I'm back! Only this chapter, another and an epilogue and then we're done. Anyway, this is an awkward chapter, it's completely flashback but it's probably the most important one of all. I think this is definitely that transition to where we finish off. I hope you enjoy it. I hope you will continue to read this story!

OK comments back to reviewers. Hao being bi-polar from Hao's girl. I agree completely. I think it's the only way he could ever be really. He always seems calm but I get the vibe that it's a very thin piece of ice you walk on with him. You make one slip and he'll bite you. At least I think so. Alteng told me after reading the whole thing I wrote him quite contrary and I agree, I think he's more interesting and Alteng said it was more entertaining On the subject of Hao being contrary…definitely. I don't know what it is but I think it's the fact he's so 'I hate humans and only like shaman' in the TV show but then Shamans are actually humans (I think Yoh made this point last chapter). So bi-polar and contrary. Yes!

Lady Girl, I think I would like to be in her position also but not really at the same time. Sometimes it would be nice but at the end of it…well…you'll see very soon Emiliy: yes! That was Hao saying thank you. I was as surprised as you but really he doesn't seem the type to comfort someone he's practically enslaved, right? I think 'thank you' was really the only thing he could have said rather than be silent.

OK comments on this chapter are…I almost gave up on this story while writing this. I had a break of two weeks with writer's block and I really couldn't see how I could make it work. But I ended up coming back to it after watching Shaman King re-runs. It got the juices in my head going again. Another comment: the X-Laws are way scarier than Hao to me. I was discussing this with Alteng (again! We did this a little while ago) and we agreed they were scarier than Hao.

What do you guys think?

Thanks to Alteng/Leslie for beta-reading for me. Yay! I thank you hundreds of times and am still as grateful.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman king.

Mai couldn't sleep. In her pyjamas on the futon in Hao's room it was stuffy even with the screens open. The breeze that occasionally waffled through did nothing but move a few strands of her hair. She couldn't hear her room mate, the dark shadow on the other side of the table seemed to indicate his presence but he neither snored nor moved in his sleep. For all Mai knew he was dead.

She had never slept in a boy's room before. Fine, she knew this was not the usual reason for being in a boy's room, but she didn't like the fact that she was in her pyjamas in his presence. She had gone to the bath to change into her clothes, on her return Hao seemed surprised that she possessed pyjamas with monkeys on them. For his part, he was stripped down to his dirt coloured material trousers that he had come with, having designated them it seemed to sleeping clothes now she was sharing a room with him but still had no sense of modesty regarding his upper torso. Mai had quickly turned off the light and closed her eyes to avoid his bemused expression at her pyjamas.

And now she couldn't sleep. It was late, maybe even past midnight; she couldn't tell and tossed impatiently while she waited for sleep to come. She could hear people move occasionally through the halls in the other parts of the inn; her mother was probably shutting everything up for the night. Mai was sure she had heard the TV somewhere but it had turned itself off soon after she had noticed it.

She turned over again and sighed, picking sweat soaked hairs off her forehead and fanning herself with her hand before rolling over to try and find a cooler spot, kicking off her covers she found she was facing Hao's dark shadow again.

Mai sighed and closed her eyes.

"Stop it"

Mai opened her eyes to find Hao's eyes staring at her underneath the table, his hair brushed back off his face and looking dejectedly at her in the gloomy light, "Don't you ever sleep, girl?"

Mai grimaced and said apologetically, "It's too hot"

"You wouldn't be hot if you would just stop moving. You're keeping me and probably the rest of the house awake with your constant moving" Hao rubbed an eye and frowned "If you don't move you'll cool down"

Mai stared at him. He was offering her advice? Hao looked oddly young in the gloom, his expressions tinged with tiredness that she found astonishing. She supposed this was a side he would rarely reveal to anyone except those he trusted enough to have near when he was sleeping. A thought struck her. Did that mean he trusted her? What a strange notion.

She sighed and lay on her back, trying to keep as still as possible.

Silence ensued.

"Sir?"

Hao groaned, "What is it now?"

Mai bit her lip, her heart pounding, "Did you really kill someone?"

He didn't answer right away, she heard him roll over and growl as his hair trapped him in its snake-like grip before he said, "One? No, probably quite a lot more than that" he said it so calmly she had to make sure she had heard him correctly

She sat up in the dark "How many?"

