-=Devil in Your Bleeding Face=-
::Oversoul::
Summary: Yoh is a private investigator and hasn't talked to any of his childhood friends in years. What happens when they return into his life, but they are all dead? Many suspicious connections tie Tao Ren to the corpses that are piling up at Yoh's feet. Discover the horrifying effects when the word "Oversoul" is taken literally. .. Slightly Alternate Universe... a slightly morbid view into Yoh's further, when he's about 20 years old.
Pairings: YohxHaoxRen
Rating: R, for twincest, hints of rape, violence... not for delicate minds ^^
* pay attention to the dates, that will make this story 5 million times easier to follow *
Disclaimer: Don't own Mankin. EEK! One more thing...
WARNING!!!: not only does this story contain shounen-ai, it has SPOILERS. There. I warned you.
...Now, let the games begin!
...:::===:::...
~* Chapter One *~
-=July, 2007=-
Sweat poured down his body, the heat of the summer season squeezing all moisture from Ren's pores.
"Hao! - - - You said – You told me!!" Ren panted and struggled against his bonds.
"What I told you was a lie, you poor, simple fool. Now I believe you have outlived your usefulness, Ren. Although, I must admit you did a good job of bringing my other half here." Hao gave a slight nod. One of his minions, a tall woman with long, light hair stepped forward. Ren's choked breaths caught in his tightened throat, and the flood of memories threatened to drown him. The woman in front of him was Mary.
"Hn," Ren snorted, disguising his discomfort well. "It's been a long time since I saw any of your gang still alive, Asakura."
"Consequently," the oppressor brought a gloved hand to his face to brush long locks of chocolate hair out of his eyes. "It's been a long time since you saw any of your 'gang' living either. However, you have no one but yourself to thank for that... Tao Ren." Hao smiled, his expression not of a person whose hands were soaked in blood from the murders he had committed over the years.
"Asakura!!!" Ren screamed, fighting harder still against the ropes holding his body captive. "You have no business using my full name! Call me what you would call the rest of your mindless tools, but *never* use my full name again!" His golden eyes shone maliciously as Ren spat out the words.
"You're in no position to tell me what or what not to call you," Hao's eyes sparkled. "Tao Ren." He ignored the other's death glare and attempts to kill him and continued. "You are bound; with people who have sworn to serve me surrounding you. Cords are wrapped tightly around your body... spreading you out- Oh my, looking so vulnerable with your body exposed like that." The bemused smile disappeared from Hao's lips.
"You might have been able to get out of this situation. In the old days, that is... But now you've forsaken the ways of the shaman, given up everything you worked so hard to be when my little brother beat you to the Shaman King crown. I'll never forget it. The look on all of your faces when I ate his pathetic little soul, but for once, I admit it... I felt complete. Anyways, I won't bore you with my emotional scars, little Ren, but I am determined to get my revenge on you – lovely people for nearly killing me. Too bad Yoh didn't finish me off properly when he had the chance; or else you might not be suffering this way right now Ren. And Anna and Lyserg and Manta and my mother and father and all the rest wouldn't be rotting in the ground. Ah well, you look hideous by the way, I can understand why. You've been fermenting down here for what... a week now Ren? No, must be more... It's too bad, I imagine you'd want to look your best for my other half too, don't you? But then again, he's no one too hard to impress. Still, I would expect he'll be disappointed when he finds you out" Hao finally concluded his monologue, but Ren didn't finish writhing.
Hao grinned once again at the boy who had been his slave for so long. I have had his body for over three years now, Hao thought secretly, but he still refuses to give me his heart.
"Yoh isn't like that!!" Ren retorted, breaking into Hao's musings. "You can't disappoint him no matter what you do..." Ren's voice lost it's sharpness.
"Oh Ren, Ren, Ren." Yoh's twin walked up to his captive and brushed a finger over Ren's lips. "If only he knew what these lips had carried... Don't you think he'd be at least slightly let down?" Hao started to laugh.
"SHUT UP!" Ren bellowed, so violent for a moment it appeared his bonds would break. Hao's chuckles grew into a full fit of merriment. Eventually, the laughter and mirth subsided. The sparkle from Hao's eyes had also disappeared.
"I think you have been allowed to live long enough. Mary," The previously summoned woman nodded and clicks were heard. "Put a couple of bullets in his stomach... Oh, and someone bring me our other honoured guest. – Ren, I'm going to enjoy watching every last drop of blood slip from your veins, dear boy. It's a shame this day has to come--- so suddenly. Tao Ren." Hao's eyes turned the colour of cold mud as he uttered the last word Ren would ever hear.
