Besarki: Late? Pfft. This isn't late. No way. I mean, what, two months. That's not too long. Next chapter is going to be a five month gap. *Is struck with her own crowbar* WHAT! I was just kidding! Just kidding! Anyway, we do have an excuse for taking so long. (Cut-and-dry: Midterms, finals, and holiday prep. HARD TO FIND TIME FOR WRITING!) But regardless, we got it done and that's all that matters in the long run, eh?

Smart Angel: Sorry about the delay! Hao kidnapped us and told us not to write. He did it!! I swear! That's the only reaon why we haven't updated!

Besarki: For a kid who loves Hao so damn much she sure blames him for a lot. XD Anyway, for whatever reason, I LOVED this chapter. I have no idea why. Dunno if Smartsy did, but I loved it. It took damn long enough, but I think you'll all be pretty pleased with it. AWAY!

Concerning chapter 6's title: A while ago, we told you that the title Chasing Butterflies was a double meaning for an upcoming problem and a major theme throughout this story. Chasing Butterflies is, in fact, a metaphor. Some of you may have heard of it before. We used it in a bit of a different mindset (chasing fantasies and desired outcomes rather than facing the truth) though the main idea is the same. In the chapter, Seyrarm is literally chasing the insects around, however, that was actually there as a trick, a red herring, if you will. The true meaning of the chapter title metaphor is as follows:

When you're chasing butterflies, you're not paying attention to the rest of the world, even as it's crashing down around you.

Chew on that for a while. :)


It was the middle of the day, and Hana was sitting by his bed looking at the folded-corner photograph of his parents. It was a picture he used to carry everywhere after he found out who his real parents were. He was angry for the fact that they left him, but truth to be told, secretly he was always excited to meet his them. He was relieved to find out Tamao wasn't his real mother. In his head he would, sometimes, imagine how his life would change when his real parents came back. He would picture him waiting for them to pick him up at school, and then they taking him tot he park, watching him during his little league soccer game. He imagined his mother standing up for him when the principle called and accused him of something. He pictured them as a normal family.

What a disappointment it was when the first night they spent home was drinking and discussing how they wanted their heirs to be the Shaman King. They hardly talked, and his dad got so drunk he slept in the living room. In the morning Tamao was the one who woke him up and helped him get dressed, brushing his hair while he ate the breakfast Ryu cooked for him, nagging about how he slept too much. It was a normal morning, like his parents had never been there to begin with.

And from there, it all went downhill.

Sighing, Hana took another good look at the picture. His mother was holding him, smiling sweetly, her eyes on his face. His father had an arm around his mother's shoulder, his free hand's fingers were being held by the little baby in the image.

It was so weird... They looked like loving parents in that picture. Like they actually cared for him. His father did seem a little more friendly during this time period, less of an idiot than in the future. But his mother...well, she was nicer now than she had been in the beginning. But she wasn't like Yoh either. Maybe it was because she doesn't know what he was to her? Not that Yoh did, either, but...

But, regardless, even if she did...would that really make a difference? Would they love him and act like real parents, just like in the picture?

When did all that change?

"Hana?" A voice called from the door.

The young shaman jumped, his eyes the size of saucers, and hurriedly shoved the picture into his pocket, praying all the while that it didn't get even more bent or torn. Then, as quickly as possible, Hana turned his body around to face the speaker.

It was Yoh, as he figured.

"Hi," Hana greeted, somewhat deflated.

Yoh smiled weakly. "How are you feeling?"

Hana shrugged. Confused? Conflicted? Lost? "I'm fine."

His father retained his smile as took a seat on the bed beside him. Staying true to form, he was quick to gingerly place a comforting arm around his companion's shoulders. "I've never been in a situation quite as bizarre as yours--"

You have no idea, Hana muttered mentally.

"--and I can only imagine just how difficult this must be for you, but...I want you to know, Hana, that no matter what happens...we're going to help you get through this. No matter what, we're going to help you. I promise."

Hana turned away, not knowing what to say to this wonderfully kind man who would one day become his good-for-nothing father.

He can't know, A somber voice in his head whispered.

But what if...what if he does find out? What if, horrified by what will become of him, he'll rebel and prevent everything that will happen?

Like you?

His head fell. It was a subject he didn't want to address, but it was a definite possibility, however unsavory it may seem.

He was unwanted, and if fading out of existence meant a brighter future for everyone else, then who was he to tangle with destiny?

Who was he...

Hana's eyes turned away. Slowly, they trailed to and out the window where a godly face watched him from the clouds.

-------

Yoh noticed that Hana had again that look in his eyes. The look that told him he was thinking about something, not paying attention to anything around. That something, Yoh guessed, was the secret he kept from everyone. Something to do with his past and with the reason he was here. Something that caused his heart to ache... Something probably to do with his parents.

