Chapter 3- When Twins Appear

"So Yoh has chosen to go find Anna..." Yome muttered as he sipped his tea.

"This will be the true test for Yoh. He will have to choose to risk his life or to save Anna..." Kino muttered and looked out the window. It was starting to get dark and once it hits 7 o'clock, the big snow storm will hit.

Anna walked slowly towards the mountain. Kino had told her to take this test to test out her skills but she didn't know why. This definitely was not related to anything about being a strong itako. Anna ignored the question as she started walking up the mountain. It was getting dark and she should at least make it to the mountain. She was getting tired and thirsty. Kino told her that she was not aloud to bring any food or water with her. She had to rely on her own powers and senses to survive on her own. Anna looked around to see if she could find any source of water but couldn't find any. Eating the snow wasn't a good idea. Who knows what had been in the snow? Not to mention that it won't do much to clench her thirst. She finally passed by a small stream as she walked up the mountain. Everything around it was frozen but for some reason, the stream wasn't. She dipped her hands into the water and shivered. The water was definitely ice cold.

Yoh ran towards the mountain as quick as his little legs could carry him but he didn't get far because he had to soon, stop for a rest. He gasped for air as he placed his hands on his knees. That mountain was definitely farther then he had first thought. Amidamaru appeared behind him again.

"Yoh-Dono. You are tired. You must rest!" He begged the little boy to go back home but Yoh shook his head.

"Anna is going to be in trouble. It's dangerous to be alone in that mountain at night." He told the spirit as he started to run again.

"But Yoh-Dono! It's dangerous for you too!" Amidamaru yelled floating after him. Yoh laughed.

"Daijoubu Amidamaru." He told his spirit. "Everything will work out."

"Exactly! So Anna will come home safe and sound. Now can we please go back home? It's not safe." Amidamaru tired again but Yoh shook his head.

"Things will only work out if I go save Anna." He told the spirit. "And besides. We are already here."

Asakura Hao tightened his grip on his mantle. Being the fire spirit master that he is, he hated the cold. It was definitely one of the things he was going to get rid of once he becomes Shaman King. Humans, coldness and rain... Along with any weak shamans and anyone who gets in his way. Hao walked towards the edge of the cliff and looked down at his home town smiling. Maybe he should burn up the Asakura Manor or a little amusement and for a little heat. Hao nodded and was about to summon the Spirit of Fire AKA SOF, when something caught his eye... Better yet, someone caught his eye. A small girl around his age was making her way up the mountain. Her small black sundress was definitely no match for the cold winter wind mixed with power snow flying around. Her blond hair flew after her and her bandana twisted around her hair and untwisted as the wind died down a little. It then lifted and flew after her again as the winter breeze once again attacked her. Around her neck hung her itako beads. Hao smirked. An itako at the age of no more then 5 here up in the mountains all by herself? This was a rare site to see. Maybe he should just forget the Asakura Manor for now. It wasn't going anywhere anyway. Hao watched the girl closely, his smirk widening with every step. Maybe he could have another follower as well.

Yoh stopped and blew on his hands.

"Brrr, talk about cold!" He yelled as he continued walking as he blew on his hands.

"Y-Yoh-Dono. Daijoubu?" Amidamaru was very concerned with Yoh. He was only 5 years old. Talk about pressure.

"Don't worry! I'm fine!" Yoh said with a smile. "Now come on. Anna is probably freezing." He started running now.

"Y-Yoh-Dono! Wait for me!" Amidamaru floated after his master.

"You are a spirit Amidamaru! You can just float your way up the mountain." Yoh laughed but paused. "Yah... You can." He smiled evilly at Amidamaru who froze.

"Y-Yoh-Dono. W-What is it?" Amidamaru asked nervously.

"Amidamaru... Stay still." Yoh said as he walked towards his spirit. Amidamaru gulped and backed away.

"W-What is it Yoh-Dono?" He asked nervously. Yoh jumped on Amidamaru and clung onto him. Amidamaru sank to the ground. Yoh was definitely not a light one.