"Oversoul."
-=May, 2006=-
The twenty year-old propped his feet up comfortably on his desk. There was no one else in the small office to reprimand his for such bad manners, not even a secretary.
"Low budgets suck," he mumbled to no one in particular, spinning slightly in his ancient swivel chair. Yoh debated whether he should allow himself to sleep... there was nothing interesting for him to do. Only a whole hell of a lot of paperwork for some small claims case he might end up handing over to Natsukasa anyways.
Yoh sighed heavily. This week had been immensely boring, as had the week before it and the one previous to it as well. If only someone had told him Private Investigation would be like this before he signed up... If only someone had told him that he'd spend the rest of his life following around unfaithful spouses and investigating faulty relationships... He might have had a chance to go into something better. If only he hadn't started his own business, maybe he'd be having a little more fun somewhere else.
Technically, Yoh reflected dully, I'm not supposed to sleep or listen to music or leave the office for too long... Just in case a valued customer comes and I miss them. Yoh grinned. He had in fact broken this last rule more than the others. Today, for example, he had taken the liberty of adding an extra two hours onto his own lunch break.
Maybe he should leave the office early, after all, it was a Saturday afternoon and tomorrow he was closed. It wasn't as if anyone cared if he cut a bit of work. Natsukasa would just laugh, give him that same look and tell him what he always did when he heard about Yoh slacking off.
"Yoh, it's you who's getting screwed. If you don't take this seriously, it comes outta your own paycheck. Ya may wanna consider keeping open all week, and next time keep your own small claims case instead of handing it to me. This business isn't all fun and games, Mr. Junior Detective. There's a lot of paperwork and monotony involved. The detectives employed with the police force are the ones who get all the exciting murder cases. This ain't no t.v. Show drama Asakura." As always, Yoh would shrug it off and eventually fall back into his lazy habits.
Natsukasa seemed to be the only one Yoh knew who could endure the tons of paperwork and enjoy it. Yoh would have probably switched to police force employment a long time ago, except that working under someone else meant not deciding your own hours. Looking around his small office, Yoh, like so many times before considered if changing to the police force would be worth it. Then again, he could always bother Natsukasa and join his friend's own detective agency.
Although he knew his employer would watch him like a hawk, Yoh figured it would be exciting to have a fire lit under his lazy butt. At least he'd be occupied, not like this... No CDs, no headphones, he had never cared for reading, thus there were no books. There weren't even board games. (Other effects of a low budget.) The only thing non-business related in Yoh's simple office was Harusame [1]. The ancient katana from the days of his youth. Hung on the wall, it served as a constant reminder of those content but difficult times with all his companions... It had been so long since he'd heard from anyone. Not even Anna or Manta.
Yoh's midget friend had left Japan for America, Manta had liked the states too much too stay away from them for long. Kino and Yohmei, Yoh's grandparents had died almost 2 years ago now, and Anna had not felt bound by the engagement the two elders had committed them to.
"Yoh," Anna had said, about a year and a half ago before she went to university in Tokyo, "feelings change with the times. We were happy together when we were young, but now... Now things are different. You did not become the Shaman King... I know you won't be able to give me the easy life I want. Being a detective won't pay well, Yoh." Anna had sighed heavily here, choosing to pretend to ignore the hurt expression in her former fiancée's eyes. "Sayonara."
On a whim, Yoh jumped up and twisted the knob on the hotplate, after filling a small kettle with water. Taking a tub of Vanilla ice cream from the small fridge/freezer. As of late he had had an odd habit of putting a scoop of the frozen treat in his green tea. It took care of both milk and sugar, another odd habit that Yoh had picked up in America. Before his trip to the west, Yoh had never put neither sugar nor milk in his tea.
Figuring it'd be a little while for the hot plate to take action, Yoh sat back down. He looked at the door, and through the frosted glass of the window, he could make out the reversed letters of
~Asakura~
Private Investigations
Yoh grinned. Then again, the police force could wait. Seeing his own name on that door reminded him of the beauty of true independence.
Beside the door was an old-fashioned coat hook set, complete with Yoh's tan coloured trench coat and hat. Although he never wore the later, he felt it somehow added to his "mysterious looking detective" image.
The calmness of the lazy Saturday atmosphere was finally interrupted by a heavy knocking on the door. Immediately sitting up straight in his chair, Yoh told the person at the door to come in.
