Orange: Hello Readers!

Yoh: Here we go again

Orange: What?

Yoh: Your new catchphrase 'hello readers'

Orange: Oh shut up Yoh I'm trying to write a story

Yoh: ¬_¬

Orange: Please Read & Review

Yoh: DISCLAIMER- Orange doesn't own Shaman King

Chapter 25

Sakura and Kanji panted loudly as they ran back to the Great Spirit. "I can't believe we lost them" Kanji complained out loud. Sakura looked up to the giant gate towering in the sky. "I just hope that Yoh is alright".

Sakura let a cry of surprise as the two of them ran into two others. She looked up to see Kimimaru and John. "Guys you're here" she cheered happily. Kimimaru smiled. "Yeah, how are things going round here?"

Kanji sighed. "Pretty shit to be honest. The gate has been opened obviously and Zelman and his followers tried to kill Yoh and now have ran off with him. We lost them in the forest". Kimimaru growled in anger. "Damn those guys".

John put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "We should hurry and get to the gate. I'm sure the others need help". They all nodded in agreement before running off again.

xXx

"Damn it all" Hao screeched annoyed as he pounded his fist against the shield. He watched in anger as Zelman passed through into the light and disappeared. Next to Hao Yuki sunk to the ground and lent on her knees.

"I can't believe it, we've failed. Our only job was to stop Zelman from getting to the power in the Hoshii gate and we failed. The Great Spirit is as good as dead." She breathed quietly.

Hao pounded his fist one last time before he kept his hand on the barrier. He leant forwards and pressed his head against it. "Do you think Yoh is okay or do you think that other guy managed to kill him" Hao asked in a monotone voice.

"I don't know, I feel alive. What do you think?" a voice called out.

Hao and Yuki turned around and gasped. Yoh stood at the top of the stairs smiling at them. He looked unharmed apart from the blood that was staining his hair and part of his face crimson. He chuckled at their goldfish faces before he made his way over to them.

"What cat got your tongue?" he joked as they stared at him lost for words. Yuki snapped out of her shock and jumped on Yoh knocking him to the ground. "Yoh you're okay" she cried happily as she hugged him tightly. Yoh smiled and patted her on the back.

Hao looked down at Yoh silently. Yoh looked up at Hao and smiled. "Hey Hao, how's it going?" he asked. However Hao didn't reply, instead he looked down at the ground. Yoh frowned and slowly got up, pushing Yuki away. He came up to Hao and looked at him concerned.

"Hao are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked. He looked around but the only injury the shaman sported was a couple of shallow cuts and bruises. Hao was silent again. Yoh turned to Yuki who shrugged her shoulders.

Yoh turned back to Hao and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly Hao's arms shot out and pulled Yoh into a hug. Yoh gasped and froze at the sudden move but instantly relaxed into the hug. He raised his arms and hugged Hao back.

Hao's head rested on Yoh's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Yoh" he whispered quietly into his ear. Yoh gasped in confusion. "What are you sorry for, you've done nothing wrong".

"I failed to protect you from Zelman. I've hurt you and your friends many times in the past. I was planning on killing you to raise my own power. I've been a bad brother to you and for that I am sorry" Hao replied.

Yoh was silent. He pulled away from the hug and looked at Hao. Tears were starting to form in the corners of his onyx eyes and his long chestnut hair covered his face which was looking down.

Yoh placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's Okay, I forgive you". Hao looked up in shock at Yoh. "But I-" he started to say before Yoh silenced him by putting a finger on his lips.

"I said I forgive you, that's all in the past now. So stop bringing it up, you'll only bring back more pain to yourself" Yoh stated before he turned to the force field. "A shield huh, what a coward" Yoh grumbled. He pressed his hand against the barrier and closed his eyes.

/Hey Tenshi what do you think of this barrier?/

\It is very strong\

/Could you break it/

\Maybe but we haven't tried merging powers before, it may fail\

/Well there's no harm in trying/

Hao stared at Yoh in confusion as he heard him reply randomly in his head. 'Is he talking to someone or has he suffered a head injury that has made him go crazy' Hao wondered to himself.

"Yoh?" Hao asked uncertainly. "What?" Yoh replied as he turned to look at him. "Are you sure you are okay, I heard you talking to yourself in your head". Yoh was silent for a second before he started to laugh.

Yuki and Hao stared at Yoh confused. "Hey what's so funny?" Yuki asked. Yoh wiped tears of mirth from his eyes before he answered. "I wasn't talking to myself, I was talking to Tenshi. She's the angel of the Key. Long story short, her spirit is in my mind so I can talk to her" Yoh explained.

"Oh Yeah, the one that was killed by Zelman's followers. I remember now. Zero told us the story" Yuki gasped. "u-huh" Yoh agreed.

"YOH" an angry voice called out. The three of them turned around to see a red faced Ren and the other shamans had caught up. "Hi Ren" Yoh said while waving at them. A vein popped in Ren's head. "You can't tell us to follow you and then run off ahead" he complained. Murmurs and nods from the other shaman showed that they agreed with him.

Yoh sweat dropped. "Oh yeah, sorry about that guys. Guess I just got excited". Yuki couldn't contain herself and burst out laughing. "You really are an idiot Yoh; I see that nothing has changed about you. You probably never will change" she giggled.

Yoh looked at her and pouted.

"Oh shut up Yuki"

Yoh: Yay I got a free hug off Hao, anyone else want a hug

Yuki: Oh me, me. Pick me

Yoh: *hugs Yuki* Anyone else want a hug?

Yuki: *shouts* Free hugs over here

*Millions of fangirls approach*

Yoh: Crap fangirls, RUN!

*Yuki and Yoh run away*

Orange: O_O' Am I the only one who has no idea what is going on?

Hao: O_O' Nope

Orange: Well, Please Review