"Now! Onto the mountain!" Yoh yelled throwing his tiny fist in the air. "Come on Amidamaru! Move it! Anna might be in danger! You can float your way there in 1, 2, 3."

"Y-Yoh-Dono. Please get off. You are heavy." Amidamaru begged but Yoh kicked him lightly, as the racers did on TV when they wanted their horses to move.

"Let's go!" Yoh yelled again. Amidamaru sighed and struggled to get up. Yup, he is going to feel this in the morning.

Anna stopped dead in her tracks, glaring.

"What do you want Asakura?" She asked in a rather bitter tone.

"I think you have me confused with someone else." Hao said with a smirk. "I'm not Yoh."

"Funny." Anna muttered. "Now get out of my way. I don't want another sob story on how you can make me stay at the Asakura Manor." Hao shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk. I never said anything for you to stay. Then again." Hao paused. "Who would want to stay there?" Anna was definitely confused. Why was he so different now? And how in the world did he here before she did? He was definitely a lot calmer and a lot more mature. His hair... Was a bit passed his shoulders. Since Anna had never seen Yoh with his hair down before, she couldn't tell if that he was real hair length or not. His face still looked the same so Anna concluded that he was definitely Yoh. Hao chuckled.

"I told you. I'm not Yoh." He shook his head, reading her main. "Speaking of Yoh, he should be here now." Anna blinked. What is he talking about?

"You will see once he gets here." Hao simply told her. A few minutes later, Anna heard a loud yell.

"Come on Amidamaru! We are almost there! Come on! 1! 2! 1! 2!" Anna froze. That sounded like... Anna turned to see Yoh riding on Amidamaru who looked dead when they stopped.

"Anna!" Yoh yelled as he jumped off of Amidamaru who sank to the floor exhausted. Anna blinked and looked back at Hao, then looked back at Yoh who was running towards them. What the heck? Was her eyes playing tricks on her?

"No, it's not Anna." Hao told her with a smile. "You are not seeing things." Then how does he know her name? Hao shrugged. "I am Askaura Hao. I know everything."

"Ah! Hao!" Yoh yelled when he reached them. "Wow Hao! You've grown!" Hao looked at his twin.

"Yoh, we are still the same height so calm down." He told his twin calmly.

"I know." Yoh smile only widened but then stopped. "We are?" He walked up to his twin and measured their height. He was indeed the same height as Hao. Yoh paused.

"Wait a minute. You are an inch taller!" He yelled pointing at Hao who rolled his eyes.

"Baka." Hao smacked Yoh on the head. "I am 2 centimeters taller. Not an inch." Yoh stuck out his tongue at his brother.

"But you were wrong! Ha! You said that we are the same height! Your wrong! For the first time! Aniki is wrong!" Yoh jumped for joy. Hao rolled his eyes. This was the reason why he left the Asakura Manor in the first place. His brother really... annoyed him. And so did his family.

"Whatever Yoh." Hao muttered and looked at Amidamaru. "You must have gained weight as well if your spirit looks so dead. Either that or it's just weak. And I say, it's both." Yoh gave Hao a look.

"Did not! And Amidamaru is strong!" He told him.

"Sure..." Hao looked back at Anna. "Believe me now?" Yoh blinked. He had totally forgotten why he came here in the first place.

"Oh yah Anna!" He turned and smiled. "Good thing I caught up with you."

"What do you want Asakura? Both of you." Anna told them with an icy glare.

"To come with me." They both answered. Yoh's eyes slowly shifted to Hao while Hao's eyes slowly shifted to Yoh. Anna folded her arms.

"I am not going with anybody." She said firmly.

"Come on Anna. Come home!" Yoh begged. Hao snickered.

"Do you think she would actually go home with you?" Hao asked looked at his twin. "You are too annoying for anyone to bare. Even I had to leave." Yoh made a face.

