Secrets

O.k. so Hakuoh has a secret, so what?

Well you'll just have to read and see ne.

Disclaimer: Don't own Duel Masters.

"Talking"

'Blah blah' Kakuoh talking to Hakuoh

Italics Hakuoh talking to Kakuoh/Hakuoh's thoughts

Chapter 4 Secret Illness

Do you mind Kakuoh? I want my body back.

'Of course I don't mind.'

As I took over the body again, awkward silence was broken by Shobu's concern to Kokujo.

"Kou."

"Is he going to be o.k.?" One of Shobu's female friends asked, kneeling by the battered duellist.

And as usual Knight gives his knowledgeable reply "It's difficult to say, that's the danger of a kaijudo duel."

I feel sorry for Kou.

'As does everyone else apart from the bastard parasite.'

"Why should you care, Shobu? Didn't you want to beat him to get to me?" Keeping the mask of being evil firmly attached.

"Hakuoh." Shobu practically hissed back.

'I wonder whether he was a snake in his previous life.' Kakuoh just had to comment about everything.

I doubt it. "Oh now, don't go all angry with me. I wasn't the one who knocked him into tomorrow."

Kakuoh shook his head as the scene played out before him through the stained glass 'Such a pity.'

"That wasn't what I was trying to do!" Shobu argued back.

"Of course it was. You wanted to beat me so badly, that the only way you could do that was to have a kaijudo duel."

'Hakuoh, maybe we should change career and be an actor.'

No thanks, I love duelling.

"But I didn't want to hurt anybody!"

"What do you think a kaijudo is?"

'A fantasy game where Princes wearing suits and capes like Hakuoh gets saved by an Idiot who wears a lavender shirt.'

Firstly, I'm not a Prince. Secondly, Shobu is not an Idiot,no wait he is an idiot, nevermind.And lastly, according to Shobu that shirt is purple, the colour of royalty. "The battle is real, the creatures are real, the danger is real. Didn't Knight tell you that?"

'I don't know whether you are warning him or encouraging him. Did you have to mention Knight?'

I'm trying to be evil.

"Knight?" Shobu was slightly shocked.

"Well, I was going to get to it eventually."

'That has to be the saddest comeback inhistory.'

I am so going to regret what I say next.

'Sulk later Hakuoh.'

Fine. "Didn't your father ever... Oh that's right he's not around, is he?"

'I see what you mean now.'

"That's it! You want a kaijudo, you got one." Shobu snapped.

Actually no I don't, I'm just acting because the bastard parasite is standing right there.

"Shobu, don't do it. Not here, think of the damage you'd inflicted on Kou."

Why is Knight always so sensible?

'Because he's a Knight'

I thought knights were supposed to be brave not sensible. If King Arthur was sensible, he won't have gone chasing the Holy Grail only to come back empty handed, and he knew he wasn't going to find it anyway.

Kou groaned in the background.

'Poor guy.'

"Oh, you haven't seen the damage I can do."

"Please...you want damage." I hate acting! But still I reached for my own, limited supply of magic and caused thunder to leap straight into the skylight, shattering the glass and allowing rain to enter the room.

'Show off. Can you please not use so much energy? Do you want to faint right here because you were being such a foolish actor?'

I know, I know. "Well, I'm waiting."

Currently Shobu and his fellow peers were soaked and dripping wet. Drip. Drip.

"I thought so."

'Do you always have to think? It squeezes the air out of the soulroom. Causing me to choke!'

What's a "soulroom"?

'It's a...'

The master a.k.a bastard parasite just had to interrupt on our thoughts. "Now Hakuoh, we must be sporting, you know how a kaijudo tends to drain a player, not to mention the fact that I have to clean up this mess."

'What right do you have to say Hakuoh isn't sporting! Heh, heh, heh, just you wait; I'll turn you into a bloody pulp as soon as I get my hands on you! We're not that stupid you bastard parasite!'

Kakuoh do you mind? You're giving me a headache. But then again, what are the chances of the Master actually getting on the flooring cleaning?

'None. That no good son of a parasite. Even female dogs don't deserve to be the mother of that thing.'

Be optimistic once in a while would you not, at least that would give us a chance to rest as well, I hope.

'As you have said three times in the last chapter and I said it once "Whatever"!'

"Yes I suppose you're right."

'Yeah, you suppose. But in reality, no you don't.'

"It is draining...especially on one as weak as him."

"That does it!" Shobu metaphorically snapped.

'I can't stand this acting evil business! I want to rip and tear and break and cause destruction sssoooooo badly!'

"What are you going to do? Drip on me."

Kakuoh choked.

Raindrops drip down from Shobu's ear. Drip. Drip.

"You're in no shape to walk, let alone duel."

'I can't believe it, Hakuoh has a heart.'

