The Eyes of a Boy

Summary: The Shaman Fight is over, but is Hao really dead? Yoh doesn't think so, which in extension means neither does anyone else. With the unwilling Lyserg and uncertain but willing Tamao leading the way, Yoh and friends manage to locate the bleeding, fading, Hao Asakura on the outskirts of the Patch Village. The question is no longer whether or not Hao is alive, but if Hao can live a normal life after all that he's done. Is it even possible to form bonds of friendship and trust with those he'd once tried to kill, or will their inability to see past the older Asakura brother's misdeeds push him even further away?

Anime/Manga: Shaman King

Pairing: Yoh/Anna

Genre: Romance/Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Humor

Rated: M for Mature Content

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T "READ" THE "MANGA"!

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Chapter One

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Yoh stared out the window of the Patch Hotel that he and the others, including Lyserg, had chosen to stay at for recuperation. Shamans who had lost prior to the fight between Yoh and Hao, were already packed and heading home, or packing to head home. Those who had been involved in Hao's downfall were given a free night at the Hotel for their efforts, and since technically, there was now no Shaman King, they had pretty much risked their lives to stop Hao, because none of them had become Shaman King...and if Hao was dead, than that meant there wasn't a Shaman King.

Be that as it may be, defeating Hao had left him more sad, than it had made the others...however, he still couldn't help but feel as if, maybe, Hao had survived.

Lyserg, from what Yoh had heard, was getting ready to leave for the first flight back to London; he was ready to go home. He'd mentioned something about going to a Detective School, and possibly following his fathers' footsteps in becoming a Dowser for a renowned Detective's Burrow.

He wasn't really sure what the remaining X-Law combatants would do, now that Hao was supposedly gone, and their reasons to continue with life were supposedly nil. Jeanne had been hanging out with Anna, talking about her own plans, though, from what Yoh recalled, his high-strung, precarious and influential fiancé held little care in her heart for the holy girl that had led the X-Laws all the way to the Shaman Fights in order to kill his twin.

Anna had actually sent him to bed early last night, but he hadn't slept a wink, and instead, he'd sat up thinking about the final battle with him and his older, twin brother. He couldn't shake it, it was there, Hao was there, and he knew...his brother needed him.

"Yoh?"

Looking up from where he sat, Yoh smiled his easy-going smile that had, initially, been what won most of his friends over...and even his fiancé. This smile, after multiple clashes, fights and arguments, had also won over his first Shaman friend, the very person who stood in his doorway, Tao Ren. "Hey, what's up Ren. I don't remember leaving the door open."

"You didn't," Ren frowned, walking in and shutting the door behind him, he leaned against it as he stared curiously at his laidback friend. "I knocked, quite a few times. I knew you were inside, Bason told me, but when you didn't answer, I...chose to forgo manners and check what was up with you."

"Awe," Yoh grinned, "were you worried, Ren?"

Ren scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous...I was merely...curious, yeah...curious."

Yoh nodded, "Yeah, right; I believe you."

"...so what's on your mind?"

Yoh stared at Ren, watching him curiously, he thought back to when he'd first met him, standing at the crossway on the street, he had felt a connection with the pointy haired Chinese boy even then, and even when they fought all of those seven months ago, he'd felt something warm coming from the cold boy. He had become something of a confidant to him; he couldn't deny having liked Ren when he'd first met him, even if their first meeting had been less than pleasant.

When Yoh didn't say anything, Ren moved to sit down across from him, knowing he would speak once ready.

Yoh smiled, "Sorry Ren, I can't seem to concentrate on much of anything at the moment."

"What's going on in that thick head of yours, Yoh?"

"It's not so much my head...as it is my heart."

"Eh..." Ren felt himself go stone-faced, readying himself for a mad dash towards the door, "Should I go get Lyserg or Ryu? You know I don't do this sappy and overly-sentimental, a-k-a, nauseating, tête-à-tête..." Not to be confused with a lack of caring as much as...no, he just didn't care. It could be noted that Ren did not like fluffy things...and feelings clearly...fell under fluffy.

"..." Yoh laughed softly, "I would rather talk to you about this, I'm sure you'll be upset if I don't tell you..."

This had clearly caught Ren's attention. Really, after keeping from him his relation to Hao, what could upset him? Even that hadn't made him mad, and that was big news...well, big news to everyone who hadn't already started to assume they were related in some way, shape or form. Wanting so badly not to talk about feelings and fluffy things, Ren sighed and resigned himself to sitting and waiting for his friend to continue. He would most likely have to consistently remind himself of the fact that Yoh was, indeed, his friend, if he were to make it through this discussion.

