Purgation
Tamao walked slowly down the dirt path in silence. Her pace was enough to keep him in front of her, but she was lagging behind slightly. She stared at the trees surrounding them and exhaled as the wind blew a few leaves over her feet. Yoh was going to go through with this, and she wouldn't be able to stop him. She knew this but still wanted to intervene somehow. In the beginning she was out for Hao's blood; she wanted him to pay for all of Anna's mistakes and Yoh's pain. Killing him was the only thing in her mind that made sense. But now that she was faced with so many terrible changes in their lives, she wondered if all of her actions up to this point were worth the heartache.
Maybe it wasn't worth it.
"Yoh?" She called weakly, "We can still turn back. We can still go home."
He didn't respond and quickened his pace, forcing her to a slight jog to catch up with him.
"Yoh?" She repeated desperately, "It doesn't have to end this way."
Yoh stopped his pace abruptly and she instinctively took a few stumbling steps to follow. He balled his hands into tight fists and turned around quickly to face her with clenched teeth.
"I didn't ask you to come with me," he growled, "I didn't ask for your help...I don't need your help!"
"Yoh..." She wanted to respond but he continued as his voice elevated and he stepped closer.
"I'm doing this with or without you!" He fumed, "If you don't want to do this go home!"
"I'm not leaving you," she frowned, "I can't...I can't leave you like this, Yoh."
"Well then shut up and come on!" He snapped angrily as he continued his pace.
Tamao stared at his back for a few seconds as a single tear rolled down her cheek and onto her shirt. As she sighed heavily, she shifted her body weight, oscillating from one foot to the other and then reluctantly followed. She increased her pace to a jog to catch up with him, but only enough to stay closely behind. There was no way she could change his mind, but she didn't want him to be alone. She was his fiancé and had to take care of him no matter what it cost her.
"What's wrong with you?" He asked suddenly.
"What?"
"I thought you wanted to kill him," he said in a frustrated tone, "I thought you wanted him dead."
"I did," she said weakly.
"Why are you backing down now? He still deserves to die," he growled as his pace slowed.
"There are other ways to get revenge," she replied sadly.
"This is not about revenge," he snarled, "I should have done this a long time ago."
"If it's not revenge, Yoh..." she hesitated, "What's it about?"
"I'm stronger now than I've ever been in my life," he said as he stopped and stared blankly ahead, "Stronger than Hao; stronger than anybody. He has no reason to exist anymore. He has no purpose."
Tamao stared at him with a mixed expression of shock and fear as he fixated on a nearby tree. His entranced eyes revealed an expression of malice, forcing her to take a step back.
"What are you talking about, Yoh?" She whispered fearfully.
"Hao is irrelevant," he continued, turning to face her, "The world has no use for him. I'm doing the world a favor."
"Are you listening to yourself?" She replied as she clutched the fabric of her shirt with her hand.
"Don't you get it, Tamao?" He asked as he took a step forward, "I'm unstoppable now. I'm invincible. I can change my destiny...and his."
"Who are you?" She whispered as she took a few steps back.
"I won't torture him," he said, ignoring her, "This will be quick, Tamao. I promise."
"No," she said suddenly, "I can't let you go through with this, Yoh. I can't let you do this."
"You think you can stop me?"
Tamao held her breath suddenly and stared at the ground. He approached her very slowly and she gasped once he was inches from her face. She swallowed hard as he moved a few pink strands of hair out of her face and kissed her gently on the neck.
"You shouldn't say stupid things like that," he whispered in her ear.
"Stop," she whimpered weakly, trying unsuccessfully to repel the tears that were filling her eyes.
Yoh wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body. She stared ahead fearfully as the tears escaped at rapid pace, spilling over onto his t shirt.
"I'm doing this for you too, you know," he said softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"You're not doing this for me," she replied sadly.
He pulled away from her slowly and smiled before punching her in the stomach. She stumbled back a few steps and folded her arms over her torso as she grimaced in pain.
"Why are you being so difficult?" He asked calmly as he approached her again.
"Stop," she struggled to respond and fell to her knees, planting her hands in front of her onto the ground.
"Why are you trying to save him?" His tone shifted slightly as he clenched his teeth, "Why have you betrayed me?"
"Wha...What are you talking about?" She whimpered as she struggled to breathe.
Yoh kicked her in the hip, and she groaned while falling over onto her side into the dirt. He kicked her again until she was lying on her back, and then grabbed a thick lock of her hair. Tamao screamed at him as he dragged her by the hair until she hit a nearby tree. Several seconds passed before she was able to stand on her feet and she rested her back against the bark. She closed her eyes when he leaned forward to peer into them and he slapped her twice before pausing.