"Please get some rest."

'He actually knows how to use it.' Kakuoh dramatically fainted.

"You shouldn't be in such a hurry to lose."

'Darn. Here I thought you have a heart.'

I do Kakuoh, but I was acting. I care about you too.

'You actually care.'

Of course I do, you're my ka. It is my responsibility to look after you too.

'I think I've got something in my eye.'

"Oh yeah!" Shobu's metaphorical war cry broke my conversation off. "Cover me guys, I'm going slow mode. Ha.Ku.Oh...Whoa."

"Sho.Bu." One of Shobu's female friends called.

"This. Is. Cool." One of Shobu's male friends commented.

"I. Sound. Great. In. Slow. Mode." Kintaro said.

"Shobu. Watch. Out. For. That. Whoa." Poor Knight, he got captured by those mindless guards of the Temple.

"Whoa..." Shobu falls to the floor, face down.

'That. Is. Fun. Ha.Ku.Oh. Me. Wanna. Try. It. Too.'

"Slow mode." I blew one of my bangs away from my face.

"Shobu." "Let's do that again." "Are you hurt Shobu?" Kintaro along with two of Shobu's friends rushed to his side, in concern.

'That was fun.'

You said that already.

'And the bastard parasite is not in the room now. Hurray!'

Finally.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just need to...o.k. that won't work." Shobu was trying so hard to get up.

"You want help?" "Lift with the legs."

"No, I'll be fine. The ground is nice and cold and wet. In fact, it's quite soothing actually. Yeah I could get used to this."

'Hakuoh! Can we lie on the ground too? It sounds nice and relaxing. Can we? Can we? Can we?'

I don't want to get my suit wet, or my hair.

'I thought it's already wet.'

I don't care.

'You should've been born a girl; you fuss over you clothes and hair.'

So do you Kakuoh, so do you. "It figures."

"Hakuoh." Shobu used the cliché, low and dangerous tone. Which he can't use properly.

"Look you're tired and needs rest." Why is it so hard to get an idea stuck in modern day kids? How does Knight teach him anyway?

'Don't ask.'

"I don't need rest, let's go."

I sighed, kids nowadays. "Shobu, don't be proud and stupid."

'You can actually do that! Wow.'

"Rest up; I want you to be at your best when I beat you."

'Can we go now? I'm bored, not that the Temple is great in any way.'

Good point, let's go. I've got a headache, darn.

Walking back out of the duel room, Shobu just had to yell to make his point from the floor. "When you beat me! Hakuoh!"

The door closed but his shout still penetrated through it "Hakuoh!"

'Wow that was dramatic. What would happen if you walked right back in there now?'

I'd rather not find out, sleeping sounds good at the moment.

'Mmm yes it does, very inviting. Just bliss, can you imagine the peace and quiet?'

No, it seems too weird by my terms.

'Come on let's go. I'll tell you a bedtime story.'

Sounds nice. And off to find some rest I go.

A person coughed extraordinarily loud according to my sleepy mind woke me up. "What da heck?" Can't a guy get some rest here?

"Come on sleepy head this is important and I don't have all night to hang around here."

I opened an eye weary to see who it is that dared to interrupt my beauty sleep, err I meant my much needed rest. Darn it's Kakura.

'Hakuoh wha r u doin? Sleepy, don't wake up yet.'

A stifled laugh had me want to kill Kakura again, but I'm too tired and lazy at the moment.

"Wake up already, I'm not going to disturb you guys much longer."

"What do you want then? Can't you come back later?"

"No, I'm borrowing someone's body and she needs rest as well."

"What!" I practically bounced straight up in the air, knocking Kakuoh who unfortunately was sleeping cuddling up to me into utter shock.

'Argh! Is it an earthquake?'

No it's Kakura.

"I don't know you people nowadays. If 'cute' was in my vocabulary, I would've said you guys look 'cute' together no matter how disturbing it is." She shrugged.

"Kakura. Shut Up!" We yelled at her, while those annoying pink thingy that people call a blush begin to form on our faces.

"Aww, how adorable. But that's not why I'm here. Since both of you are relatively awake." Note the Sarcasm. "I'll tell you something that you are not going to like at all."

"Have you ever told me anything pleasant? No is the answer. The first time I met you, you said part of me is dying."

"I was telling you the truth, although you both seem physically fine, there are still parts that are beyond a night's rest to repair, and you know it."

Damn, why does she always have to be right?

'It's called being Kakura.'

Oh how random is that.

"Are you going to listen or continue with your lovey-dovey conversation?"

"We were not having a lovey-dovey conversation!"

"Good then listen carefully, both of you. I know you will have to face against Shobu tomorrow in a kaijudo duel, as well as pretend you're the bad guy. It will drain both of you severely, so just keep the act to a minimum. If at any point you, either of you, feel like coughing up blood, run for your lives is basically my point." She shook her head.

