By Yasha-hime
Away From Me
Evanescence
[As the music starts, the screen fades from black into a dark cloud-like landscape that pulses slowly, in time with the initial devilish organ music. The bass and drums start, and the cloudscape fades to a profile of Hao's colorless face, facing to the right, cut off just below the nose and not even showing all of the top or back of his head. Behind him is only darkness.]
I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll
[The camera slowly zooms out, to show Hao, still in profile, from about the waist up. His right hand is clutching the clasp of his cloak--or where one presumes a clasp must be in order to keep it in place. The darkness is revealed to be the sky just before dawn, where there are only a small handful of stars, and the horizon is just a faint line of lighter gray. A pre-dawn breeze slowly stirs Hao's hair, but he doesn't seem to be breathing.]
I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds
[Hao lets his breath out in a long, silent sigh and turns to face Opacho and Luchist with a bright smile as the camera zooms out and pans around to a shot over Hao's shoulder that still includes his face.]
But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to
[The camera cuts to a close-up of Hao's eyes; now gaining some hint of color as the sun presumably rises, they seem to lack much in the way of emotion.]
Lost all faith in the things I have achieved
[The eyes slowly close, and when they open again they are, if anything, even more lackluster.]
And I
I've woken now to find myself
[The camera cuts to a wide-angle shot from above and off to one side of the camp containing Hao, Luchist, and Opacho. Hao's back is to the camera, and the Spirit of Fire ripples in from invisibility, nearly obscuring him.]
In the shadows of all I have created
[The camera pans around and zooms in at the same time to show just Hao as the shadow of the Spirit of Fire falls over him abruptly.]
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I've made)
[The camera cuts abruptly to a close-up of Hao's face, with its fake smile pinned in place; this is overlaid by an image of Yoh's face, with a real smile, offset just enough that you can tell the two apart. The camera zooms in closer, on Hao's eyes, as they soften a bit in longing.]
Won't you take me away from me
[The camera fades to a misty scene of Hao's gloved hand reaching out toward Yoh, who has his back to the camera and is walking away.
As the interval plays, the hand drops, and the scene fades back to Hao's camp, from a shot on ground-level, but still far enough back to reveal all of Hao and the camp. The camera is behind and to one side of Hao again--at least until he turns and leads Luchist and Opacho out of the camp. The camera pans around as they walk past and watches them walk away.]
Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins
[The camera cuts to a profile bust shot of Hao as he walks through a rocky landscape that could be anywhere from the United States desert to the cliffs of the Patch island in Japan. Overlaying the profile is a transparent scene of Hao from his first lifetime, ragged and abused, crawling out of what may be the Yomi Cave on the Asakura ancestral lands.]
I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed
[The modern-day Hao closes his eyes as the memory fades, and his expression becomes faintly puzzled.]
I can't go on like this
[The camera zooms out sharply as Hao abruptly changes direction, running toward a pile of rocks as Opacho and Luchist cry out in concern. Hao scampers up the rocks and stands on top, staring out across the landscape.]
I loathe all I've become
[The camera circles around and cuts to a three-quarters frontal view of Hao's face. He closes his eyes and shudders--a barely perceptible movement, and not perceptible at all from the bottom of the rock pile, where, the camera cuts to show from above, Luchist and Opacho are standing and sharing a look of baffled concern.]
I've woken now to find myself
[The camera cuts back to a full frontal of Hao's face as he abruptly opens his eyes, and they widen in dismay. He turns his head to look above and behind him.]
In the shadows of all I have created
[The camera follows Hao's movement as a shadow falls over Hao--again, it is the shadow of the Spirit of Fire, standing with a complete lack of expression looking down at Hao.]
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I have made)
[The camera pans out a bit as Hao turns back around and sits huffily on the top of the rock pile, staring out across the landscape. His expression sharpens, and the camera cuts around to show the small-but-recognizable figures of Yoh and his friends, apparently having a picnic.]
Won't you take me away from me
[The camera cuts back to Hao's face just in time to catch an expression of ineffable longing.]
Lost in a dying world I reach for something more
[The camera cuts to a wide-angle shot of the rock pile, with Luchist, Opacho, and the Spirit of Fire towards the back, as Hao scrambles back down with more haste than dignity. He starts walking rapidly in the direction of the picnic. Luchist and Opacho follow.]
I have grown so weary of this lie I live
[As the Spirit of Fire takes a step, its passionless regard still trained on Hao, Hao breaks into a run. The camera cuts to Luchist and Opacho, who now look more than just concerned--they look frightened and angry.]
I've woken now to find myself
[The camera cuts to yet another profile of Hao, this from the waist up and facing left as he's running. There is a strongly determined look on his face.]
In the shadows of all I have created
[The camera zooms out as Hao is once again shadowed by the Spirit of Fire. Just before the camera zooms out far enough for his expression to be lost, Hao's eyes narrow and become even more focused.]
I'm longing to be lost in you
[The camera cuts to a shot of Hao's feet, stopping abruptly at the edge of a low cliff, looking down at Yoh's picnic. The usual horseplay is going on, with Horohoro and Ren beating up on Chocolove for some bad joke or another, and Anna growing gradually more ticked as Yoh laughs.]
I have woken now to find myself
[The camera cuts to a three-quarters view of Hao, from the front, as he wraps his arms around himself defensively, eyes closed tightly in what could be anger or despair, or both. Luchist and presumably Opacho, who can't be seen in this shot, are coming up from behind rapidly, and the Spirit of Fire is still looking at Hao.]
I am lost in shadows of my own
[The Spirit of Fire's shadow falls across Hao again, and the camera pans around to show Luchist and Opacho yelling angrily at Hao. Hao does not turn to face them.]
I'm longing to be lost in you
[The camera cuts to an overhead shot of the picnic, which abruptly stops as the shadow of the Spirit of Fire falls on them, too. Yoh looks up, and the camera cuts to a close-up of his mildly puzzled and wary face.]
Away from me
[The camera cuts to a frontal of Hao's face, the longing clearly visible in his eyes. As the final lyrics echo and fade, the camera cuts back and forth between Yoh and Hao several times, each time a little closer to just their eyes. As the keyboard cuts in, the shot fades partially to a shot of Yoh rising o face Hao with a concerned frown, and then cuts abruptly to black as the song ends.]