Hao let out an audible growl of annoyance as he sat up on the other side of the table between them and said roughly "What does it matter to you? Do what you're told and no one will die and I'll just be a smudge on your insignificantly short memory in no time at all"

"Why did you do it though?" she gripped the blanket in the dark

"I think the question you mean to ask" he corrected "Is what will I be doing it for"

"Sorry?"

"I have a grand scheme of things, my dear maid. And some people, I am afraid to say, are not part of it" he lay down again easily "Now go to sleep, I'm not about to kill you at any time soon"

"How do I know I won't be dead when I wake up anyway?" Mai muttered darkly as she lay down again

"You don't" Hao replied, stifling a yawn "You'll just have to trust me on that one"

Mai woke up, gladly, alive. She wondered where she was for a moment as she stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, rubbing her eyes in the sunlight streaming in, before remembering everything. She looked over to the other side of the room. Nothing. Mai frowned and sat up. The futon and blankets were there but as she looked about there was nothing else there to indicate that Hao was around. His bag was gone also.

She looked around to the garden and leapt out of bed, grabbing the blanket around her shoulders. There were people in the garden. She stared at them, they seemed brighter than the sunlight at their backs. They wore completely white clothes, emblems emblazed on their shoulders read X LAWS and they seemed business like as they stared right back at her. One smiled easily but it was cold and didn't offer Mai any comfort.

Mai wondered whether to call for help when one came forward out of the pack in her garden. He was tall, too tall, his blonde hair shining and his glasses hiding eyes behind their reflection of the light.

"Good morning, my lady" he said in overly smooth tones, "My name is Marco and I am here to collect a fugitive"

Mai looked at him closely, his tone was too honeyed for her liking and the fact the light hid his eyes behind the glasses unnerved her. Yet these people seemed purposeful and Mai didn't like atmosphere they gave off, it was as if they were ready to jump someone at any moment.

"A fugitive?" Mai was confused, were they the police?

"Yes" Marco said in his polished voice, "He goes by the name Hao Asakura and he's the perpetrator of many crimes against the world. Including murder"

Crimes? What else had he done apart from hurting people, was he on the run? Maybe he had thought their inn was too out of the way to find him. Perhaps they were the police. Mai blurted out "What does he look like?"

She noticed with a glance that they all had weapons in their hands apart from the leader, not pointed at her directly but they added an extra layer of menace to their image. Marco seemed ready to do anything though as he took another step towards her as he said "You'd know him if you saw him, miss" he said "He would hurt you without a moments hesitation, kill you even; he's ruthless. His hair is long and he looks like he's walked in from the desert" Marco paused "And he creates fire where ever he walks. He's a murderer and if we leave him to his own devices he could turn up and kill you in a second for looking at him the wrong way. He's dangerous. We're here to apprehend him"

Marco was less than three meters away as he moved closer to the veranda. Mai knew she had a split second to decide whether to give Hao up to these police-type people or lie because if she paused too long they would know whatever would come out was a lie and she had seen him. And he had been right here.

But her mother had always told her that while in their inn a guest found their sanctuary. That decided her. Her mother was always right.

"I haven't seen him" she said haughtily, gripping the blanket as she moved forward with what she hoped was an air of authority, "I have been assured by the owner that any trespasser is turned off immediately either peacefully or by the force of the police. If he is in the area I doubt he'd come near us"

Mai tried to keep her breathing steady. Did he know she was lying? Was there a sort of sign liars gave off? More importantly: why was she protecting Hao? Because she knew these people looked ten times worse.

Marco moved forwards again, "But there are two futons out, lady, are you sure you have seen no one?"

He was calling her bluff. All right then.

"If you must know my boyfriend brought me out for a nice romantic weekend" Mai snapped with as much anger as she could manage, "Just because we're not sleeping together does not give you the right to question our habits!" she played on a situation her cousin had told her while at her grandparent's home.

Marco frowned, "Is that so?" he asked, "I would hate to think that a lovely young girl such as yourself would be lying to the forces of good" he waved his hand at the others, they raised their weapons into a more prominent position

"Forces of good?" Mai growled, "You're the one's trespassing and asking about business that is not your own! If you'd rather me sleeping with my boyfriend then get out of the way so we can do it" she paused, "When he gets back he's going to be angry that you're threatening me"

"Really?" he smiled coldly, his glasses flashing, "And just where is this room mate of yours?"