The other entered, and Yoh's eyes widened in surprise before he leaped out of his chair.
"Ren!" Yoh exclaimed, and managed in his shock to begin babbling happily. "Oh, Ren it's been such a long time hasn't it? You're the only one I've heard from in forever, but I'm so glad to see you. I was just making a cup of tea, you want one? How about some ice cream? Well, I guess you never liked it anyways... Sorry my office is so plain, it's just that money has been kinda low and-"
"shut up." Ren ordered the other firmly. Yoh looked slightly taken aback, but complied all the same. "You have to come with me Asakura." Ren had never called Yoh that since the very beginning. It was like starting over again. That aside, there was obviously something serious happening. Suddenly, an unbidden sound broke into the tension of the small dank room. A Siren. 2 and 2 made 4 In Yoh's mind, and the facts added up.
"Something terrible..." Yoh choked out. Ren seized Yoh's hand instead of replying. The younger man dragged the detective out of the room and down the hallway, leaving the kettle to boil and the ice cream to melt. Yoh never saw that office again.
...:::===:::...
"Ren!" Yoh shouted over the noise of the street crowds as the other pulled him by the hand through the masses of people. "Can't you tell me what's happened?" Yoh tried to keep up with the pace Ren was setting.
Ren pushed aside two teenagers in his haste, and yanked hard on Yoh's arm when the detective stopped to say sorry to the girls.
"Move next time!" Ren told the disgruntled young females, but they didn't hear his retort over the blaring sirens. As the two neared the city park, it was astounding to see the number of police cars and ambulances all congregated around the small area of trees and grass.
"Here," Ren indicated as he once again shoved bystanders out of his way. He and Yoh were now making their way to the center of the large groups of people who were obviously all looking at the same thing. Except for the sirens, the quietness of the area was un-nerving.
Finally, Ren had pulled and yanked his old friend to the inside of the circle of people who were being held back by yellow police tape.
Yoh choked on his breath as his eyes fell upon what everyone else was staring at. A woman, one year younger than himself, with long, sand coloured hair lay on the ground, shot six times in her back. The red scarf she wore around her neck mingled with the dark scarlet of the woman's own blood, which was flowing freely onto the pavement.
"A-Anna-"Yoh gasped for breath. Everything except him and the body lying in front of him faded out of existence. Yoh's detective mind instinctively replayed the scene of his former fiancée's death, even though he had not physically been there...
A pretty girl of 19 is taking a shortcut through the park, walking down the peaceful path. She stops to gaze up at the sky wondering if it will rain today. She continues to go through, taking her time on the asphalt paths. Suddenly, two metal bullets fly out, silenced for stealth and destroy everything. Before she turns around to try to see her attacker, she is shot three more times, and in the moment in which she falls, is hit one last time.
And now the boy she trained to become shaman King has grown up and seven years after the happy days of Harusame and "special training", that same boy is watching the blood seep out of a dying body. Her body.
Like that moment in time, the tears in the corners of Yoh's eyes were frozen. A thought floated into his grief-stricken mind...
This happened too soon.
The words echoed over and over as he watched her body be taken into an ambulance, and even while an officer asked if Yoh knew "the victim". He nodded once and vaguely noticed being taken into the same ambulance, Ren somehow managing to stay by his side.
Finally, Yoh tore his eyes away from Anna, around whom various emergency workers who were standing in the cramped space of the moving vehicle; still trying to save the woman from a cold, metallic death.
A momentary fire blazed on Yoh's arm and when he looked down, he saw two of Ren's fingers brush across his skin. Overcome by such a powerful grief, Yoh went limp and fell onto Ren, trying to control his breathing and stop his numbness. Ren was the only thing Yoh could feel in this frozen world... The only warmth he had.
Half expecting comfort to come, a tiny portion of Yoh's soul felt disheartened when Ren did nothing more to ease his pain.
Ignoring his disappointment, Yoh buried his head inside the crook of Ren's warm neck and closed his eyes, shutting out paramedics, trying to forget the smell of Anna's blood.
...-=*=-...
[1] Harusame: the sword that Amidamaru used ... yeah, just in case you didn't know what I was talking about.