Yoh sighed. He wanted to help that little boy. He never liked to see people in pain, but for some reason, he just couldn't figure out what was wrong. Hana was too closed. He wouldn't let anyone in. Something must have happened that made him like that.

And to help Hana, Yoh would have to get the blond boy to trust him.

"Are you alright, Hana? You haven't said a word since the match began."

The youth shrugged indifferently. In his mind were a thousand different problems--his time, his parents, how he got here, how he got back, if he wanted to go back, where his uncle went, what his parents were doing, why this younger Yoh cared, whether or not the younger Anna cared, why Yoh was the only one to come to this battle, who this Manta kid was that Yoh kept blabbing about, where the Munzers had gone, why the heck he cared, why the heck anyone cared, and the morbid curiosity as to how his brain had yet to explode from the intensive battle within it.

Hana sighed. No, he wasn't okay at all.

But he wasn't about to tell Yoh that.

"Yeah, Onii-chan. I'm fine."

Yoh frowned. "I won't push you, but you don't look fine."

Hana shot him a withering glance, and Yoh went abruptly silent. Hana felt bad, especially after the events that had unfolded the night before, but he didn't owe anyone an explanation, and even if he did, he wasn't ready to give one either way.

As Yoh stared quietly down at the battlefield, Hana's eyes wandered across the stands where he made eye contact with someone who had been on his mind only moments before.

What is that idiot looking at? He mentally growled.

Hao noticed the little boy who finally noticed his stare. He opened a small smirk, as if to show him that he was indeed paying close attention to his every move. As a response Hana frowned and stuck his tongue out, a rather childish gesture that both surprised and amused Hao.

Really, this boy was so interesting... So full of secrets. He had some connections with the Asakura Family, that Hao was sure of. But he wasn't an Asakura, at least not one Hao was aware of, and he kept a close eye on that family, since they were his biggest obstacle to overcome in order to become the Shaman King.

And then there was the fact he couldn't read his mind, which only added to the mystery.

Who was that mysterious Hana?

Hao was going to find out...soon.

A frigid shiver ran down Hana's spine at his uncle's smile. He wasn't scared--no way. No matter how the all-powerful shaman acted, Hana knew, deep down, Hao was a good person. His father had assured him so, and he wouldn't lie to him. Not about that...would he?

"Don't let him intimidate you," Came a voice from beside him.

Hana startled, and quickly turned his head towards the right.

Anna was sitting with her arms crossed, staring down at the battlefield, just as she had been the entire fight.

The young shaman frowned. "What are you--"

"Hao. Don't let him scare you." Her attention remained fixated on the field, though she seemed to feel Hana's questioning eyes boring holes into her face. "He likes to make people think he's invincible. The fact is, he's not. Not by a long shot, but he's killed enough people to make the general populace believe that he is." The sun glinted off Anna's hair as she turned her head to stare down at him. For the longest moment, the young woman beside him was replaced with the stunningly real image of his twenty two year-old mother.

Hana's eyes widened to the size of saucers as the wind tousled her dark blond hair.

"The only way to beat him is to believe that he can, indeed, be beaten. Only with that mentality will you go anywhere in this battle."

Hana stared at her, his mouth a gaping O as he stared in deafening silence, the sun's harsh beams shining down on them and bouncing off his mother's silver headband and the budding tears in his eyes. At long last, the illusion began to fade, the memories that fueled it finally dying away.

"No matter what happens, be strong."

------

After the battle, which Hana considered very boring since all shamans who were competing were weak, Hana left with his parents and the rest of the group. Judging by their words and faces, they all seem to share his opinion.

"I swear, I was surprised Hao didn't leave the stadium. He only stays for exciting things," Horo-Horo said, putting his hand behind his head.

"Yeah...and he kept staring at us the entire battle... It was...weird," Added Chocolove.

Hana looked down. Should he tell them that Hao was looking at him or--

He paused upon feeling a light, soft touch upon his upper back. His eyes darted in the direction from where he had felt the hand depart and saw Anna, staring at him from the corner of her eye. Did she just...?

...No, it was impossible... That would be too out of character.

But then, what had she done that was "in-character" for her lately?

A laughing voice yanked him from his thoughts.

"Ugh, how awful was that fight?" Redseb groaned, throwing his arm around Hana's shoulder and jerking him away from his troubled thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, Hana saw Anna look away and move to take her place at Yoh's side. "I mean, all they did was chase each other around until one team ran out of furyoku."

"Yeah," Hana said after a minute, though his voice lacked any real interest. "It was pretty dull."

"I mean, I've seen pathetic jokes like Chocolove fight better than that!"

"HEY!"

Redseb laughed deviously, and Hana rolled his eyes.

"Is there something you're trying to say to me, little man?" Chocolove demanded.

Redseb snickered. "Besides the fact that your jokes suck?"