"Well, before I tell you, I want to explain that this is just a feeling."

Ren raised a brow, propping his head on his hand, his elbow stationed on his knee as he sat Indian style before Yoh. Mentally, he was praying that the boy wasn't about to confess hidden feelings of love for him.

"...I don't think Hao is dead."

Eyes widened at the thought of Hao having survived the fight that had taken place only yesterday. "...what...Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why would you think Hao is still alive?" No...No Ren was not afraid of the human hating Shaman...he was just tired of having to deal with him. For seven months, he had strived to get strong enough to be on par with the evil Asakura twin, and was finally able to relax and have a decent sleep last night with the calling of yesterdays fight being in Yoh's favor. He had considered himself lucky, being the fact that he'd been dead not all that long ago, and had it not been for the iron maiden nutcase he would still be dead, but that didn't mean he wanted to think of the chances of reliving such trauma all over again. Hao may not have been the one to kill him directly, but it was his cronies that did him in. So, he thought it was reasonable, not wanting Hao to live...considering...

Yoh sighed, "Like I said...it's just a feeling in my heart. Like...this nagging in the back of my mind, telling me that he's alive, he's hurt, he's scared...he needs me..." Yoh shook his head, "No, it's more than just a feeling," He felt himself lower to the floor himself, tired from the lack of sleep, the over exertion, and the worrying that was straining him both mentally and physically. "I can feel it, Ren...and...I'm happy." A soft look passed over his mocha brown orbs, "I'm happy he's alive...I couldn't live with myself if I'd killed my own brother. He's blood, no matter what his beliefs are, he's my older brother, my twin, and as much apart of me as my own flesh, more so, because our souls are linked, and if he'd really died, I know...a part of me would have died to."

Ren closed his eyes before standing and staring Yoh dead in the eyes, "Are you positive?"

"...yes."

"Fine, I'll be right back. I'm going to go get Anna, Lyserg and Tamao."

"Why them?"

"Lyserg, because he's a dowser, and if Hao is hurt, he'll be too weak to block him or anyone else from finding him. Tamao, because she's an Ascetic and Divination Shaman, she'll be able to help us find him too. Anna's a given, she's your fiancé and if we leave...she's going to come along. Telling the others is your choice, but if you don't, and bring Hao here, it's going to cause more than a few issues."

"...mm, I'll wait here then."

Ren nodded, leaving the room, the door was left open and Yoh was left staring in wonder at the door. 'Hao...' He could feel his brother was afraid, and even though he knew Hao would deny such things as fear, he knew everyone had something they were afraid of. Hao, Yoh couldn't help but wonder if it was death he feared...or the knowledge that he was alone. It was weird, but even in the past, Hao had surrounded himself with followers, and now, he was lying somewhere, all alone, and dying. Surely that was a good reason for being afraid...right?

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Anna had been outside with Tamao and Jeanne, enjoying the first rays of light in the cool of the early morning. This wasn't the first time she'd found herself in Tamao's company...however, she couldn't say the same thing for Jeanne. It was strange, since she believed the girl to be out of her mind, but...she was nice, still outlandish in her choice of lifestyle, but nice all the same.

"Anna,"

She turned, looking at the pointy haired boy who had interrupted her peaceful time outside. The other reason for enjoying her time with the pinkette and white haired girl was that they knew when she wanted peace and quiet, and now was that time. "What is it Ren?"

"A word, Yoh needs to speak with you and Tamao. It's important."

"Hm?" She raised a brow at his cryptic justification for pulling her from such a relaxing occasion. "Important to Yoh, or important to you?"

"...what's important to Yoh is important to me," He said it honestly and without a doubt, making sure they knew just how serious he was. "Yoh was my first friend; I would do anything to help him, just like he's done for me."

"...alright, alright...Jeanne, we will be back, I'm sure this won't take long. If it's Yoh, he's probably going to try and con his way out of going to school or something once we get back."

"..." Ren sighed, 'You'll probably wish he had once you hear what he has to say.'

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Yoh was leaning up against his window, looking out over his shoulder a bit as he watched the people below get ready for the long flight back. "Hope they don't get dropped out of the plane again..."

"Yes, that would no doubt be an unpleasant journey back home."

Yoh smiled, turning to see Lyserg standing with his bag packed and slung carefully over his shoulder. In his hand, Morphea sat watching Yoh curiously. "Yes, I suppose it would. Do you mind waiting in here with me. Ren went to find you, Anna and Tamao, and so, if you wait here, he can just bring the girls and we can get started."