"No, you left because Jii-San wanted to cut your hair." Yoh said pointing at Hao's hair. "And you should cut it. You look like a girl." Hao smacked Yoh on the head.

"Baka. I take pride in my hair. No one understands how important it is to me." Hao told him and flipped a few stands of his hair behind his shoulder. "And plus, it's better to look like a hot girl then a wanna-be."

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" Yoh yelled pointing a finger at Hao.

The two were too busy yapping and arguing that they didn't notice that Anna had walked passed them. She muttered something under her breath as she continued walking. So they were twins. Wow, big deal. Anna continued walking and muttered something under her breath again as she continued walking. She felt a presence watching her and stopped. She turned around.

"Ok. Show yourself. I know you are there." She demanded. A small fire ball appeared and a small red spirit with green eyes appeared in front of her.

"Who's spirit are you?" Anna demanded. The spirit said nothing. It just stared into her eyes. "Hey. Don't you know that it's rude to stare?"

"And don't you know that the Spirit of Fire don't speak?" Anna looked up at Hao and Yoh who was running towards them.

"Leave me alone." Anna told him. "And tell your spirit that as well, or I will just have to take a hold of him." Hao looked amused.

"You can try but I can't promise that you can."

Anna studied him. "And why not?"

"Because can easily eat your soul before you can get a hold of him with your itako beads. Best not to." Yoh nodded upon hearing this.

"Yah Anna. Aniki is right." He told Anna. "Don't mess with the Spirit of Fire."

"And that's advice for the both of you." Hao said striating out his mantel. Anna glared at them both.

"Look. I don't need your advice or your help so just leave me alone." She yelled. Yoh frowned.

"Come on Anna. There is going to be a big snow storm tonight. It's dangerous here. Let's go back home." He tried again.

"Like I don't know that?" Anna snapped back. Hao watched those two calmly and then looked up at the sky with a frown. In 2 more hours... In just 2 more hours... If they don't get out of here in 2 more hours... They won't be able to get out when the snow storm hits...

"Whatever." Anna turned and walked off.

"Anna! Wait!" Yoh sighed. Persuading Anna was a hard thing to do. He looked at his twin brother. "Why are you here anyway Aniki?" Hao shrugged.

"I wanted some entertainment so I came back here to urn down the Asakura Manor but then I spotted dear Anna so I changed my mind." Hao told Yoh, who's mouth dropped.

"You wanted to burn my house down!" Yoh yelled. Hao smiled and nodded. "With me in it?" Again, Hao nodded with a smile. Yoh's eyes got big and round and started to water. Hao rolled his eyes.

"Stop being childish." He muttered with a small smack on Yoh's head before he rushed off after Anna.

"Leave me alone Asakura." Anna muttered angrily.

"Not until you come with me." Both Asakura twins answered her. Neither of them was backing off and Anna was starting to lose her temper again.

"Just back off ok?" Anna quickened her pace. "I am not going with anybody so just leave me alone."

"Please Anna." Yoh tried again. "Come back home!"

"No!" Anna yelled at him. Again, Yoh's eyes got big and round as they started to water. Anna rolled her eyes.

"Cry baby." She muttered. Hao smiled.

"I know. You should have seen him when he was only 2." He told Anna as they walked off. "He cried for 2 days strait because I took his Pikachu doll."

"Kaa-San brought it for me! And you were mean to take my Pikachu doll!" Yoh yelled. "And you never gave it back!"

"I told you, I threw it down the well. You are just too scared to go get it because you saw that scary part where the girl climbs out of the well in "The Ring." Hao told him, loud enough so that Anna could hear as well. Yoh froze when he said that.

"Well the girl was scary!" Yoh yelled. "You said that yourself!" Yoh pointed an accusing finger at Hao who shook his head.

"No, I said that the faces of the people who died were scary. Not the part where she climbs out of the well." He corrected his little brother. Yoh stuck out his tongue at Hao.

"But still! I want my Pikachu doll back!" He yelled. "You don't even like Pikachu now." Hao smiled.

