Yaay, second chapter!
Special thanks to my awesome beta: NightOwlCC
Enjoy!

Yoh got up in the morning much more tired than when he went to bed. His thoughts about his brother didn't let him sleep properly; he tossed and turned all night. He had to see him. Desperately. And he wasn't sure how would he be able to last until the late evening. There was a longing, deep inside of him; the desire to feel that warm skin again, to hear the gentle voice of the other.

All of his friends thought of Hao like he was some kind of demon, a monster without a soul or feelings, the one with whom there is no reasoning and who would kill all of them whenever he felt like doing it. Yoh knew that was not quite true. Well… at least he hoped that the glimpse of Hao's hesitation and his invitation for the evening were signs that he couldn't be that bad. Perhaps...

During breakfast, Ren Tao looked at Yoh carefully. It was so unlike him to be so quiet and almost… dissociated from reality. Something must have happened - he was sure of it. And it was something that Yoh wanted to keep from them… Ren's eyes narrowed. Oh. That. There was only one possible explanation, considering all the facts - the crazy fire shaman, Hao. He sighed. It wasn't that he worried about Yoh - of course, people like Ren Tao never worried about anyone, right? It was just a mild concern, because he didn't want to fight a weakling - he promised him that he will overpass him, after all. He just needed a challenge. But still…

When Yoh left the inn, Ren made sure that they went out together and that they were alone.
"Yoh… don't let that bastard mess with you. Your first fight in this round is still yet to come. Don't allow yourself to become… weak." he stated sharply. Yoh stopped suddenly.
"Everything will be all right." he replied quietly. "I need answers, and I'm going to get them." He didn't look Ren in the eyes.
"Yeah, sure, you idiot." snorted Ren. "Whatever. Take care of yourself. I will keep an eye on you." he finished simply.
That conversation had only increased his worries, though he hated to admit it, even to himself. Yoh… what has happened to you? He decided that he needed to act on that matter somehow. And he had an idea how...

Meanwhile, Hao was supervising the training of his supporters. Not that he cared a lot, but they were useful and strong enough to deserve at least a bit of his sympathy. They would become a part of his kingdom very soon… also, he was proud that they have been making such a great progress under his care. They could very well take care of themselves now, in fact. But… he needed to fill up his time until the evening with something. He didn't look like it, he never did, but he was nervous. A little.
Suddenly, he felt a new stream of thoughts - someone was approaching him. Oh… young Tao. Good, he was going to talk to him anyway. He winced, however - the thoughts of the other were focused on Yoh… why did Tao seem so concerned about him? Did something happen to him? And why, from all people, did he decide to come up to Hao with this?
"Got lost?" he asked innocently, turning to face Ren.
"Stop fooling around. If what they say about your abilities is true, you already know why I came here." he stated angrily.
"More or less." Hao gave him a mild smile. He liked Tao - he was 'straight to the point'. It would be good to have him on his side.
"Let's be done with this quickly. You hurt Yoh, and I will find you, and I will kill you. Slowly. Painfully. You would suffer for every second you even though of hurting him." Ren hissed. Hao looked at the young Tao, astonished. And then... he started to laugh uncontrollably. Oh, that kid was so amusing! He never expected him to hold such deep affection for Yoh. But this…! He really thought that his babbling would make any difference, as if Tao could even scratch him…! Pathetic. All of a sudden he stopped laughing and appeared just a few inches from Ren's ear.
"Don't worry, I would never hurt my little brother… he is too important to me." he whispered. "You, Tao Ren, on the other hand… what makes you think I won't kill you right here and now?" he smiled viciously. Ren didn't move away, he didn't even shiver - his face looked as stiff as mask.
"Because if you did, you would hurt Yoh." he answered with a delicate smile.
Hao took a step back, looking at Ren with an inscrutable expression.
"I would really like to have you as my supporter…" he said slowly, then turned back to face the training field. "You'd better leave now." he ended the conversation. Tao chuckled, but did as instructed. He really felt like he won. For now.

Yoh was wandering through the village, killing time, which was passing so slowly it was almost unbearable. The streets in the Patch village looked identical, with all the white buildings, and he no longer had any idea where he was or where he was going. It didn't bother him much, though. Just to survive until the evening…He obviously could do something more productive - read, train, even just sit and relax with his friends. But he just couldn't stay in one place or focus on anything right now. So he walked… suddenly, he fell to his knees. He saw…

...fire, a lot of fire, the noises, the screams, the pain... oh, god, how it hurt... it hurt, it hurt! Why, God? Why me? Why now? Please don't let her burn, don't let her suffer... OH, NO, NO! STAY AWAY! Run... run, run now, far away... The forest... The forest; good, dark forest…

...he choked. What on earth was that? It was like a memory, an incredibly vivid memory, though he couldn't locate it anywhere in time and space. He panted heavily, like he had really been running fast just a moment before, his chest rising and falling in desperate attempts to catch some fresh air. The overhelming pain was slowly disappearing, though he still felt sick after what he… not really saw, the image was very blurred, but felt. He looked up towards the sky. The sun was setting, so he decided that he might as well go to the cliff right now. Maybe Hao would help him ease his mind and explain what happened… maybe in his thousand years long experience he had witnessed something similar. Climbing up, he wished so badly for his brother to be already there. And gladly, he was; just like yesterday. Yoh sighed with relief. That was good. He stood quietly, not sure what to do or say.
"Oh, my, what a mess..." Hao sighed. "Your mind, I mean."
He acted calm, like everything was in a perfect order, but winced inside - he found something in Yoh's mind what shouldn't have been there. How was that even possible…? Yoh came closer and sat heavily on the ground, immediately resting his head on Hao's shoulder.
"I had… a flashback. I think. Sort of, at least. I don't really know what it was, but it was so… terrifying." Yoh said quietly. "Do you have any idea what could that be?"
Hao sat in silence. He wasn't sure how much could he tell him… he wasn't even sure he himself knew what to say.
"I have a suspicion… but I need to verify that. Until then… don't stress over it too much." Hao sighed finally. His little brother was sometimes so… troublesome. Hao felt that Yoh was definitely not satisfied with the answer, so he stroked his hair. "Now, now. What is that you always say?'Everything is going to work out', right?" he smiled warmly. Yoh chuckled.
"You really aren't as bad as they make you seem…"
"Aye. So, willing to join me now?" Hao smiled playfully.
"In your dreams. How about you joining me?" grinned Yoh.
"Forget it."

It was so soothing… it just felt right, having his brother, laughing with him… even if their ideologies were completely different, they were able to respect each other and forget about the conflict. Just for a little while… just for a few moments more.
But for now, that evening, they had a lot of time. Time to talk and catch up… and who can tell what the future holds?