Hey everyone I'm back (as usual). I am so sorry for the LONG delay, but I had no idea what to write next. I knew what the last chapters of this fic were going to be about, but I had no idea what to write in between. But I figured it out. Well I hope that you guys will forgive me for the late update. Enjoy!

Battle Between Brothers
Chapter 2: Hostage
Start: 2/1/05
Finish: 4/1/05 (Can you believe how long it took me to even think up this chapter?)

Everything was silent. Not a sound was made.

Anna was unconscious as she hung from the cave walls in Hao's hideout. Her arms and legs were chained to the walls in hopes of stopping any attempts of escape. Her head lay dormant and her hair covered her face.

Just then, Anna slowly lifted her head up as she slowly came back into consciousness. Her vision was obscured, and she was only able to see blurry images. She heard dripping water and she saw darkness all around her.

As she slowly came back into consciousness she realized that she was actually in a cave. She then looked down at herself and saw her arms and legs chained up against the walls. She moved them in attempt to escape, but found it useless.

Suddenly, her movements were silenced as she saw a dark figure approach her slowly. She wasn't able to see very clearly, but she knew that it was none other than Hao Asakura.

"Moving around won't make it any better Anna my dear." he grinned as he walked closer to the light exposing his face. Hao walked up to Anna and cupped her chin in his hands.

"I've made sure to chain you up tight, just in case you try to escape." Hao then pulled Anna's face closer to his in attempt to give her a kiss on the lips.

Anna quickly jerked her head away before Hao's lips reached hers.

"Ugh! Don't touch me you bastard!" She screamed. Anna was obviously agitated seeing as though she was kidnapped by the one man that she hated the most.

Anna breathed heavily as she slowly looked up to see Hao's reaction from her sudden temper.

To her surprise, Hao did nothing. All he did was trace his finger down Anna's silky cheek and smiled.

"Well, well, well. Seems like I've made you angry." He responded.

"Nah you think?" Anna said sarcastically. "Where am I Hao? And why did you bring me here!" she asked. She quickly jerked her head away again causing Hao's finger to slip away from her face.

"Anna. Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I merely brought you here as bait. So don't expect too much. And of course when you have served your purpose, I plan to make you my bride and so on...but that's to come at a later time." He quickly finished.

Anna arched her eyebrow.

"Bait? What do you mean bait?" she asked.

Hao smiled and turned to face the other direction. His back was now towards Anna.

"I mean that the only way that I can have Yoh follow me without having his sorry excuse for friends following him, is if I take away the one thing that he cares about the most. And that's you Anna." He turned and grinned.

"Why do you want Yoh to follow you?" She asked.

Anna was quickly silenced when she saw Hao walk over to a small glass case in the corner of the dark cave. Hao exposed his right arm from under his long cloak and opened the glass case with caution. He then proceeded to pull out a long sword that he used to create spirit control with his Spirit of Fire.

Anna's eyes widened.

"No" She said as she shook her head. "You're planning to kill Yoh aren't you?" She screamed.

Hao touched the blade of his long sword and grinned.

"Precisely." he answered. "I never really liked my younger brother. And now that he has fallen in love with the girl that I've loved, well let's just say that I'm fed up." Hao walked over and placed the sword over Anna's neck but made sure that the blade didn't touch here. "So Anna? Ready to see your lover die?" He asked.

Anna gulped as she felt the cold aura coming from the steel blade as it hovered only a few centimeters away from her neck.

"Yoh! Where are we going?" Amidamaru asked as him and Yoh walked across a dark and abandoned park that was 1 mile away from the Asakura home. The night was cold and dark. There was a calming breeze in the area. But not even a calm breeze could control the anger that Yoh was feeling in his heart at the moment.

"To find Anna." Yoh said coldly.

"Yes I know, but do you know where Hao might have taken her?" he asked.

Yoh stopped dead in his tracks. He sighed and stared at the ground.

"No Amidamaru. I don't. But I do have an idea as to where they might be." he stated.

"What is your idea?" Amidamaru asked.

"I think that Hao might have taken Anna to a secluded area where I would have little chance of finding them. But I also think that Hao took Anna in attempts of making me follow him. So he may have also taken her to a place that I may eventually find."

"But why would he want you to follow him Master Yoh?" Amidamaru asked, still confused.

Yohnarrowed his eyes, but did not answer.

Back at the Asakura household, everyone was alert and awake. How could they possibly go to sleep with one of their friends being kidnapped and the other gone to rescue her.

Horo Horo was walking back and forth in the dark living room...thinking. Ren was sitting down on the couch with his hands to his face...also thinking. Tamao and Pilika still had the moist towels and bandages in their hands and were sitting on the steps, all the while looking at Horo Horo and Ren.

Horo Horo then stopped and looked over at Ren.

"Ugh I can't stand this anymore. Waiting is not my thing. We have to follow him Ren! Anna's been kidnapped and now Yoh's gone to look for her. He's bound to find Hao sooner or later and what do you think is gonna happen when the two meet? They're gonna battle and Yoh could end up even more wounded than he was when he left! We have to go and help him!" he shouted.