A/N: like I said before, if you didn't pay attention to the dates, the first transition in the story probably confused you greatly. Sorry for any discomfort. Generally, I think the plan is that the glances into the future will eventually start to match up with the past. Yep. Does anyone else sense someone being blackmailed here? ^_^
::Oversoul::
Summary: Yoh is a private investigator and hasn't talked to any of his childhood friends in years. What happens when they return into his life, but they are all dead? Many suspicious connections tie Tao Ren to the corpses that are piling up at Yoh's feet. Discover the horrifying effects when the word "Oversoul" is taken literally. .. Slightly Alternate Universe... a slightly morbid view into Yoh's further, when he's about 20 years old.
Pairings: YohxHaoxRen
Rating: R, for twincest, hints of rape, violence... not for delicate minds ^^
* pay attention to the dates, that will make this story 5 million times easier to follow *
Disclaimer: Don't own Mankin. EEK! One more thing...
WARNING!!!: not only does this story contain shounen-ai, it has SPOILERS. There. I warned you.
...Now, let the games begin!
...:::===:::...
~* Chapter One *~
-=July, 2007=-
Sweat poured down his body, the heat of the summer season squeezing all moisture from Ren's pores.
"Hao! - - - You said – You told me!!" Ren panted and struggled against his bonds.
"What I told you was a lie, you poor, simple fool. Now I believe you have outlived your usefulness, Ren. Although, I must admit you did a good job of bringing my other half here." Hao gave a slight nod. One of his minions, a tall woman with long, light hair stepped forward. Ren's choked breaths caught in his tightened throat, and the flood of memories threatened to drown him. The woman in front of him was Mary.
"Hn," Ren snorted, disguising his discomfort well. "It's been a long time since I saw any of your gang still alive, Asakura."
"Consequently," the oppressor brought a gloved hand to his face to brush long locks of chocolate hair out of his eyes. "It's been a long time since you saw any of your 'gang' living either. However, you have no one but yourself to thank for that... Tao Ren." Hao smiled, his expression not of a person whose hands were soaked in blood from the murders he had committed over the years.
"Asakura!!!" Ren screamed, fighting harder still against the ropes holding his body captive. "You have no business using my full name! Call me what you would call the rest of your mindless tools, but *never* use my full name again!" His golden eyes shone maliciously as Ren spat out the words.
"You're in no position to tell me what or what not to call you," Hao's eyes sparkled. "Tao Ren." He ignored the other's death glare and attempts to kill him and continued. "You are bound; with people who have sworn to serve me surrounding you. Cords are wrapped tightly around your body... spreading you out- Oh my, looking so vulnerable with your body exposed like that." The bemused smile disappeared from Hao's lips.
"You might have been able to get out of this situation. In the old days, that is... But now you've forsaken the ways of the shaman, given up everything you worked so hard to be when my little brother beat you to the Shaman King crown. I'll never forget it. The look on all of your faces when I ate his pathetic little soul, but for once, I admit it... I felt complete. Anyways, I won't bore you with my emotional scars, little Ren, but I am determined to get my revenge on you – lovely people for nearly killing me. Too bad Yoh didn't finish me off properly when he had the chance; or else you might not be suffering this way right now Ren. And Anna and Lyserg and Manta and my mother and father and all the rest wouldn't be rotting in the ground. Ah well, you look hideous by the way, I can understand why. You've been fermenting down here for what... a week now Ren? No, must be more... It's too bad, I imagine you'd want to look your best for my other half too, don't you? But then again, he's no one too hard to impress. Still, I would expect he'll be disappointed when he finds you out" Hao finally concluded his monologue, but Ren didn't finish writhing.
Hao grinned once again at the boy who had been his slave for so long. I have had his body for over three years now, Hao thought secretly, but he still refuses to give me his heart.
"Yoh isn't like that!!" Ren retorted, breaking into Hao's musings. "You can't disappoint him no matter what you do..." Ren's voice lost it's sharpness.
"Oh Ren, Ren, Ren." Yoh's twin walked up to his captive and brushed a finger over Ren's lips. "If only he knew what these lips had carried... Don't you think he'd be at least slightly let down?" Hao started to laugh.
"SHUT UP!" Ren bellowed, so violent for a moment it appeared his bonds would break. Hao's chuckles grew into a full fit of merriment. Eventually, the laughter and mirth subsided. The sparkle from Hao's eyes had also disappeared.
"I think you have been allowed to live long enough. Mary," The previously summoned woman nodded and clicks were heard. "Put a couple of bullets in his stomach... Oh, and someone bring me our other honoured guest. – Ren, I'm going to enjoy watching every last drop of blood slip from your veins, dear boy. It's a shame this day has to come--- so suddenly. Tao Ren." Hao's eyes turned the colour of cold mud as he uttered the last word Ren would ever hear.
