A/N: Takes place postmanga, with some minor SPOILERS!

"Come on, Yunyun, fight me for real!", Hotaru swiped at Yuan with his sword.

Yuan dodged cleverly to the side, while trying to protect the apple in his hand.

"Come on, boy, gimme a break here!" Yuan ducked again as Hotaru lunged at him. "I'm way too busy to spar with you." He turned away as he mumbled, "and I already told you not to call me that. Call me Yuan, your Invincible Sensei!"

Hotaru answered with a quick slash, "And I've already told you, you're not my sensei!" Another swipe with the sword. "And don't you dare change the subject!"

Dammit, it didn't work, thought Yuan. He took a bite out of his apple and tried desperately to think of a way to avert his ex-student's anger.

"I can't believe you were holding out on me like that!" Hotaru leapt in front of Yuan as Yuan tried to run away. "After all that talk of fighting to the death," followed by another attack, "you didn't even use your best techniques! Was I not good enough for you to use your best attacks on? Huh? How dare you insult me like that!"

Yuan blocked Hotaru's sword, and stuck his tongue out in appeasement. "I already told you, I got too caught up in the heat of the moment. Besides, sparring with my bare hands and feet is so much more fun!"

Hotaru returned with another cut, "And that's your excuse?" His eyes were getting redder by the minute…particularly his right eye.

Yuan noticed, to his consternation. "H-Hold…hold on, Hotaru, j-just a minute here….calm down, will ya? It's so close to dinner time, a-and you know that Anna is going to yell at us if we're late…"

At the mention of food, the force of Hotaru's attacks seemed to have lessened. He appeared to be thinking this over, and not really paying attention to fighting Yuan.

Renewed hope kindled within Yuan. He has never felt so grateful to Anna. Maybe….

"Oh yeah….. dinner time, is it?" Hotaru looked up at the weathered clock on the back wall of the dojo. "I'm getting hungry…" He rubs his stomach absently.

Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Trouble was diverted, at least for the day. He approached Hotaru, and placed an arm companionably around Hotaru's shoulder, fully intending to lead Hotaru back to his house.

"Come on, let's go together…Anna will surely be waiting for us…" Hotaru put up no resistance, and the master and student started towards the exit of the dojo.

They managed to walk a full two steps.

"Ma'oh-en!" Hotaru announced.

Flames engulfed Yuan, who leapt away from Hotaru, and tried frantically to extinguish the flames on himself.

Coughing and wheezing at the hot flames, Yuan panted, "Geez, Hotaru! What did you do that for?"

Hotaru advanced menacingly toward Yuan, "That trick won't work on me again! You are NOT going to distract me from exacting the fight I deserve from you!"

Yuan failed to look repentant. "Hey, it was worth a shot." I guess after 143 times of using the same excuse, it's about time Hotaru catches on. He ducked his head. "Why are you being so stubborn all of a sudden? It's not like you to get so worked up over something so small…AHHH….."

Hotaru kindled the flames around his double-sided sword, and continued his attacks on Yuan.

"Small? Just a small thing, is it?" Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say. "You think you can save your best techniques for Hishigi? And not give me a chance? Is that what you think of me? You're going to pay for that!"

Yuan dodged another strike from Hotaru, and rolled away from the smattering of flames that are now engulfing the dojo. At this rate, there won't BE a dojo left… I gotta think of something…. Yuan looks around for some inspiration to strike.

Meanwhile, Hotaru is getting more and more frustrated. "How am I supposed to get stronger if you won't fight me for real? I still have Kyo to beat too." The list of people to fight grew long, and Hotaru is rather impatient to get started.

There is no help for it, thought Yuan, I will have to fight. Although he is my favourite student, although he is like family, he is going to keep harassing me until I give in.

"You're really not going to give up, are you, Hotaru?" Yuan sighed, while sidestepping nimbly from a stream of fiery stream emanating from Hotaru's sword. "That's just like you, Hotaru. I have never seen you so intense about anything in life, except fighting. You know, you can do so much with that intensity of yours, if you weren't so focused on only battling people."

"Shut up, you! You're starting to sound like Shinrei," grumbled Hotaru, and slashed at Yuan, "All you guys talk way too much. Just shut up and fight me for real!"

Yuan turned to the side, and said, "Looks like you aren't going to give up…. Alright, alright! I'll give you that fight you so desperately want. But don't complain if you don't get to live through it!"

A slight smile showed on Hotaru's poker face. "Finally!"

"But no flames, Hotaru. I don't want my dojo to burn down again." Yuan stipulated the conditions of the fight.

"Yeah yeah, fine, fine," Hotaru tossed a sword at Yuan, "As long as you fight me seriously, I'll do whatever you want."

There is really no help for it. If I don't do this, Hotaru will never quit. Yuan stood off to one side, and gestured for Hotaru to attack. Desperate times calls for desperate measures.

With a few quick slashes, Hotaru charged at Yuan.

So the fight begins.

Yuan lifted his sword with his right arm and blocked Hotaru's attack, while simultaneously extending his left arm.

And used his Illusionary Eye on Hotaru.

"Whaa….." a brief exclamation escaped from Hotaru.

Hotaru starts sparring against an unknown opponent, and starts moving around, but away from Yuan, as if seeing and fighting an invisible opponent.

"There, that should hold him for a while," Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and turned away, fully intending on enjoying the rest of his apple. He looked puzzled for a second. "Although, people don't usually move around when under my Eye. I guess I should expect this from a member of the Goyousei, and from my own student, to be able to resist the physical impediments that should be brought on by it. ….Hmm, oh well."

Yuan shrugged and strolled away, and started walking back to his house. Another disaster averted for the day.

"A guy can never fully enjoy a moment of peace around here," he mumbled under his breath as he continued down the dark hall, "Especially with that pigheaded Hotaru around."

10 minutes later

"Yo, Anthony, pass the soy sauce, will ya?" Yuan called out, while stuffing his face full of rice. He never heard the door slam open behind him.

"Yuan, youuuuuuuu!"

A black flame came up around Yuan, and enveloped him, chopsticks and all.

"Ack! Hotaru!"

A red-faced Hotaru appeared before Yuan. He gripped his sword in hand, fully intending to cut Yuan down where he sat.

"H-H-How did you escape from my Illusionary Eye so soon?" A very crisp Yuan stammered in front of a furious Hotaru. Hotaru's right eye is glowing red like never before. He swung his sword forward…

Anna launched a bucket at Hotaru, which, as usual, had perfect aim. It slammed into Hotaru's head, and knocked him over. "I've said countless times before, Hotaru! NO FIGHTING AT THE TABLE!"

A few tense moments later, a disgruntled, but visibly calmer Hotaru appeared from underneath the table. "I'll get you for this later, Yuan," he shot a murderous glare at Yuan, and picked up his rice bowl and chopsticks.

Normal conversation resumed at the table, although a mite subdued due to the lingering smoke that permeated the small dining room.

Kirian mumbled to Erian, "Darn, no more sashimi tonight."

Erian replied, "Well, just think of it as smoked salmon…"

Both tried very hard not to laugh at Hotaru's disgruntled face.

Anjelica asked in concern, "What happened to you, Hotaru?"

"I crashed into the wall," Hotaru rubbed the bump on his forehead in disgust. "I can't believe I fell for that cheap trick of yours again, Yuan…You wait. I'm gonna get you for this."

Notes:

I don't know what the real translation is. For those of you who don't know, Yuan had a tattoo on the back of his left hand. When used on the enemy, he is able to cause them to see any type of illusions he chooses.

What do you guys think? Hope the ending was not disappointing... :)