"Look at me," he growled.
She didn't respond and exhaled weakly.
"I know you heard me," he mumbled, punching her hard in the face.
"So you attack people who can't fight back?" She asked weakly with her eyes closed, "That makes you feel stronger?"
"Are you mocking me?" He asked angrily as he wrapped his hands around her neck.
"If you're going to kill me, do it quickly," she said sadly, attempting to mask her fear, "Maybe then it won't be on your conscience."
"Yoh, what are you doing?!"
The familiar voice shook him and he backed away from Tamao in slight confusion. She paused briefly before opening her eyes to survey her surroundings.
"What is wrong with you?!" She spoke again as she stood beside Tamao and placed a hand delicately on her shoulder.
Yoh sat in front of them and curled his knees into his chest, staring blankly at the ground.
"Anna?" Tamao stared at her in disbelief, as if she had been an angel.
"Are you okay?" She seemed to ignore Tamao's alarm and spoke with great warmth.
"Yeah," she replied weakly, "What are you doing here?"
"We were taking a walk and heard you screaming."
Hao seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Tamao blinked a few times before realizing it was no illusion.
"Hao?" She whispered.
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked worriedly.
The warmth and concern in his voice was foreign to her and she was suddenly suspicious of his motives.
"What do you want?" Tamao demanded angrily.
"To make sure you're okay, of course," he said with a smile.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Tamao blurted with irritation.
"Walk with me," Anna interrupted, grabbing her hand and leading her along the dirt path.
Hao stood in front of Yoh for several moments before speaking. Yoh hadn't looked at him since he appeared, and rested his chin on top of his folded arms. His eyes revealed sadness and fear, and his breathing slowed rapidly.
"You're wondering why you were just choking Tamao?" Hao asked finally.
"Don't talk to me," he replied bitterly.
"It's because you've lost yourself," he continued despite Yoh's protest, "You're out of control."
"I don't need advice from you," Yoh snapped, "And I definitely don't want it."
"I told Anna I would kill you soon," he said randomly.
Yoh jumped to his feet and stared at him angrily without responding.
"But honestly, I have no desire to at this point," he said calmly.
"I still want you dead," Yoh growled.
"Of course," he replied, "Which is why I'll give you that chance."
"What?"
"But I'll warn you," Hao continued, "If you go through with this you will die."
"Are you saying I can't defeat you?" Yoh snarled, "You think I can't kill you?"
"No," he said with a giggle, "I'm saying you won't."
Yoh punched him in the face suddenly, a blow he didn't appear to expect, and he fell to the ground. Tamao gasped nervously as they watched them, but Anna restrained her from approaching.
"Get up so I can show you why you're wrong," Yoh sneered.
"A sucker punch, Yoh?" He said sarcastically as he returned to his feet, "How insensitive of you."
"You seem so confident," Yoh said angrily, "Let's settle this now so I can wipe that smile off of your face."
"Without a weapon? Where's your little sword?" Hao taunted.
"I don't need a weapon to defeat you," he replied as he lifted his hands, "Only these."
"Anna, you should go home," Hao said warmly, "This may get ugly."
"I'm not leaving," she replied defiantly.
"You don't want her to watch you lose?" Yoh growled.
"No, she still cares about you," Hao replied calmly, "I knew she wouldn't leave, but this will be hard for her."
A sudden violent burst of wind lifted Hao into the air and hurled him into a nearby tree. He was momentarily stunned but returned to his feet and began walking forward. He dodged a large rock that was heading for his face, and once he was in Yoh's vicinity again he sighed.
"I was explaining something to you."
"I'm sick of you talking," Yoh said through clenched teeth, "Do I have to crack your skull open for you to take me seriously?"
"So you've learned something new," he replied, ignoring his contempt, "I wonder how many elements you can control?"
"Shut up and fight me!" Yoh snapped.
"Can you control fire?" Hao asked calmly, "That would be interesting."
"Stop it!" He yelled as the rocks and broken leaves around him began to levitate.
"So you can't control fire," Hao continued, "What a shame."
The wind violently changed its pace and pattern as the leaves swirled around them. Yoh clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides as he took a few steps forward, and the nearby trees began to bend inward.
"Stop talking," he growled, "Stop talking and fight me."
"You can only control the wind?" Hao asked, completely ignoring him, "That seems very limited."
"STOP STALLING, HAO!" He screamed at him as the rocks began exploding, "What the hell are you waiting..."
Yoh paused suddenly and stared at him as the dirt spewed out of the ground in random patterns. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them he smiled.