Mai glowered at him, "In the bath, where do you think?"

"Then" Marco crossed his arms, "You don't mind if we wait for him do you? Perhaps he's seen something"

Mai almost choked. This had been a bad idea. He'd know she was lying. What would he do to her? Perhaps he'd do what Hao had threatened and hurt her family. She couldn't give Hao away now though, that would be worse, she'd started and now she had to finish. But he was a murderer! Maybe it would be better to give him up. But loyalty to her inn and her mother's teachings said she had to protect him. And did she really think she could live with herself giving him up to what looked like death? Even if he was bad, she couldn't kill someone!

Fine. Mai thought quickly. Marco was smiling in a smug fashion. He knew something was up as she hesitated. Mai saw the guns glittering dangerously behind him and one oo the group in white was smiling manically in a way that scared her..

"One moment please" she turned on her heel and shouted the first name she could think of "Hideki! Hideki, there are some people here to see you. Are you finished in the bath?" the small screen door in the corner which covered the path to the bathhouse stayed firmly shut and, as Mai knew there would be, there was no reply to be heard.

Mai's heart was pounding as she turned to smile at Marco. She couldn't look worried; she had to look confident and self-assured.

"I'm sorry" she said "He must not have heard me. Hideki!"

Nothing.

"Perhaps I should go look for him" Marco climbed up onto the veranda with one stride and made to walk onto the tatami, his large black boots and all "He could be hurt"

Mai stood in his path "How dare you. You can't just walk onto the tatami mats with your shoes on, sir" she seethed "No matter how desperate you are to find this, this, Hao, you can't just walk in uninvited to someone's home"

He stared at her impassively.

"Leave" Mai snapped "If you really feel it's necessary to question my boyfriend then you can come back later when we're dressed! I'm in my pyjamas!" she stepped forward to face him "I want you out of here. Now. Before I call the mistress"

He made no move, his eyes flicked to the bath door. Mai growled and her hand shot out to push him roughly, he caught it easily.

"I want you to leave!" Mai shouted before whispering to the man holding her wrist "If you don't I'm going to scream"

He didn't seem phased. The grip on her arm tightened as he pulled it roughly around Mai's back. She yelped as her arm bent back against its natural direction. He bent down to whisper in her ear "It's not often you seem someone with a hand shaped burn mark on their arms. How did this happen exactly?"

Mai couldn't reply, if she opened her mouth she knew she would scream in pain.

"Your silence says everything" He snorted with disgust into her ear "However, it is our way to serve justice and there is no firm evidence. You were convincing enough, today I'll be forgiving and accept your plea of innocence. If I find out that I have misjudged you and you truly are hiding the evil one I will have no mercy, on our lady's name"

He let her go and Mai stumbled forward and fell onto the table gripping her arm tightly, her face white with pain. Marco walked off the tatami and wooden panelling and leapt down into the garden. And while Mai wasn't looking they disappeared to where they had come from. When she looked around the garden was as empty as it had been every other day of the year.

Mai stood up shakily and stumbled across the room and out into the garden, clutching her arm to her chest before collapsing on the grass. She felt sick, was her arm broken? It had hurt so much. Maybe even more than the burn Hao had given her. Yes, definitely more than the burn. It had felt as if Marco was ripping her entire arm out of its socket. She lay back, looking up at the sky, breathing heavily, the clouds passing overhead lazily, pushing the sickness away.

A shadow dropped over her and Mai shot up, expecting to find Marco and his team back again and ready to kill her. Instead, Hao, in his full set of desert clothes, his bag slung over his shoulder was peering down at her. He squatted next to her and Mai slumped back down against the grass.

"Does it hurt?" he asked softly

Mai nodded and felt her eyes begin to fill up "I thought he was about to kill me"

Hao rubbed his chin "I would have killed you if I were him, you were obviously lying"

Mai rolled over away from him and then yelped out in pain as she put all her weight on her bad arm. It felt at least sprained if not broken. She breathed out harshly. It definitely hurt more than the burn. What sort of person was that Marco? He said he was good but…what person did this to another?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Hao leant over her to see her properly her. His hair tickled her neck and blocked out the sun completely. He was staring at her, frowning.

