Tranquil Darkness Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Shaman King parody: Tier 1

Tranquil Darkness

Of the Seven Great Elemental Spirits, the spirit of Darkness is said to be the most wicked. The Asakura Family was tasked with keeping it sealed. They did creating the Yomi Gate, a passage way of pure darkness, using it as a means of training and strengthening a shaman’s power. Yoh entered the Yomi Gate once at 13, and completed it at 16 making him the youngest shaman to pass through it. Not only that he was the first to notice the Spirit of Darkness.

Chapter 1

There were many different kinds of spirits, ranged in rank and power. Some of them chose to sleep and rest, until a shaman of great skill could rise to take on their power. One of the Seven Elemental Spirits was seen as wicked.

He was sealed by the Asakura Family, creating the Yomi Gate. The family used this gate to train shamans, by passing through it one can strengthen their spirit power. Simply entering it was enough to get a small boost. The longer one remained inside that dark void the more power they could obtain. The danger was...one could go mad in that infinite darkness.

Yoh Asakura was the heir to the clan, and he was trained to be a shaman at a young age. He only agreed to become a shaman so he could have an easy life.  His family could be strict, but Yoh was so warm and kind. At the age of 13 he was brought before the Yomi Gate, and got a taste of the absolute darkness.

One could not see, one could no hear...anything...the endless and infinite darkness made one feel like they were going crazy. Not knowing if they were talking or thinking, if their eyes were open or closed, even if they were alive or dead. It was a horrible thing to put a 13 year old through, even if the family intended to just give him a taste. Yoh ran away from the darkness, but unlike so many others who had come here. ‘There was someone in there with me.’

The other students became scared of Yoh and distanced themselves from him. If it bothered Yoh he didn’t show it, he always seemed like he wasn’t there at times. He surprised his Grandfather three years later by asking to enter the Yomi Gate once again. The old man didn’t ask why, but agreed to Yoh’s request.

This time Yoh passed through the Yomi Gate, surprising everyone. Yoh was now the youngest in history to pass through the Yomi Gate unscathed, what he said next really surprised his elder. “I’m going back in.”

-x-

No one knew what Yoh was thinking, but didn’t stop him. The family grew concerned when Yoh didn’t come out right away. “Could he be meditating in the void?” That was unheard of, no one was able to stay in the void for so long.

Days passed and Yoh hadn’t left the Yomi Gate. Concerns raged on if the lad had died. “My son...please be alright...the fate of this family rests on you…”

A full week passed...

A spiritual tremor was felt. “What was that?”

“No...it couldn’t be...did the spirit of darkness get set free…?” Some of the strongest spirits in the Asakura family gathered for a battle. What came out was in fact Yoh.

“Yo, what’s everyone doing here?”

“Yoh...did you...did you speak to the Spirit of Darkness?” That shouldn’t be possible, no one should be able to even sense the Spirit of Darkness with it sealed. It’s presence was completely one with the darkness around it.

“Yeah, he was a cool guy!” He chuckled.

Jaws dropped. “A COOL GUY THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF DARKNESS, THE ULTIMATE EVIL SPIRIT!”

“He didn’t seem evil to me.” Yoh’s father was trembling in fear.

“My son please, don’t tell me...did you free the Spirit of Darkness.” The elders were on edge. There was something off about his son, a power, a tremendous power was with him. If Yoh answered wrong the elders would have no choice but to destroy him. They couldn’t risk Yoh turning to the dark side.

“No I didn’t, he said I wasn’t strong enough too. He said we could be friends though and he gave me a gift.”

“That’s enough!”

“He has to die.” Several Onmyoji charged at Yoh.

He chuckled. “He said you might try that. Spirit Integrate!” Black markings appeared all over Yoh’s body. He grew an extra set of arms, and his canines sharpened. Yoh vanished, dodging the attacks, he appeared behind them with a smirk.

“As if I’d let you harm...my friend!” The Spirit of Darkness spoke through Yoh.

“No, that isn’t possible.”

“How could he be free?”