"Oversoul."
-=May, 2006=-
The twenty year-old propped his feet up comfortably on his desk. There was no one else in the small office to reprimand his for such bad manners, not even a secretary.
"Low budgets suck," he mumbled to no one in particular, spinning slightly in his ancient swivel chair. Yoh debated whether he should allow himself to sleep... there was nothing interesting for him to do. Only a whole hell of a lot of paperwork for some small claims case he might end up handing over to Natsukasa anyways.
Yoh sighed heavily. This week had been immensely boring, as had the week before it and the one previous to it as well. If only someone had told him Private Investigation would be like this before he signed up... If only someone had told him that he'd spend the rest of his life following around unfaithful spouses and investigating faulty relationships... He might have had a chance to go into something better. If only he hadn't started his own business, maybe he'd be having a little more fun somewhere else.
Technically, Yoh reflected dully, I'm not supposed to sleep or listen to music or leave the office for too long... Just in case a valued customer comes and I miss them. Yoh grinned. He had in fact broken this last rule more than the others. Today, for example, he had taken the liberty of adding an extra two hours onto his own lunch break.
Maybe he should leave the office early, after all, it was a Saturday afternoon and tomorrow he was closed. It wasn't as if anyone cared if he cut a bit of work. Natsukasa would just laugh, give him that same look and tell him what he always did when he heard about Yoh slacking off.
"Yoh, it's you who's getting screwed. If you don't take this seriously, it comes outta your own paycheck. Ya may wanna consider keeping open all week, and next time keep your own small claims case instead of handing it to me. This business isn't all fun and games, Mr. Junior Detective. There's a lot of paperwork and monotony involved. The detectives employed with the police force are the ones who get all the exciting murder cases. This ain't no t.v. Show drama Asakura." As always, Yoh would shrug it off and eventually fall back into his lazy habits.
Natsukasa seemed to be the only one Yoh knew who could endure the tons of paperwork and enjoy it. Yoh would have probably switched to police force employment a long time ago, except that working under someone else meant not deciding your own hours. Looking around his small office, Yoh, like so many times before considered if changing to the police force would be worth it. Then again, he could always bother Natsukasa and join his friend's own detective agency.
Although he knew his employer would watch him like a hawk, Yoh figured it would be exciting to have a fire lit under his lazy butt. At least he'd be occupied, not like this... No CDs, no headphones, he had never cared for reading, thus there were no books. There weren't even board games. (Other effects of a low budget.) The only thing non-business related in Yoh's simple office was Harusame [1]. The ancient katana from the days of his youth. Hung on the wall, it served as a constant reminder of those content but difficult times with all his companions... It had been so long since he'd heard from anyone. Not even Anna or Manta.
Yoh's midget friend had left Japan for America, Manta had liked the states too much too stay away from them for long. Kino and Yohmei, Yoh's grandparents had died almost 2 years ago now, and Anna had not felt bound by the engagement the two elders had committed them to.
"Yoh," Anna had said, about a year and a half ago before she went to university in Tokyo, "feelings change with the times. We were happy together when we were young, but now... Now things are different. You did not become the Shaman King... I know you won't be able to give me the easy life I want. Being a detective won't pay well, Yoh." Anna had sighed heavily here, choosing to pretend to ignore the hurt expression in her former fiancée's eyes. "Sayonara."
On a whim, Yoh jumped up and twisted the knob on the hotplate, after filling a small kettle with water. Taking a tub of Vanilla ice cream from the small fridge/freezer. As of late he had had an odd habit of putting a scoop of the frozen treat in his green tea. It took care of both milk and sugar, another odd habit that Yoh had picked up in America. Before his trip to the west, Yoh had never put neither sugar nor milk in his tea.
Figuring it'd be a little while for the hot plate to take action, Yoh sat back down. He looked at the door, and through the frosted glass of the window, he could make out the reversed letters of
~Asakura~
Private Investigations
Yoh grinned. Then again, the police force could wait. Seeing his own name on that door reminded him of the beauty of true independence.
Beside the door was an old-fashioned coat hook set, complete with Yoh's tan coloured trench coat and hat. Although he never wore the later, he felt it somehow added to his "mysterious looking detective" image.
The calmness of the lazy Saturday atmosphere was finally interrupted by a heavy knocking on the door. Immediately sitting up straight in his chair, Yoh told the person at the door to come in.
