Alone in the Darkness

Broken Pieces of Truth

Chapter IX

By nerdwitch

Ren read the name of the restaurant on the card he was holding. Then gazed at the streamer in front of him. And it took him a matter of time before he convinced himself that this is the restaurant he was looking for. The restaurant that Asakura Yoh was talking about.

He entered. Thinking that there must be something stirring that might catch up his interest. He was opened up to a cozy cafeteria that was so homely to the sight. The walls were made of wood and with it were woodcrafts of different places that were painted magnificently by a pro to capture the bona fide color of the panoramas. The windows were in hexagon shape with its light turquoise color curtain swaying from the incoming wind. There are low wooden tables for six persons and six cushions just beside it.

And from one of the table he saw the person he's looking for, Asakura Yoh.

He went to him directly without him knowing. Yoh was not alone as he could see. He was talking to someone who had spikes on his blue hair. Anyway, he never minds. But suddenly a man from his back ceased him from striding.

"Good Day, Mr. Customer! It's a pleasure to have you here in our humble restaurant!" Ryu greeted at him. "Please feel free to take a seat." He guided him near Yoh's table.

"I'm going to see that guy there from the other table." Ren suddenly said digging his sight to Yoh on whose back was facing him.

Ryu gazed at him and then to Yoh, "Oh, ok. But at least you can have our menu here." And he handed Ren their list of foods available. "Just call me if you want something." He turned his back on him, "And if you call me, call me R-yu." And he gave Ren his ultra magnetic killer smile.

Veins appear on Ren's forehead. "What was he thinking?" he asked himself annoyingly and he walked towards Yoh. Trying to brush away the irritation inside him, he crumpled the menu. "What am I doing here?" he moved his head.

"Hey you there!" Ren yelled.

Both Yoh and Horo Horo looked at the direction of the voice. "Ren! You came!" Yoh energetically answered at him. "Here! In this table." He said telling him to come over.

The entrepreneur moved towards them and placed himself in a comfortable area besides Yoh. He threw the crumpled menu on the table and crossed his arms. "So, direct me to the point Asakura Yoh. Give me the reason why you want me to come over here." He said.

Yoh blinked a couple of times, he tried to think for a while, but nothing came out to his mind. He crossed his arms as if thinking really hard but obviously he forgot. "Ah…I think I had this mild amnesia this morning, Ren." He scratched his head then slightly laughed.

Ren vigorously slammed his hand on the table making the utensils tremble. "Argh! You said you want to prove me that you are a King of a free meal Ok!" his spike erected.

The brunette just simply lean his elbow on the table, "Uhm…Ren, sorry to make you bother to visit this place but the throne was now passed just this morning without any inauguration. I'm no longer the Free Meal King that I used to know." Yoh stated sadly.

Ren just caressed his forehead. "Oh what a bother to come around here!" he told himself. "And who now owns the crown?" he said without any interest.

The blue haired boy just finished his cup of tea before answering Ren, "It's obviously no other than me, Mr. Ren." Horo Horo confidently replied.

"Yup! No other than him, Ren." Yoh ensured him.

"And who are you?" Ren dryly asked, "Do you have anything to brag about?"

Horo Horo gaped at Yoh but only gave him a shrug. "I'm Horo Horo. The new Free Meal King."

Ren rolled his eyes, "Oh what a waste! Anything to say except that you're a king of some kind?"

"Hmm…I'm the son of…my father and my mother who are…got a younger sister that is a…" Horo Horo doesn't want to say anything from his background although he could boast about it but decided not to. He just wanted to be leveled with others not to be someone who your friends will look up to. "And you Ren…tell me something that would interest me."

Ren just raised a brow. "It's none of your business to know me Horo Horo, but I could give you a hint. You better ask Asakura Yoh about it. He said that he belongs to my circle so if he really knows me, he'll give you the most accurate information about me."

Horo Horo ceased, "Oh…is that so…how come…" he tried to think.

Ren just smirked. He knew that no one could really distinguish him as one of the top entrepreneur in the country or the youngest businessman. And he made sure of that.

"Yoh, " Horo Horo started, "How come I didn't know about this Ren? I only know someone with the same name. But I guess he's not that good to become the Ren I was thinking." He sighed. "What do you think? I presume he's not Tao Ren. He's not capable to be him."

Yoh just grinned.

And Ren's eyes widened and his spike erected from Horo Horo's comment about him. He even insulted him that he's not capable to have all the things that he have now. Damn it! He clenched his fist to suppress his emotions to stop himself from being lunatic.

Yoh just gazed at Ren who had shadowed his face from them, "You know what Horo Horo," he grinned, "This Ren in front of us belongs to our circle, and although it's not that showy that he's the entrepreneur that you are talking about, believe it! He's Tao Ren."