"I said not yet!" Ren hollered. "Yoh has not found them yet so calm down." He finished.

"How do you know?" Horo Horo asked.

Ren sighed and turned to look at Horo Horo. "Do you really believe that Yoh would be able to find where Hao and Anna had gone off to in the middle of the night and in 20 minutes?" he asked.

"Uh well no...but anything's possible." Horo Horo finished.

Ren then looked out the window and stared the cold moon that was being engulfed by the midnight clouds.

"Besides. I can tell that Yoh does not want us to interfere. I saw the look in his eyes before he left the house. A look that I know all too well. There is nothing in his soul right now but pure rage and anger. He will not allow anyone to help him, nor will he compromise. He has set off to find his brother on his own...and when he finds him...he will show no mercy." Ren said.

"Pst whatever dude. You're crazy." Horo Horo said in disbelief. "I saw the look in his eyes to. And they had no sign of pure anger and rage. Sure he was mad and everything, but I still think that he wants us to help him." Horo Horo then walked over and sat next to Ren on the couch.

"Listen Ren. We've been with Yoh forever and we've always been by his side. And now is no exception. We have to stand by our friend again even if he doesn't ask us to. Hao took one of our friends to and we have to go and find her as well. This isn't just a Battle Between Brothers. Hao hurt all of us and we have to go and show him that we will not stand idly by as he continues to take advantage of the people that we care about. We have to end this once and for all." Horo Horo then extended his hand in hopes that Ren would agree with him. Ren looked up.

"So what do you say Ren?" Horo Horo asked as he extended his hand even further.

Ren looked at Horo Horo for a moment, but then looked back down at the ground.

"No. We are not going anywhere." Ren responded on a cold tone of voice.

Horo Horo's eyes suddenly widened. His expression then turned to one of anger. He stood up and started to head towards the door.

"Man I don't get you sometimes! Two of our friends are gone and all you want to do is sit around on your ass! Well that's it. If you're not gonna do something...then I will. I'm tired of waiting aroundwhile my friends are in trouble. You can stay and sulk for all I care, but I'm gonna go and help my friends!" Horo Horo opened the front door, but then stopped at the sound of Pilika's voice.

"Please stop Horo Horo! Ren does have a point. When Yoh finds Hao, there may be a ruthless battle and if we step in and intervene, one or all of us could get hurt. We have to trust Yoh and let him fight on is own. This is his battle...not ours." she finished.

Horo Horo sighed.

"Not you to Pilika. Don't listen to what Ren says. He's a lunatic. I for one am not going to let my friend fight on his own and if you want to stay, then stay!" He shouted. Horo Horo was about to walk out the door, but Tamao interrupted.

"Horo Horo! Please listen to him! We can't follow Yoh. You may end up getting seriously hurt if you intervene.! Please Horo Horo, please just wait a few more minutes so that we can figure something out. Don't put you life on line, just to prove Ren wrong." Tamao begged pleadfully.

Horo Horo then sighed and let go of the door.

"I'm sorry Tamao, but I just can't do that. I am not one who likes to wait around like you. I am a person that takes action and stands up for my friends. You of course have never really known what it's like to see one of your friends in danger, but I have. So you can stay and worry like you always do, but I'm going to go and help my friend!" Horo Horo then walked out the door and slammed the door behind him.

"Horo Horo!" Pilika called.

Horo Horo walked into the cold night and disappeared.

Tamao sat and thought about the words that had just been spoken to her. She couldn't believe what Horo Horo had just said to her.

Pilika got up and started for the door.

"No Horo Horo. Don't go." She was about to run out the door, but she stopped to the sound of Ren's voice.

"Let him go." Ren said calmly. He still had his face cupped in his hands.

Pilika turned and looked over at Ren in shock.

"Huh?" she asked.

"I said let him go." he repeated.

"But we can't just let him chase after Yoh! He doesn't even know where Yoh is! And he could get hurt! My own brother...how could he..." she started.

"Horo Horo knew the risks that were involved by interfering in a conflict that was between Yoh and his brother. He didn't care. So now that he is planning to get in the way of a battle that is not his...he will bring forth considerable consequences that he brought onto himself . And he will have to face them on his own. We won't be able to help him." Ren finished.

Pilika then dropped to her knees, tears falling from her eyes. "No. I can't believe that you're doing this Horo Horo." she cried. "You never listen...and now...you're going to have to pay the price." She then looked out the window as well. The moon light illuminating the tears that were slowly streaking down her face. "Please Horo Horo. Please be all careful."

Tamao looked up at Ren.

"Is there anything that we can do Ren?" she asked.

Rennarrowed his eyes, but did not answer.

Author's Note:
Whoa it's been like 4 months since I last updated this story. And this chapter was pretty gay wasn't it? It's been such a long time since I last updated this story, that I completely forgot what I had planned and so I just wrote anything that came to my mind. I know that this chapter was short and crappy, but please understand that it has been a while since I even read the last chapter so I have no clue as to what is going on right now. I promise that I will get back on track and try to update this story sooner, and make it even better. Thanx for reading and again I am soooo sorry. Love you all! Bye!