“My essence exists even in a single part of me, as Yoh said I gave him a gift. One of my fingers.” The spirit chuckled. “Now I can always be by his side and protect him. My power is his to call on as he wishes.”

“What have you done to my son?”

“Oh the arms, that’s just a little bonus from me to him.”He waved his four arms about, testing them out. He smirked with Yoh’s face. “You’ve raised a special boy, I didn’t think anyone would sense my presence, but he did. He called out to me, and stirred me from my sealed slumber. He was so kind...”

“Enough we won’t let you hold the boy hostage.”

“We’ll end him along with you if we have to.” The elders attacked, releasing all of their mana.

“I told you…”In a flash he broke their mediums and destroyed their oversouls.“I won’t let you hurt him.”

Mikihisa couldn’t help but feel he had failed...again…

“You were right, they did attack me, that sucks.” Even his family had turned their backs on him.

“I’ll keep my promise Yoh, let us go!” Yoh nodded.

“Sorry I disappointed you, I’ll still do my best to become Shaman King!” The Spirit of Darkness opened up a dark gate and took Yoh away.

Mikihisa slid to the floor. “What have we done?”

-x-

Yoh disappeared for two years. His family tried to find him, but every technique came up dry. With an elemental spirit protecting him normal methods were useless. Yoh wouldn’t be found unless he wanted to be found.

Appearing randomly in a city in Japan. He had been traveling using his shaman skills to make money. With his savings he managed to purchase a haunted inn. Yoh got help from ghosts to clean up the place. The city was vast but it had a nice cemetery where you could see the stars. He befriended the ghosts hanging around there.

He enrolled in school to try and learn more about the world and there he would meet Manta. The boy also had the ability to see ghosts, though he had no shaman training. Manta was a bit on the short side, but he was all man below the belt.  Manta saw Yoh partying with ghosts.

It was weird but the two would become friends.

Manta wanted to expose Yoh and prove he saw what he really saw. He tried to tell everyone, but they all just laughed at him.Yoh wasn’t looking to draw attention to himself at school, so he kept a low profile. Much to Manta’s annoyance. The guy was so chill and tranquil it was hard to predict him. He decided to try and get pictures of Yoh at the graveyard, but...

Yoh wasn’t the only one who was visiting this place. A bike gang tried to make the place their hang out, and all they did was make noise, cause trouble, and fight anyone who came by. Too bad they came across Manta.

They beat him up bad, and this angered Yoh. “Apologize to Manta!” He unleashed his power.

The leader of the gang was Wooden Sword Ryu, his little gang was causing enough trouble for both the living and the dead. “It’s time for you to go.”

“We aren’t going anywhere get him boys!”

“Integrate!” Yoh fused with the Spirit of Darkness, he dispatched Ryu’s goons, making sure to break their weapons in the process.

“He...he’s got four arms!?” Ryu began to sweat. “What are you?”

He released their union, the extra arms vanishing into the darkness. “Someone else wants to punish you!”

Ryu had broken the headstone of the fallen samurai Amidamaru. He was looking for some payback. “Amidamaru Integrate!” He fused with the samurai spirit, drawing on his skills and power. Ryu didn’t stand a chance against the two together.

“What...are...you…?” He lost and lost a good chunk of his pompadour.

“I’m a shaman!” He boldly declared. Yoh’s actions caused many shamans to detect him. The Asakura family knew it was still too dangerous to go after him, especially with the shaman fight so close.

-x-

“It appears the lost heir to the Asakura family has appeared.”

“Normally a war between the Tao family and the Asakura family wouldn’t go well. That family has become known for it’s powerful shamans, they aren’t someone to trifle with.”

“However, their lost heir has appeared, the family has cut ties from him. If he were to die the Asakura Family couldn’t make a move against us.”

“Then there would be one less opponent for the Shaman King Tournament.” The Tao family discussed their plan.

“I’ll go, and see for myself if this shaman is so great.” Tao Ren stood up.

“Do not let your guard down, even we tried to find him before and were unable to track him. It’s possible he has a serious ghost under his control.”

“Then I’ll take it from him!” Ren smirked.

His father smirked back. “Good lad!”

To be continued...Ghosts Are Friends and More