"You can't fight me, can you?" He said slowly, "That's why you're stalling."
Anna gasped involuntarily from the accusation and stared at Hao in shock. Tamao folded her arms tightly over her torso and bit her bottom lip.
"You've lost your power," Yoh continued with enthusiasm, "All of it."
"I don't need it," Hao replied calmly.
"He's lost his power?" Tamao asked in disbelief, "...How did that happen?"
Anna didn't respond and her eyes filled slowly with tears. She held her stomach and lowered her head.
"Anna?" Tamao asked, "What does this mean?"
"He knew this was going to happen," she whispered to herself, "He let it happen."
"I didn't realize killing you would be this easy," Yoh said warmly, "You can't even put up a fight."
"What makes you think you have the advantage here?" Hao asked, "I already told you the end result."
"Do you honestly think you can defeat me now?" Yoh asked with a laugh, "Now I know you're crazy."
"Why don't you attack me and find out?"
Yoh stared at him with slight confusion, but quickly recovered and balled his hands into fists again. He took a few steps forward and growled.
"Don't attack him, Yoh," Anna whispered suddenly.
"What?" Tamao replied with a frown.
"Why are you hesitant to attack me?" Hao asked blankly, "I'm defenseless, remember?"
"Yoh, just walk away!" Anna called to him suddenly, "You need to walk away."
"Stay out of this, Anna!" He snapped, pointing a finger at her, "I can fight him! I can beat him!"
"She's smarter than you," Hao sighed as he folded his arms over his chest.
Anna closed her eyes and clutched her stomach. When she began taking a few steps away Tamao restrained her lightly and frowned.
"What's going on?" She demanded, "Why did you tell him that?"
"He can't win this fight," Anna replied sadly.
"That doesn't make any sense. Hao doesn't have any power. He can't even attack. Yoh can beat him!"
"He's reached his limit," Anna interrupted.
"...What?"
"I didn't understand it fully when Hao told me before, but...now it's clear."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Anna," Tamao said angrily, "If Yoh's in danger, we have to stop them now!"
"I can hear you," Yoh called angrily, "You're talking about me like I'm not standing here. The only one in danger is Hao."
"But seriously," Hao said randomly, "You should go back to the house, Anna."
"Yoh, you don't understand what's happening," Anna sighed, "You have to just..."
"Shut up!" Yoh snarled, "Don't tell me what to do! I know perfectly well what's happening here. You're stalling for him too. You're both defending him like he's the good guy. You're trying to trap me."
"Yoh, that's insane," Tamao pleaded, "If Anna says you can't fight him, there has to be a reason. I don't want you to get hurt."
"If he attacks, Tamao," Hao corrected her, "he'll die."
"You can't control your power, Yoh. You can't direct it if you can't control it," Anna pleaded, "And he'll absorb it."
"What?" Yoh frowned, "If he absorbs it he'll die, not me."
"Your logic is faulty," Hao said softly but was ignored.
"Can he absorb it, Anna?" Tamao asked fearfully, "Can he absorb Yoh's power?"
"Don't do this, Yoh," Anna called again, ignoring her, "Think about what you're doing."
"Yoh, let's go home...Please? Let's just go," Tamao said nervously, "We can't take this chance."
"Both of you stop it!" Yoh yelled at them, "I'm finishing this right now, and no one's gonna stop me!"
"I can honestly say I've never seen you this angry before," Hao said calmly, "It's disturbing."
"Was that sarcasm?" Yoh asked in irritation.
"No, I meant it."
Silence echoed through the woods for an uncomfortable length of time and was only accompanied by the tumultuous wind and rustling leaves. Anna held her stomach again and sighed. Hao smiled at Yoh suddenly, fueling his anger, and Tamao began fidgeting and biting her bottom lip.
"Please Yoh," she said as her eyes began to fill with tears, "Let's go home."
"I'm sick of this!" He screamed as he held out his hands, "I'm putting an end to you now!"
A magnificent white light appeared in the palm of his hands suddenly as the wind began hurling large rocks and uprooting nearby trees. The small sparks developed into an orb shaped mass that was almost larger than his body. He stared at it with excitement and anticipation as it grew, and Anna swallowed hard.
"What...is that?" Tamao asked fearfully as she took a few steps back.
Hao's smile faded, but no one seemed to notice this change. He dropped his hands to his sides and waited for the inevitable.
"Die," Yoh whispered weakly, "Just...die."
He released the mass violently, and when it reached Hao it exploded. Tamao and Anna covered their eyes from the blinding aftermath and fell to the ground from the force. Painful light illuminated the entire area for several moments, and when it subsided, Tamao was crouched near a rock holding Anna in her arms.