Hana could practically see the steam coming out of Chocolove's ears.

The golem-user flashed Hana a quick smirk and then pushed up his sleeves and marched over to Chocolove, planning to teach the elder shaman a thing or two. Hana found this all terribly ridiculous. Monotonous, even.

Another day, another failed attempt at humor for Chocolove. Same old, same old.

Finally away from the constant chatter and, thankfully, the spotlight, Hana crept away from the others and planted himself on one of the cushions surrounding the long table.

For a moment, however fleeting, he found himself at peace. The attention was no longer on him, and now he had no need to focus on the restless banter surrounding him. Happily, his mind forced the loud conversations to fade into the harmless drone of background noise.

At last, he could sit aside and think. At last, at last...

And then the doorbell rang, and Hana groaned. Thinking was overrated, anyway.

"I'll get it!" Yoh cheerfully announced over everyone's loud voices. Smiling, he marched over to the door and swung it open.

His smile dropped at the very same instant as the noise became muted nothingness.

"Hao."

As if it had been the magic word, everyone instantaneously stood up at once. Hana only looked around, trying to take a peek, and not being able to. What, with so many teenagers getting in the way and you're only 6 year old, and quite small for that matter, you would have a hard time, too.

"I want see, too..." Hana half-whispered, half-grumbled to himself.

"No, you don't," A voice said, the one from the person right in front of him.

Hana frowned as he looked at his mother.

"Why not?"

"Because Hao is dangerous," Anna said, not moving, as if protecting him.

"Wha?" But he is going to be the Shaman King, right? "But you said earlier..."

"That was when he was far away. We don't want to fear him, but it doesn't mean we're going to be reckless, does it?" Anna looked at him. "We've had an agreement to protect you until you find you're family, and you have no spirit ally. While you may not show fear, it is best if you avoid him while we don't know his intentions."

"You're so confusing..." Hana said, crossing his arms, but a warm feeling growing inside of him. It felt nice to have his mother...worry about him for a change.

"Relax, Otouto," Hao said, slightly raising both hands, as if in a sign of peace. "I just came to chat a little... Spend some...time with you. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Is that so...?" Yoh asked, getting his hopes up a little, though Anna clearly didn't buy it.

"Yes, of course." He smiled "Why would you ever doubt me?"

"Well..."

"And I also came to talk with your new guest..." He said, now peering around his younger brother to stare at the small blond boy who hid behind his bride. "I'm afraid I don't know him..."

Hana grinned, sure that, somehow, despite being in the past, and despite everything he had just said, his good uncle recognized him. Hao was all-seeing, right?

The little shaman went to take a step forward, only to have Anna throw herself into his path, blocking him.

"Kaa--" Hana began to protest, only to bite his own tongue in the middle of his very first word. No, not yet, He thought, forcing a hasty and sloppy correction. "--nna."

Anna turned her head, confusion scribbled across her face. "Kanna?" She repeated.

CRAP! He mentally gasped, Stupid! STUPID! Way to mash that up into one of Hao's former lackeys! Now she's really going to be suspicious! And they had been making such progress...

"I-I meant Anna," Hana stuttered.

"No you didn't," Hao disagreed with a smirk.

Shut-up, Ji-chan!

"How would you know?" Hana demanded, forcingly pushing Anna out of the way. He couldn't afford her resistance now.

Hao simply smiled.

A horrible, sinking feeling washed over the leader of the small group of shamans. The time for trust had passed. "Horo, Chocolove, take the Munzers home," Yoh ordered, stepping above the situation and grasping it by the horns. He turned to his fiancee. "Anna, get Hana out of here."

His brother forbade the action. "Ah ah," He spoke up. "The others may go if they wish, but I wish the three of you to remain here."

Horohoro and Chocolove looked to Yoh for further instructions, but he merely nodded them away. Both nervously returned the gesture before shuffling the two young golem-users away.

Yoh returned his attention to Hao, stepping up to him with reckless abandon. For the second time that day, Hana found himself staring at a different person than he had been watching only moments before.

Yoh, bearing the remarkable semblance of a stronger, bolder version of the father Hana had once known, stepped up to Hao, his long, flowing hair, spilling out over his shoulders.

Hana gawked in disbelief. What was this? Memories? Reflections?

"Yes?" Yoh asked, even his voice in the deeper baritone of his once cowardly father.

Evidently, Hao didn't seem to notice the difference, nor did Anna. It was only him.

"I wanted to meet the new edition to your little troop," Hao explained, gesturing to his eventual nephew.

"His name is Hana. He's looking for his family."

"And you're helping him find them. How nice."

"Yes..."

Hao chuckled. "You seem so nervous, all of a sudden, Yoh. Feeling a little on the paternal side?" He joked. Hana wondered if he was joking, or hinting that he did, indeed, know.

"It was very nice of you to visit and all, Hao, but was there anything in particular you came here to do? Besides meet Hana?"