"How am I supposed to do that? I can't just run out of the stadium in the middle of a duel and expect to come back to finish it."

"Of course not."

"Then what do I do?"

"Switch minds and rest up."

'Err...Kakura?'

"Yes I can hear you, what?"

'It is kind of hard to rest in the middle of a duel; there will be no peace in the soulroom.'

"Really?"

'Yes really.'

"Even when I'm inside the soulroom and Mimi is duelling, I can't feel a thing,unless I felt like it of course."

"What! You're using Mimi's body."

"Yeah, so?"

"Doesn't she care if you are using it in the middle of the night when she is trying to get some beauty sleep?"

"That's why I have to hurry. I've got to go back to Shobu's house before anyone wakes up and find out."

"Oh."

'Anyway back to the point, I know why you can't feel a thing in your soulroom when Mimi is duelling, you both have a separate soulroom!'

"Good point, maybe that's why. But anyway now you've got a warning, I'll be going."

"You're helpful."

"I know I am."

"How can you be sure that I'm going to cough up blood in the first place? You're not a seer."

"No I'm not. But it is kind of obvious."

'Why? We're not hurt that badly, were we?'

"Yes you were, both of you. If you don't know, it is like a tradition for your family that if you were, well taken by force, your magic is basically cut in half and will drop constantly until you have nothing left. And in the final stages of such an event, you will cough up blood and continue to do so until err...you die."

'That is sad.'

"I'm not that out of magic am I?"

"Yes you are. I checked carefully your magic level every time I come, and the stunt you pulled today caused you more energy and magic than a beginner starting to do it."

"I should've known." I sighed.

'Sighing isn't going to save you Hakuoh. Let's just get that duel tomorrow over with and run like a madman to hide out and recover.'

"Nice idea Kakuoh, I'm sure if you ask nicely you'll get a place to stay." Kakura said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well you're the genius round here, where could we go that the Master doesn't know about?"

"I'll find something, don't worry. Now goodbye to you both, see you tomorrow at the stadium."

"Bye."

Kakuoh, can you please tell me what a soulroom is now?

'Sure, it's the place otherwise known as your mind. It is where you first met me.'

Oh that creepy place with all those candles.

'Yes, yes, it's a place where all your memories are kept, where the things most important to you can be found. Happy now? Good, then sleep.'

I laughed at his attempt, laying back down on my bed in the Temple, not in the soulroom, with Kakuoh snuggling up against me, and then drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

When I woke up again it was just five o'clock in the morning, but I couldn't go back to sleep even with a nice, warm ka sleeping beside me, or rather cuddling or snuggling up against me.

I got off the bad without disturb Kakuoh and suddenly had the urge to puke, although I haven't had anything in my stomach since two days ago.

Shoot. I cursed badly. But instead of puking when I got to the toilet, I started to cough up blood by the mouthfuls. It's taste lingered round in my mouth causing me to cough more up. Now I know what Kakura meant, it's hard to stop from coughing after it started; it is seriously draining me of the energy I have recovered since last night.

A pair of arms wrapped around me eased me slowly away while stopping some of the blood from getting up my throat. It was Kakuoh, figures. He lead me back to the bed and sat me down with his arms still gently around me, it was comforting I guess.

'You'll be alright Hakuoh, I'll stay with you no matter how ill you get. I'll be there for you.'

I smiled; it was nice to have someone here with me. Thank you ka. I leaned back into his embrace trying to catch whatever last bit of rest I could get.

'Hakuoh' Kakuoh whined. 'Do we have to wear this cape? It's heavy.'

I wish we didn't but let's go at least I look good in it, can't have my adoring fans waiting now can we?

'Whatever. But I don't want to play around in this duel, it will prolong it.'

We can always pretend can't we?

'Yes Mother.'

I laughed, standing ready to enter the stadium.

The commentators announced after what seems like years "The one and only Hakuoh!"

'Yeah go Hakuoh.'

I can't breathe. I brought my arms up to my chest, trying hard not to put them round my neck to stop the feeling of blood coming.

'Keep acting Hakuoh, I know you can do it.'

"Whoa please."

Shobu must've been shocked.

'Utterly. Whenever you're ready Hakuoh.'

I opened my eyes. "Ikuzo!" I feel sick.

"Koi!"

And now off to hell I go.

not the usual baka: Another chapter down and more to come, thank you for all the wonderful reviews. And no, this is not going to be a Hakuoh/Kakuoh fic. They were just enjoying some private time together in peace; Kakuoh was just being a caring sidekick.

Caseadra dragonheart: Yep, the name Kakuoh, as well as Kakura, uses "ka" because in their own ways linked to "soul", according to the meaning of that word in Egyptian mythology.