Lyserg tilted his head in wonder, but walked in and sat down none the less, patiently waiting for Ren, Anna and Tamao to come up stairs.

It didn't take long, as the three entered the room only ten minutes later, an irritated Ren glared at Lyserg. "There you are, I was looking for you." He turned to Yoh, "Couldn't you have sent Amidamaru to find me and tell me he was already here?"

Yoh smiled, "Couldn't you have sent Bason to find him?"

"..." Ren blushed, "Never mind."

Anna rolled her eyes. "The dead are throwing their own little party outside, since most people are still asleep this early in the morning; which, Yoh, makes me curious as to why a lazy guy like you are still wide awake. Did you even go to sleep last night?"

He laughed, closing his eyes sheepishly, "Na, sorry Anna, I just couldn't sleep."

She looked him over curiously before sitting down next to Lyserg on Yoh's bed. "So what's on your mind, Yoh?"

"Why does everyone think it's my mind that's doing all the work?"

"Good point, I forget that you don't always use what's in your head." She glared, "No more joking, what is it you wanted to say!"

He was quiet for a moment, not sure how he should go about saying this, especially with Lyserg standing right there. "Well, it's just, I have this feeling that Hao is still alive. He's hurt, and he needs help, but he's out there..."

"..."

Ren leaned against the wall, curious what the end verdict would actually be.

"What?" Lyserg looked fear stricken, "A-alive?"

Yoh nodded, "Yeah..."

"And let me guess, Yoh..." Anna stood up and crossed her arms over her chest, "You want us to go find him, is that correct?"

"Yep," He grinned.

"And kill him, right?"

Ren watched the dowser as he started to shake, "Settle down, Lyserg. Clearly Hao is hurt pretty badly, he's too weak to call on S.O.F, otherwise, he would have already tried to kill Yoh."

Lyserg scoffed, "Hao isn't the type to throw a tantrum after losing and come running back swinging blindly. He is probably devising a plan or gathering more followers. You don't know him at all!"

"...no...I don't think so. I think Hao is exactly the type to throw a tantrum. You didn't see him the way I did. When he became the Shaman King, when his heart was clouded...he only wanted his mother, to see her again. He is just like a child, Lyserg, he would throw a tantrum." Yoh smiled, "Trust me, I know him better than anyone here...I only wish the fight hadn't ended the way it did, that maybe he had seen...his mother has always been there..." Sighing, Yoh looked up at his fiancé with a sad smile, "Anna, everyone has condemned him to nothing more than a villain...but there is so much more to him than what everyone see's. The Patch, X-Law's, and every other combatant in this tournament, not to mention my own family...has tried to kill him..."

Everyone listened carefully; Tamao nervously watched as Yoh tried to convince them to help him.

"Clearly killing him isn't the best idea to go off of, since every time he dies, he comes back five hundred years stronger...I want to try something different..." He held her gaze for a few minutes, raw determination filtered his eyes. "Anna, let me be there for him."

Staring at him in wonder, pondering over the chance that helping Hao would actually end badly, she sighed. "...fine, Tamao and Lyserg will help you locate him, but if he makes one wrong move, Yoh...I'll send him to the afterlife myself." She stood with Tamao and made to exit the door, "We will be downstairs in ten minutes, be ready to leave in five." She left the boys staring at the now empty doorway.

Furiously, but resigned none the less, Lyserg walked out of the room with his stuff, stooping at the door, similarly to the way Anna had, he turned to look over his shoulder, "I'll help you find him, and I'll help bring him back, but after that, I'm going home to London...you will never hear from me again...I want nothing to do with that monster."

Ren and Yoh were now left alone, Yoh sighed, "It could have been worse...I just hope Lyserg comes around."

Ren said nothing on that subject, since it wasn't his place. "Do you want me to tell the others, or will you do that when we get back?"

"...we?"

Ren smirked, "You don't think I'm going to let you go find that power hungry moron with only two girls and a pixie brat to protect you, do you?"

"...hahaha, no, I guess not...heh heh heh..." He chuckled, "Although, Anna is a great bodyguard..."

Ren couldn't argue that, the girl was deadly.

"We will tell them once Hao is safely inside my room, and away from prying eyes. I'll explain it all, and while I'm doing that, do you think you can stay and watch over him until I'm done?"

"Mm, yeah...now, let's go get Bason and Amidamaru..."

"Right!" Yoh followed his friend out of his room, not bothering to shut the door to the empty room. He wasn't sure what would come from this...but he hoped it would all work out. '...no...everything will work out...'

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Me: Chapter One...DONE! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Love, Akuma~