His brother smiled. "Ah, you read me like a book, Yoh," He gently laughed. He sighed, a sweet and sinister smile still in place. "Well, I did actually come here to bring something to your attention. Something that was recently brought to my attention."

"The Shaman Fight," Yoh guessed, still seeming awfully defensive. "I dropped out."

"Yes," Hao nodded, still looking as calm as ever. "Now, you see, that's a bit of a problem. It's something that doesn't fit into...the grand scheme of things."

The grand scheme...? Hana frowned. This wasn't how he remembered Ryu telling the story of how Yoh rejoined the Shaman Fight...

"Now, understand, Yoh, that I'm perfectly aware that you have your own problems to sort out, and I respect that, but, at the same time, you should be aware that your number one responsibility, and mine, is the Shaman Fight, and the fact that you dropped out just doesn't work in my grand plan for the ultimate world. And so, I'm giving you two choices: Either you join the Shaman Fight, or I kill your new friend."

------

Hana's frown overtook his face. That wasn't the right threat...and Hao had already sent Opacho to warn Yoh...he wasn't supposed to come himself too...

Hana was beginning to feel that something was very wrong.

Ryu had told him the story a dozen times over, and this was never once mentioned! Hana was sure of that. It was one of his favorite parts of the story, considering how he saw Redseb-nii and Seyrarm-neechan as his brother and sister instead of uncle and aunt. Redseb and Seyrarm also used to tell him about that part of the Shaman Fight, and about his Grandpa...

Why was it so different from what everyone told him?

Hao spoke up before anyone had a chance to say a word. "Now, I suppose it is nigh time that I take my leave...however, before I go..." He drawled, turning to Hana with a gentle yet mischievous smirk. "I'm curious...I can't seem to read your thoughts, and I'm wondering...why is that?"

Hana stared in awestruck horror. The last thing he wanted right now was attention from the evil incarnation of Hao. He struggled to find words. "I...I don't know."

Hao's smiled increased ever so slightly.

"Oh, but I think you do," He chuckled insistently. "I think you know a lot more than you're letting on, to be honest."

"That's enough, Hao," Yoh said, getting in between the two. "You should go now."

Hao laughed. "Ok, ok..." He stepped back, but not before looking at Hana once "If you ever need to talk, Hana-chan, just come and find me, ok? My camp is close to the forest where you were found. I'll be waiting."

And with that, he left. His invitation hanging like a venom-coated threat in the open air.

For the longest moment, no one spoke.

And then Anna broke the silence.

"Hana, you've had a long day...why don't you head to your room and get ready for bed? We'll come say goodnight to you later."

Her compassion was touching, even if slightly out of character. Still, he couldn't help but feel like she was trying to get him out of the room for whatever reason.

Deciding that it wasn't worth fighting, Hana simply nodded and made his way toward the bedroom he was currently using.

Even from a distance, though, his picked up the conversation they were trying to keep from him.

"I think he's right." His mother said.

"Who?" Yoh asked.

"Hao. Who else?"

"I figured, but... Anyway, about what?"

"Hana... He's hiding something."

There was a pause before Yoh spoke again. "...I know." He sighed laboriously. "But I can't bring myself to care. I'm sure that when he's ready, he'll tell us."

Anna didn't say anything right away, either, though hers was more a preemptive for a topic change than a thought process. "And what about you? What are you going to do about all of this?"

"For now? I'll go back to the Shaman Fight." He could almost hear the smile in his voice. "It's all I can do, really. Though, I'll need to prepare for the fight against Glasses... It won't be easy."

Hana heard the quiet laugh in his mother's tone. "When has it ever been?"

He could picture his father giving a nervous smile and scratching the back of his head. "Marco's not going to be happy."

"Oh, please. Is he ever happy?"

And Yoh laughed. "I guess not."

Someone breathed a quiet sigh, before Yoh picked up again.

"Things are really starting to get serious now, and people are starting to die over this game."

"That's the way it's always been, Yoh. You've just always tried to keep your eyes and your heart on the bright side of things."

He laughed. "I guess I am guilty of that."

"I forgive you."

The quiet exchange gripped at Hana's heart. This was the way his parents were supposed to act--To love each other whole-heartedly and unconditionally, and to never, ever look back.

"This is it, Anna. This is the real deal."

She said nothing. Words weren't needed.

"If I've ever needed you before, it's been nothing compared to how I need you now. And so I ask: Are you with me?"

There was one final pause, and Hana could only imagine what happened in that length of time before the final word was spoken:

"Always."


Smart Angel: Now soon **SPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILER**!!!! I bet you guys can hardly wait for that, right? =D

Besarki: ASDFGHJKL!!! Next chapter is Marco!

LASTLY, WE BOTH WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!! TALK TO YOU NEXT YEAR!