"Are you okay?" She whispered.
"Yeah," Anna replied weakly, "Where are they?"
Tamao paused for a moment, realizing she could now see ahead, and slowly stood. Anna followed and stared ahead with a saddened expression of acknowledgment.
Hao was still standing in his previous position with a strange expression they couldn't decipher. Yoh was standing weakly in front of him, clutching his chest and breathing heavily. As Hao began taking a few slow steps forward, Yoh began gasping for air and struggled to stay on his feet.
"What's wrong with him?" Tamao asked frantically, "What's wrong with Yoh?"
Anna closed her eyes as tears began to escape her eyelids and she clutched her stomach without answering her.
"Now," Hao said calmly as he stopped several feet in front of him, "Allow me to explain to you why you're about to die."
Yoh stared at him fearfully but was unable to speak and continued gasping for air.
"You've reached your limit. You probably already knew this, but your hatred for me propelled you to keep going anyway," He paused and held out his hands, revealing a single flame in each palm, "Unlike you, my power is limitless. I can grow as much as I want to without tiring out my body. You don't have this luxury, and as a result you've forced your body to shut down."
"Hao," he whispered weakly as he clutched his chest with his hand.
"And at some point during this insanity, you developed the notion that you no longer needed a spirit ally. I'm assuming this because he's not here."
"No," Tamao whispered as tears rushed down her cheeks.
"My spirit is always with me," Hao continued, "But I guess that's not the main reason why we're in this situation."
The flames in his hands grew larger as he spoke, and Anna began taking a few steps forward as if in a trance.
"You were too ambitious, Yoh," he sighed, "You've defeated yourself, and now you'll pay the price."
"This can't be happening," Tamao whimpered, "It can't be."
"Hao," he repeated, pausing to groan as he stumbled.
"You could recover from this someday," Hao said as he prepared for his attack, "But now I have an obligation to finish you off."
Was it supposed to end like this? Am I supposed to die? Random thoughts encircled Yoh's brain suddenly as he saw the fire approaching. He couldn't look away, nor could he block out Tamao's frightening screams from somewhere in the distance. He began contemplating all of his mistakes up until this point and regretted not listening to Anna or Tamao. An overwhelming feeling of sadness consumed him suddenly and he slowly closed his eyes as he could feel the heat surround him.
I deserve to die. I'm sorry Tamao. I'm sorry...Anna.
Anna.
ANNA!
Hao stopped his attack abruptly, dispelling the flames quickly around Yoh's body. He lowered his hands at his sides and stared at the ground with slight irritation. Tamao stared ahead in shock and fell to her knees after the flames dissipated.
Yoh was lying on his back, and he slowly opened his eyes with disbelief. The blond strands blocked most of his view of the surrounding area, and he could feel her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Her breathing was faint, but still audible and she didn't speak.
"Anna," Tamao whispered weakly.
"Why..." Yoh whimpered as his eyes filled with tears, "Why did you do that!"
Tamao covered her mouth with her hands, and she was unable to restrain her tears. She approached them slowly but stopped abruptly when Hao advanced.
"Why did you do that, Anna!" Yoh repeated as his tears began choking his voice.
She mumbled something inaudible but then closed her eyes as her consciousness faded.
"Anna?" Tamao called fearfully.
"Anna!" Yoh cried hysterically, "Anna!"
Hao lifted her suddenly and held her securely in his arms as he began walking away from them. Yoh sat upright, but was unable to stand. Tamao knelt behind him and restrained him as he began screaming.
"Bring her back! You can't take her away from me again! You can't take her away!"
"Let him go, Yoh," Tamao whispered in an attempt to soothe him, "He can help her. She'll be okay."
Yoh's cries were uncontrollable and he allowed Tamao to hug him as they watched Hao disappear down the path. Tamao kissed him on the head softly and held him tighter until fatigue overwhelmed him and he collapsed. She sat silently for a few moments before whispering the words, "I'm sorry," in his ear.
Hao walked very slowly down the path with Anna in his arms. He stared at her face that was serene despite the ordeal and sighed as he clenched his teeth. She began blinking her eyes slowly and tried to move but fell back into her position and parted her lips.
"You put yourself in danger, Anna," he said softly, "You put the baby in danger."
She didn't respond so he continued.
"I won't ask why you did it; I know why. But..."
"I love you," she interrupted weakly without opening her eyes.
"You should save your energy," he whispered weakly.
She struggled again to speak, and this time she put as much energy as possible into her statement before completely losing consciousness.
"I love you, Yoh."
THE END
Thank you for reading this story, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and share your thoughts.
-Pulchrite
