EPILOGUE

Yoh had seen the bolt of light before he had heard the screaming, air-wrenching noise as it shot through the air. He had seen the light run through the air before it forced its way through flesh and blood, through the middle of a life and he had screamed. No longer was he hiding but forcing himself over the dust and dirt, through the beginnings of a hot day, calling his spirit to him to stop the horrific scene from finishing somehow. Amidamaru responded just as quickly as Yoh drew his sword through clouds of sand.

He had failed to save another from Marco and the X-Laws. How could he have let it happen again? But even as he raced to the scene Yoh saw Mai fall to her knees and sink to the desert floor and even as he reached them Marco was gone. It was over. As if Marco had been only a mirage upon the sand and he was gone just as quickly. Yoh threw his sword to the side as Amidamaru flew out of it in a burst of light and skidded to a halt at Mai's side, not knowing whether to throw up or cry.

Human bodies didn't fade away to nothing and the cadaver before him was so painful to look at he guiltily wished it would disappear. Then he heard her groan, he looked at her and saw her eyes were open and she was lifting up a piece of paper to her face. She was alive. He leant over her.

"Hey" he yelled "Hey, Mai"

She didn't reply, the paper was all she looked at before she dropped it and her arm to the ground. The sand was soaking up the blood easily, darkening with the effort. Yoh grabbed her hand up and squeezed it, "It's ok, it's all going to be ok, I'm going to get you help, ok? Don't die, just don't die!" he looked around helplessly for someone, anyone

The town seemed so far away, he didn't even know whether there was a doctor there.

"Don't die" Yoh cried, he looked at her and then away to scan the horizon again "What can I do?"

"Nothing" Amidamaru materialised at his side sadly and his face held a grief-stricken hue "There is nothing to be done for such injuries"

"No!" Yoh cried, "There must be something!"

He heard a noise and looked at Mai, she was speaking. The words were lost and he leant forward, bending over her closely to struggle to hear her words. He felt tears prick his cheek and scrubbed them hastily away.

"It's alright" fingers brushed his cheek softly and fell away

The hand in his felt deadweight and he dropped it as he felt the spirit rush past the side of his body and away into the air. Yoh gulped and sat back on his heels trying to understand what had just happened, breathing heavily.

"She's dead" he whispered

"I am sorry, Yoh" Amidamaru muttered at his side

"Why didn't she want us to help her? Why?" Yoh punched the ground

"She did not want you to hate her" Amidamaru said softly

"Why?" Yoh demanded, clenching his fists

"Because she loved him"

"And now she's dead" Yoh repeated and took a labouring breath "He causes so much suffering" he looked at his hand, the blood was drying and making it stiff to move, he slumped on the ground, suddenly dizzy when he noticed under his palm was the paper she was clutching. He picked it up and opened it, feeling nauseous and saw it was a letter. He took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control.

She was dead. Just like that. Yoh felt his resolve against the X-Laws stiffen and dug his nails into his palm as he began to read.

I'm gone, as you may have noticed my little maid.

Are you upset? I wonder if you are. You know, you are strange. How could you ever have fallen in love with someone who hates all that you are? I told you; I hate all humans, everything you are disgusts me. You lie, cheat, steal and plot behind each other's backs to kill men, women and children. At least I kill openly. I hate humans. I can never say that enough and it means I must hate you too.

You really are a thorn in my side, did you know? At the same time you pain me I know I will never be able to get rid of you. I will destroy you all. It sounds foolish written down, I realise, but no matter, this is the only time I will ever write my intentions. Ever. Feel lucky, my maid, I have honoured you with such words. I won't stop to achieve my dream to rid the world of your kind but I feel I will remember your service favourably.

If you follow me to the west you will die on a day when the sun is dyed red at dawn. You'll know. I somehow don't think this will deter you, my little maid at all. However, I would prefer you, if not killed at my hand, to be an old wench when you go but…alas, I fear my wishes will not be so. Death is painful, I'm warning you. Don't think that it won't be.

Your house speciality squid was really disgusting by the way; don't ever recommend it to anyone ever again.

I saw in your actions on our final day together that you would have willingly served me to the end. I'm leaving however. Can I order you not to follow me? But as a human I think you will follow your own selfish feelings through no matter what I say unfortunately. There is only one thing I can be sure of if you do follow me: I'll slaughter the one who hurts you mercilessly. But then, that's not particularly special since I have killed people who I found unfavourable since I was born and will continue to do so.

Good bye little thorn, I go to the west.

H.

"So" muttered Yoh. "Even you are human, Hao…" and he cried over a girl losing her life over someone so trivially.

Even as Yoh did so, on the other side of the desert over the horizon the letter-writer looked up at the sky, dry-eyed. His features were creased as he sat with his followers around a dying fire, their sleep restful but alert. Hao's faithful servants, he had missed them.

Hao looked up at the sky again before looking at the fire, examining the embers. Today was the day, he was sure of it. Hao grunted in annoyance as he scuffed the sand with his foot, he was oddly depressed and he never got depressed. Not even on his worst days, he always found something that made it worthwhile, usually. But his stomach, for the first time in years, felt as if a lead weight was lying on it and it irritated him.

He had lost another follower to the X-Laws. Hao growled. They'd pay for it. Marco he particularly looked forward to taking his time over, tearing the man limb from limb. Hao made a fist with his hand and squeezed it until his knuckles went white, letting his fingernails dig into his palm.

1000 years and this was the first time he'd ever found the death of a human…disagreeable. Hao snorted, it was stupid weakness, a stupid human weakness. He had known the stupid thorn would die but until now it hadn't been…a fact that could cause discomfort. She really was a thorn in his side.

Movement. Hao glanced up into the day and saw a silhouette against the glare of the sun. She moved across the sunrise and paused by the fire, the glow lighting her deathly pale features, so recently animated and alive. He squinted at the silent figure and smiled bitterly. Humans were so irritating. He'd destroy them once and for all soon, there was nothing at all to stop him. The figure turned away slowly with a slight wave of a shadowed hand.

"I lied" he muttered "I didn't hate you at all" and he shut his eyes to her once and for all.

THE END