Wolf and Leo: Nothing but our own bad selves is owned by us!
Young Hao sat at the edge of the lake that night, brooding. He had been thinking of it all day, and he still could find no way out of his impending death. His mind also kept going back to his brother's eerie, pain-filled wail.
Soft footsteps walked through the grass towards him. Young Hao didn't look, hoping whoever it was would go away. But the footsteps continued right past him, until he heard the slosh of feet wading through the water of the lake.
Curious, Young Hao lifted his head to find Katie standing up to her knees in the cool lake water, staring up at the night sky. She hummed slightly as she twisted her engagement ring this way and that.
"What do want?" Young Hao finally asked, harshly, impatiently. Katie turned her head quickly, blue-grey eyes wide. Young Hao realized with shock and irritation that she hadn't even noticed he was there.
"I don't want anything." Katie said after a moment.
"Then why did you come out here?"
"No reason."
"There's always a reason for doing things." Young Hao gave her a snide look. Katie merely shrugged her shoulders and looked up at the sky again.
"Not always." She replied. "I decided to go for a walk, so I did. There was no reason behind it. I saw the lake and wanted to go in, feel the sand under my feet, look up at the stars. They're so beautiful, aren't they?"
"I didn't think humans took the time to look at the stars anymore."
"Some do, some don't." Katie shrugged again. "I look up at them because they're so mysterious to me. What worlds revolve around those faraway suns?" She turned her head to look at him again. "What are you doing out here?"
"What makes you think that I have a reason for being out here?"
"You just said that people don't do things for no reason, that being your philosophy it makes no sense that you would do something for no reason." Katie gave him a distinctly smug grin. Young Hao growled angrily, but damn her, she was right. But, he wasn't about to tell her his business.
"He told you, didn't he?" The quiet voice penetrated his thoughts and he came back to himself to find Katie peering at him with a gaze that knew him all too well. "Yoh told you." Startled, Young Hao could only nod. He was then even more startled when Katie's face crumpled in grief. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.
"I don't need your pity." Young Hao snarled hotly.
"You mistake sorrow for pity." Katie replied. "They are two different things." Young Hao only snorted, but secretly he found himself perplexed by both his brother's and this human girl's mourning of him. Why did they care?
"I see you." For some reason the words sent a small chill down Young Hao's spine. He looked up to find that penetrating gaze back on him. It was like staring into the ocean; bottomless.
The spell was broken however as a large black shape charged into the water and leapt at Katie, knocking her over.
"Bo!" She cried, grabbing the big black shepherd by the collar. She shook herself off as she stood up again, much like a dog would.
"Sorry!" Meg called as she ran down to the water. "I didn't realize he'd managed to chew through his leash."
"Again?" Katie said incredulously. Meg held up the remains of the leash as evidence. Katie sighed and rubbed Bo's ears. "What are we going to do with you?"
"Why did you leave the house?" Meg asked, sloshing into the water. "Hey, Hao." She lifted a hand in greeting at Young Hao.
"Couldn't sleep." Katie replied.
"And you couldn't have stayed in the house?"
"I was tired of having to listen to you and Yoh doing the horizontal bop." Katie emphasized this with a suggestive eyebrow wriggle. Meg blushed slightly.
"Oh yeah, like you and Hao are so quiet." She grumbled. "What exactly do you do to make him make that mewling sound?" Katie grinned somewhat sheepishly and beckoned Meg closer. She whispered in her friend's ear. Meg pulled away, looking at her in shock.
"Really?" Katie nodded, giggling slightly.
"Huh, and you say you're not whores." Young Hao scoffed.
"There's nothing wrong with having a healthy sex life in a good relationship." Meg asserted. "It's not like sex is the reason they stay with us. We waited until we felt the relationship was solid before we did anything."
Young Hao snorted, but in truth these two confused him. They didn't act like he believed humans were like. They did not snip at each other or other people. They didn't seem to hate him, not even after all the hurtful things he had said to him.
"Why didn't you take Hao with you by the way?" Meg asked Katie. Katie snorted with laughter.
"Like I could have woken him up, he sleeps like he's dead." The two girls laughed.
"Yeah, that's one thing that the twins have in common." Meg shook her head, an affectionate expression on her face.
"I have nothing in common with that fool." Young Hao muttered.
"You'd be surprised." Katie replied. "If you sat down with him and had a serious chat, I think you'd be shocked at what you'd find."
"Like what?" Young Hao demanded.
"You'll have to ask him," Meg gave him a pert grin and just as quickly as it came it then faded, "before it's too late." Young Hao only turned away, casually brushing off the mention of his impending death.
"Will anyone care for you, when you start to deteriorate?" The question from Katie startled him.
"What do you mean?" He asked without meaning to.
"I mean, will your followers stick around when you lose your power and formidableness?" Katie clarified.
"Or will they walk away thinking that you're not worth anything anymore? Meg finished. Young Hao was dumbfounded; would they?
"If you need to, you can come stay with us." Meg added haltingly. "We'll take care of you."
"I don't need anyone." Young Hao said viciously, finding his voice again. He didn't want their pity!
Katie shook her head "you say that now, but will you say the same when your brother dies and you soon follow?" He said nothing as Meg continued for her, "Everyone needs someone, without that someone your life will be a short and lonely one. Don't let your bitterness to humans effect your relationship with the one who tries so hard to get close to you."
Hao snorted "I don't need any one close to me, they will only slow me down."
Meg gave a small grin that didn't reach her eyes "You say they slow you down, but maybe it's you that's slowing the them down." Hao looked at her with surprise.
"Remember Hao, you may win a battle, but the team wins the race. Without the others you will never reach the finish line."
Hao just huffed "You're just jealous that I'm more powerful then you, if you had my powers…."
"I would still ask for help from others," Meg interrupted him, "I would not be all powerful and neither are you now. I have my strong spots and my weak spots, and those weak spots would be covered by someone else's strong spots, and working together we are unbeatable."
Hao just blinked at her.
"The offer still stands, if you so choose to take it." Meg replied quietly, and then turned to Katie "You ready to go to bed?" Katie nodded and took her outstretched hand. Meg then turned back to Young Hao one last time
"Hao, I want you to think about what we said and remember, only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."
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Wolf: O_O….. getting a bit deep there?
Leo: (shrugs) it needed to be said
Wolf: (looks at story) I think you might have scared him a little.
Leo: (chuckles) deserves him right for being hard headed
Wolf: true, oh so true
Leo and Wolf: REVIEW PLEASE!