… not feel safe here anymore?”
“It’s not that.” whispered the shy shaman.
Hao remained silent for a moment. Then he sighed once more.
“I’m sorry that I’m leaving Opacho in your care again. That is not very considerate of me.” said Hao, sadly - there was a slight hint of guilt in voice.
“It’s okay!” came the reassuring high pitched reply.
Hao smiled for a moment, but then his expression fell as his mind fell back on earlier events.
“After what happened today, I can’t help but feel like I let you both down. And, now I’m going away again… I can understand why you feel burdened by me leaving…”
Hao blinked in surprise as he suddenly met Tamao’s glistening eyes as she swiftly swung open the door.
“You didn’t let us down! It wasn’t your fault!” she squeaked loudly as he she locked her eyes on the fire shaman’s startled expression. Tamao froze as she watched Hao’s eyes soften and a kind radiant smile appeared on his face.
“Thank you.” he said gently and reassuringly. “Your kindness really means a lot to me, Tamao.”
Tamao could feel her face becoming warmer as she found herself lost in Hao’s kind eyes. The pair remained silent and still in the doorway for a short while.
“Is that… all that was on your mind?” gently asked Hao, eventually.
Tamao looked down at the floor, unable to hold Hao’s intense gaze any longer.
“I…” she began shakily, she took in a sharp inhale and breathed out the words, “I will miss you.”
A silence grew. Tamao remained cemented to the spot, unable to bring herself to look at Hao’s face.
“I will miss you too.” came the gentle reply.
When Tamao didn’t move or respond and she just seemed to turn a brighter shade of pink, Hao looked back inside his room and then back at the girl standing at his door.
“I’m going to continue getting ready to leave for China.” explained Hao, “Would you… like to come in? I can keep the door open?”
There was a short pause, but then after a moment, the timid one standing in the doorway hurriedly made her way inside the room. Hao sighed pleasantly, then he turned around and made his way back to his closet and picked up his jacket that was hanging on the door.
“Is that…?” muttered Tamao, looking at Hao’s dresser as something caught her eye.
Hao followed her gaze until he laid eyes on the pagers once again.
“Ah, yes. I just found them. I guess I must’ve forgotten where I put them.” he said as he pulled on his jacket over his white t shirt. He then approached the bag once again to put the devices away, but then something else inside the open bag caught his eye. “Oh.”
“What?” breathed Tamao as she observed Hao’s expression change to one of slight astonishment.
Hao lifted his head and smiled warmly at Tamao.
“Would you mind delivering something to the room next door?” chuckled Hao.
****
Yoh quickly opened his door moments after hearing a gentle knock and was surprised to see Tamao standing in front of his bedroom holding something towards him in her hands.
“From Hao.” she squeaked as she handed over the black folded material and then hurriedly made her way down the hallway to her own room.
As the interaction he just had with Tamao was over within a matter of seconds, Yoh blinked in surprise at the garment he was holding. He slid his bedroom door closed and then turned around and quickly unfolded it.
Yoh let out a gentle laugh when he instantly recognised the black tracksuit with orange detailing. Then, he heard another knock at his door.
As Yoh slid his door back open, he was surprised to see his twin wearing a recognisable black and yellow sleeveless tracksuit. A moment later he noticed the yellow oracle pager strapped to his brother’s left forearm, and in his hand he was holding a matching orange device.
“Nii-chan?” laughed Yoh. “What are you…?”
“We need to talk about that idea we had.” laughed Hao. “But this time, we are sticking with my plan. I won’t be seen dead in that god awful shirt again!”
Enter the “Alt Universe” here.
Read “Fractured Duality” in full here.