"I won't forget this, girl" he whispered, "I was sat there, in that small corridor to the bath house. I heard everything. Even though I hurt you, you didn't give me up to them" he paused "I wondered why that was. I listened to you shouting to your 'boyfriend' in that dark passage and I heard him half break your arm. I'm a murderer, I hurt people, I insulted you, threatened your family and you still don't give me away. I wondered why. Can you tell me?"

"No" Mai rasped, rubbing her arm "I suppose it was my duty as an inn keepers daughter to protect our clients"

Hao sat back onto the grass, sweeping his hair away from his face "How disappointing" he moaned

Mai scowled at him angrily "What's that supposed to mean, I saved your life, didn't I?" she snapped sitting up, clutching her arm

"They don't have the power to take me out, I just didn't want to ruin your lovely garden" He shrugged as he lay on the ground, his hair fanning out from beneath him, unconcerned

Mai said nothing.

"Thank you for not giving me up" Hao said suddenly, though Mai wasn't sure of his sincerity as he wore his small placid smile that said everything and nothing at once, "I'm not quite ready to show myself to those fools quite yet, although seeing the bright ones off to the other side early would be no loss at all. Those X-Laws, truly such an impatient lot" He paused, looking up at her; "I'm still eager to know why you saved me. Such a selfless act from a human. You interest me; did you know that, my dear maid?"

Mai shook her head "You want to know why I did it?"

"Do you know yourself?" Hao put his hands behind his head at stared at the clouds above, his eyes closing slightly to shut out the bright sunlight

Mai rubbed her arm absently "Because you're right"

Hao blinked, truly surprised "Excuse me?"

"You're right" she continued quietly "Everything you said during the news report, everything. Humans are selfish, horrid; we lie, cheat, steal, murder. I feel guilty being alive when so many are suffering sometimes. Perhaps the world would be better of without us but still…I don't believe that any one person can decide that" Mai looked down at Hao "And there are some beautiful things in the world worth protecing that humans create"

"Like what?" Hao snorted "Love?"

"Yes" Mai nodded

"And what difference has that ever made in history?" Hao asked derisively "I'm planning to wipe you all out; I don't think love's got any power to stop me"

"I see" Mai muttered grimly, her arm shot a pain up her spine and she winced

Hao chuckled and flicked a speck of dirt off his cape "And don't you have an opinion on that, my little maid? Aren't you keen to save your family from my wrath?"

"I am" Mai agreed, "But, how can I save them when you intend on killing us all?"

"True" Hao assented, "You are unusually pleasant for a thorn in my side. How is it that I no longer feel the urge to strike you down and burn you to a crisp with all the other people who displease me? When I arrived I had to restrain myself by making sure I was reminded that you would bring me food and prepare my bath" he mused "I won't spare you but I tell you this, I feel our last few days together will be easier"

"You're leaving?" Mai felt an unexplained tug in her heart "Soon?"

"My dear girl, I must, for the Shaman tournament is about to begin and I am already late to meet my followers" Hao replied "I'm heading west to the desert"

"What's the Shaman tournament?"

"Where I will win the title of Shaman King and finally purge the world of humans" Hao said easily, as if talking of the weather and not mass destruction "It is unlikely we'll meet again, maid"

Mai sighed. Why did she feel more uneasiness at Hao leaving than at the action of wiping out all humans including her family? Did she want to see him again? Was that what her heart was telling her? Mai pushed it all away and locked it into a box. Instead she thought about how he addressed her was stupid considering he was her age and felt much more clear-headed.

"You sound disappointed that I'm leaving"

"No" Mai lied, feeling the box she'd just locked up tugging to get loose, "You're a heartless, cruel, sarcastic boy and I can't wait to be rid of you" wondering how her encounter with Marco had suddenly loosened her tongue

"Oh" now it was his turn to sound disappointed, "I was hoping we would be parting ways with a more pleasant rapport, my dear maid. I thought you had come to love my presence in your incredibly dull little world"

"I thought you didn't believe in love?" Mai asked

"No, I said it had no power to stop me" Hao replied coldly and swept away back up the veranda

Thanks for reading, sorry for the all italics! Please review!