The other entered, and Yoh's eyes widened in surprise before he leaped out of his chair.
"Ren!" Yoh exclaimed, and managed in his shock to begin babbling happily. "Oh, Ren it's been such a long time hasn't it? You're the only one I've heard from in forever, but I'm so glad to see you. I was just making a cup of tea, you want one? How about some ice cream? Well, I guess you never liked it anyways... Sorry my office is so plain, it's just that money has been kinda low and-"
"shut up." Ren ordered the other firmly. Yoh looked slightly taken aback, but complied all the same. "You have to come with me Asakura." Ren had never called Yoh that since the very beginning. It was like starting over again. That aside, there was obviously something serious happening. Suddenly, an unbidden sound broke into the tension of the small dank room. A Siren. 2 and 2 made 4 In Yoh's mind, and the facts added up.
"Something terrible..." Yoh choked out. Ren seized Yoh's hand instead of replying. The younger man dragged the detective out of the room and down the hallway, leaving the kettle to boil and the ice cream to melt. Yoh never saw that office again.
...:::===:::...
"Ren!" Yoh shouted over the noise of the street crowds as the other pulled him by the hand through the masses of people. "Can't you tell me what's happened?" Yoh tried to keep up with the pace Ren was setting.
Ren pushed aside two teenagers in his haste, and yanked hard on Yoh's arm when the detective stopped to say sorry to the girls.
"Move next time!" Ren told the disgruntled young females, but they didn't hear his retort over the blaring sirens. As the two neared the city park, it was astounding to see the number of police cars and ambulances all congregated around the small area of trees and grass.
"Here," Ren indicated as he once again shoved bystanders out of his way. He and Yoh were now making their way to the center of the large groups of people who were obviously all looking at the same thing. Except for the sirens, the quietness of the area was un-nerving.
Finally, Ren had pulled and yanked his old friend to the inside of the circle of people who were being held back by yellow police tape.
Yoh choked on his breath as his eyes fell upon what everyone else was staring at. A woman, one year younger than himself, with long, sand coloured hair lay on the ground, shot six times in her back. The red scarf she wore around her neck mingled with the dark scarlet of the woman's own blood, which was flowing freely onto the pavement.
"A-Anna-"Yoh gasped for breath. Everything except him and the body lying in front of him faded out of existence. Yoh's detective mind instinctively replayed the scene of his former fiancée's death, even though he had not physically been there...
A pretty girl of 19 is taking a shortcut through the park, walking down the peaceful path. She stops to gaze up at the sky wondering if it will rain today. She continues to go through, taking her time on the asphalt paths. Suddenly, two metal bullets fly out, silenced for stealth and destroy everything. Before she turns around to try to see her attacker, she is shot three more times, and in the moment in which she falls, is hit one last time.
And now the boy she trained to become shaman King has grown up and seven years after the happy days of Harusame and "special training", that same boy is watching the blood seep out of a dying body. Her body.
Like that moment in time, the tears in the corners of Yoh's eyes were frozen. A thought floated into his grief-stricken mind...
This happened too soon.
The words echoed over and over as he watched her body be taken into an ambulance, and even while an officer asked if Yoh knew "the victim". He nodded once and vaguely noticed being taken into the same ambulance, Ren somehow managing to stay by his side.
Finally, Yoh tore his eyes away from Anna, around whom various emergency workers who were standing in the cramped space of the moving vehicle; still trying to save the woman from a cold, metallic death.
A momentary fire blazed on Yoh's arm and when he looked down, he saw two of Ren's fingers brush across his skin. Overcome by such a powerful grief, Yoh went limp and fell onto Ren, trying to control his breathing and stop his numbness. Ren was the only thing Yoh could feel in this frozen world... The only warmth he had.
Half expecting comfort to come, a tiny portion of Yoh's soul felt disheartened when Ren did nothing more to ease his pain.
Ignoring his disappointment, Yoh buried his head inside the crook of Ren's warm neck and closed his eyes, shutting out paramedics, trying to forget the smell of Anna's blood.
...-=*=-...
[1] Harusame: the sword that Amidamaru used ... yeah, just in case you didn't know what I was talking about.
A/N: like I said before, if you didn't pay attention to the dates, the first transition in the story probably confused you greatly. Sorry for any discomfort. Generally, I think the plan is that the glances into the future will eventually start to match up with the past. Yep. Does anyone else sense someone being blackmailed here? ^_^