"What? Are you sure Yoh?" he looked at Ren, "Are you Tao Ren? The youngest entrepreneur in the business world? Who owns several oil refineries, hotel empires and some shares on respective companies and now had his fully furnished theme park called Cloak-the-Clock land?" he said with bewilderment.

He hammered his both hands on the table for the second time. "It is Cloud-cuckoo-land not Cloak-the-Clock land!" Ren furiously yelled. His temper was now way out of control.

"Uh…Ren, calm down. No one's trying to argue with you here." Yoh stated trying Ren to relax from his awareness then he looked at Horo Horo, "Yes, I'm pretty sure, he really is Tao Ren, Horo Horo."

"Gee…very well, I'm very much surprised!" Horo Horo just stated.

Then suddenly, a bunch of men-in-black entered the restaurant and was persisted on looking for someone until they recognize the person they are looking for. They headed at their table.

"Your father would like to talk to you at the Tower Inn at the west side district near the new theme park, Master Horo Horo." His bodyguard asserted.

Ren glanced at him. Surely, the hotel and the theme park this guy was talking about was his. No one so ordinary would be able to check-in into his hotel…and he had his set of bodyguards if he's not that sort of significant. He considered taking clues.

"Ok, I'll be there in a short while. Anyhow, I know what he's up to. I just need to finish some discussions here." Horo Horo simply replied without even bothering to look.

Ren smirked, "Your father got a nice taste in choosing hotel, Horo Horo."

"Yeah, whatever." He answered back. "Anyway where are we?"

"Master Horo Horo, your father is waiting for you this very second. If you insist that you still wanted to finish your talk with your friends here, you'll be sorry." Another man-in-black stated.

Yoh and Ren gazed at Horo Horo who at the point was still callous from the threat of his bodyguard.

"You want some help?" Ren offered at him. Surely, his own bodyguards were just around here somewhere trying to be invisible from him.

Horo Horo stared at him, "No. I can manage." He stood up, "By the way, Yoh, I heard that Lyserg had just arrived last night and Manta was his closest friend, would you please send me his address or rather asked Manta to introduce me to him."

"Ok, that's so simple." Yoh assured him.

Horo Horo was about to walk off with his bodyguards surrounding him when Ren called him, "If you're looking for Lyserg, I'm his cousin."

He just smirked, "You sounded as if you're really close to him, anyway, thanks for your offer." And he went away.

Yoh and Ren were left in the table in complete silence.

"How did he know that Lyserg and I weren't that really close…did he already made an investigation about us? I presume that Horo Horo was very far from an average individual, would you tell me his social class?" Ren inquired.

Yoh gazed at him, "You better ask him that."

And they both sighed.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Yeah…he's an Asakura. Same last name as to your apprentice, Manta." Lyserg smirked as he combed his hair by his hand.

"Asakura Hao, Asakura Yoh…really the same. Maybe they're just related by their ancestors. Who knows?" he shrugged not looking to Lyserg.

"You got a point there," he said. "Do you know where Yoh lived before he came here? As you know, your apprentice and Hao were almost the same as in their physical guise. They could be even mistaken as twins."

Manta laid his back on the chair and stared on the plant that was just above them,"…he came in our house when I'm only 6. And as a kid, I only mind things that make me happy and asking questions to the olds, at that time, were not my things, Lyserg."

Lyserg stared down the glass table, "So, meaning to say…you know nothing about your assistant, my dear friend."

Manta glanced at him, "No, it's just that my parents didn't want me to ask anything about Yoh. And if ever I inadvertently or deliberately heard over something, I was warned not to tell anything to anyone, Lyserg." he vindicated.

Lyserg just hauled up a sigh, "Asakura Yoh, the apprentice…I don't know if he's related to the late prince of Schwurzwald, the brother of Hao. He's name was Asakura Yoh, too." Lyserg crossed his arms, "Or maybe they really are…"

"Late prince of Schwurzwald? And had a name of Asakura Yoh? …When did he died?" he queried at him, trying to analyze something.

"About 12 years ago."

Manta took a deep breath, "Yoh arrived here 12 years ago, too. He came here with some bruises, wounds, and some cuts to his body…had his memory lost and a grandpa that kept his identity a secret to him. But the prince died and Yoh was not… Are these pieces of information related to the two Yohs? And if not, why do mom and dad want to keep this thing confidential to others?" Manta kept on asking questions but leaving them unanswered.

Lyserg pushed his body towards the table, "But why? Why did they want it to be confidential?"

Manta slightly tapped a finger on the table, "Lyserg, it's true that I didn't asked dad about Yoh because they don't really want to hear anything from me."