"I know. I like that fire pokemon better. What is it? Charmender?" Hao asked thinking back.

"It's Charmander!" Yoh yelled.

"Right. Whatever. And I also happen to like that other fire pokemon too... Cyindequil is it?" Yoh nodded.

"So return my Pikachu doll right now!" Yoh demanded. "And I want my Yu-gi-oh cards too!" Hao sighed.

"You don't even know how to play. I mean, I beat you 28 times in a row." Hao told him with a chuckle. "Even with that Blue Eyes card in your deck." Yoh made a face at his twin.

"So? I want them back! You always take my things and never give them back!" Hao shrugged.

"Yell any louder and you will be responsible for an Avalanche attack."

Anna rolled her eyes. Childish fools. She continued walking, leaving the two Asakura twins behind, arguing about who would win in a duel and who would win in a pokemon battle.

End of Flashback


Hao smiled as he looked down at the house Yoh was currently living in. He had watched Yoh all morning and noticed that Yoh was a bit different. Just then, there were 2 colorful blasts heading towards Hao. He quickly jumped off the tree to dodge the attack and landed in their front yard with ease.

"Well, well, well. I see you don't like to keep people waiting." He said with a smirk. Anna glared at him, her hands clutching onto her 1080 beads. Behind her were her... Well "His" Shikigomis.

"What do you want?" She asked him coldly.

"And hello to you too dear Anna." Hao replied coolly.

"Don't you know that you are not welcomed here?" Anna asked him, her voice as stern as ever. Hao smiled.

"You should know by now that I don't really care if I am or not Anna." He pointed out. "But see that you like to get things strait to the point, I might as well tell you." Anna waited for him to continue. She never let her guard down for a second, for she didn't trust Hao.

"Remember that time when we first met?" Hao continued. "Well, did you ever recall me telling Yoh that he won't be living past his 16'Th birthday?" Anna glared at him.

"Get to the point." She told him. Hao smirked.

"Getting there dear Anna." He told her. "Well anyway, Yoh won't be living for much longer." Anna gave him another one of her icy glares.

"You better have not done anything to him." She muttered angrily.

"I just put a curse on him." Hao said with a shrug. "But not that it matters. He is already suffering."

"Well remove it now." Anna demanded. Hao smirked.

"Tsk, tsk. There you go again. Always bossing people around." He told her, ignoring her anger. "But, even if I did want to remove the curse, which I don't, I can't."

"And why not?" Anna asked him, arms folded tightly across her chest.

"Because it's too late. His birthday is in two days. Well, out birthday is in two days." Hao told her and turned. "So you better make the best out of it Anna." Anna continued to glare.

"You're lying. I don't believe you." She told him. Hao stopped but didn't turn around.

"Am I?" He asked her. "You know very well that I don't lie Anna. What I say is what I say. If I say that this will happen, believe me Anna, it will happen. I said that if I can't have you, then nether will Yoh." Hao paused before he walked out. "You can believe me if you want Anna. I don't really care. I know what's going to happen so my advice to you is to leave Yoh be for the next 2 days."

"And why do you say that?" She asked him. Hao smirked but didn't turn around. He just continued to walked away.

"Tell me!" Anna yelled at him. Hao paused but didn't turn around.

"He's dieing Anna. Yoh's dieing." With that Hao disappeared, leaving Anna in shock. She dropped her 1080 beads and sank to the ground.

"Yoh's... Dieing..." She mumbled quietly to herself. She knew she couldn't trust Hao but she knew he was right. Yoh has been more tired then usual. But is it just a coincidence or is Hao actually warning her?


Ahhhhhh! Yoh is dieing! Muhahaha. I am pure evil. lol. Yes! Evil! Anyway, what did you all think? The part where the Asakura twins argue is the best part in this chap I think... Anyway, the next chapter will be the last! I know! It's so sad! But, alas! This fanfic must come to an end. And the end will be the end of Yoh's life! Muhahaha. Well, maybe. I am not sure yet. Reviews please! I need your opinion!