Lyserg sighed; he really can't get more information from Manta. But hey! Why suddenly become interested to the Asakura? He really can't figure out. "I presume they're hiding something which is pretty much obvious."

He sneered, "Of course they are!" He stood up; "Yoh's grandpa and dad usually talked about something that they don't want me to interfere with…" he walked a bit.

The green haired lad suddenly glanced at him, "You mean, you try to sneak up to something? Wow, that's a good job, Manta!" he grinned.

"Stop that! It pisses me off when I remember that incident. I felt like it was my end from dad's humiliation about me…" he tried to make some faces.

Lyserg laughed so hard, "Yeah really! That's a shame especially there's another person listening!"

The little one just madly frowned, crossing his arms in front of him; eyes were as thin as a blade. He tapped his left foot soundly on the floor.

Lyserg tried to slow down from laughing, "Ok…I'll keep still." he remained as he said, "Ok…back where we are." he looked at Manta who's still had a grimace face, "Ok, I won't laugh at you again whenever that topic came around again, I swear!"

But he just rolled his eyes, "Fine then." he released a breath.

"So back to the topic, you said you try to snoop from your dad's talk…and of course before you get caught what did you hear?" he directed to the point.

"First things first, that was years and years ago, my friend."

Lyserg nodded. Having the intention to listen.

"Actually, I really didn't grasp the thought of their topic…I just stop for a while because I heard something that caught my attention."

Lyserg moved closer. "And that is?"

"The word…"

His emerald eyes didn't even bother blink.

"Prince."

Then this time, his emerald eyes did bother. "What?" eyes widened from disbelief.

"I said prince. Prince, prince, prince." he reiterated.

"You suck! Anything aside from that word?"

"I told you that was years and years ago. Kids love to play kings, knights and princes. So, what do you expect from a kid me to listen to? Business? politics? school?"

Lyserg remained quiet. Prince? Does it correlate to their topic? He sighed. Well, he needed to brainstorm if really the 'prince' word is connected to them. Then he gasped. Wait, "Prince" yes…it has something to do with them…

He tried to analyze everything as if all the information he needs just instantly fall onto his laps.

Prince Yoh died at the Cliff of Tharo without his body being lamented on his almost hidden interment. Yoh, the apprentice, arrived to Japan the same year as the mishap happened in Schwurzwald. Had a battered body and lost memories which maybe obtained from an accident. Everyone who knows him keeps every detail that they know about him to acquire no issue in the country. He made him to be Manta's assistant to also have him secured by the bodyguard with or without his own knowledge. No one told him who he really was because the truth might change his lifestyle. The two princes, Hao and Yoh are twins, and him, Lyserg, distinguished the fact that Hao, the prince, and Yoh, the apprentice, are truly alike. And one question is only needed to prove his theory…only one.

But what if, it's just a theory? A cipher one? What if his mind was just making some patched story to make up to one? …doubts…doubts…

"I guess I just want Prince Yoh to live on the being of Asakura Yoh…for Anna, if he's just alive for the purpose of the engagement, then Hao wouldn't take his fiancée." he moaned.

"Did you say something, Lyserg?" Manta asked.

"Uh, no…" he said, "Manta, I just have this question in mind." he stood up and walked towards him.

"What is it?"

He looked at him straight in the eyes, "Is Yoh's grandpa named as Yohmei?"

Manta ceased. "Things related to Yoh must be well hidden or something else will happen…" he remembered his father's words to him. But Yohmei is related to Yoh and Lyserg knew that. He's just trying to confirm on something in which he didn't know. Should he admit that Yohmei is Yoh's grandfather or still keep everything although the answer to his question is just a simple yes? But answering him might provoke some danger to his apprentice even though he didn't know what effect it would take.

Lyserg waited for Manta's answer. What stopping Manta from answering? Anyhow, he could never guess. Oh, well…he didn't need to force Manta to answer his query…it's just a question anyway. He looked somewhere until he recognized two figures entering the greenhouse.

Manta took a deep breath, "I guess he could keep it, he's a friend anyway." "Lyserg, about your question—"

But Lyserg, unable to hear him, looked behind Manta and saw Jeanne and Anna. He smiled back at them and slightly tapped Manta on the shoulder and walked opposite to him.

"The answer is…yes." he silently whispered to himself as he lowered his head to shadow his face.

Lyserg stopped. "Manta."

Manta looked back.

"I'll introduce you to Anna." he smiled and dragged him to the newcomers.

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A/N: Chapter X is up next…

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DISCLAIMER: The characters are from Hiroyuki Takei and I'm just borrowing them for a while until I finished my story.