FallenTruth: Hello there everyone! First another apology for the lateness of this chapter. I think I am getting back into writing it a little bit. After this the chapters will come out every two weeks maybe even faster as it nearly is christmas. :) Firstly I want to give a general thank you to everyone, but I am also going to use the fabulous new reply buttons on the reviews. This should be an interesting experience for all involved. :D Anyways read on for the update and thank you for being patient.
Part 5
The window to Ren's room opened and a shadowy figure entered. He smiled at the two who were lying on opposite sides of the room. Ren had been getting too close to his pet for a moment there, but HoroHoro had enough sense to move away. That is the only thing that saved the young Chinese Shaman from a quick death. As it was he still had to punish Horo. He had been so close to telling Ren everything. He might have spilt it in his sleep and he would not allow that. If anyone knew then they had to die. HoroHoro knew he didn't want to be found. He extended his powers pushing everyone in the house into a deep sleep which would last until morning. He walked over to HoroHoro's limp form and waved a hand in front of his face. His eyes snapped open and his head flew up. The fear on the ice shaman's face was like sweet wine to him. He reached out a hand and stroked it down the younger boy's face grinning as he felt him shudder. He had told HoroHoro he wasn't going to return for a week and so he must have felt safe. He had stayed to watch over him to see how he reacted and now he was pleased he had. If he hadn't intervened then Ren would have said words which would have broken the fragile ice shaman in front of him. Then he wouldn't be able to have his fun anymore and that was not acceptable. He raised a hand that began to glow red in the dark and grinned as he heard the whimpers from the ice shaman.
"You knew I would be watching. You should have thought before coming into his room. It is a good thing I came or Ren would be dying as the punishment." He saw the wide sapphire eyes glowing in the dark. The look in them caused even he to pause. There was nothing that he recognised on a face of a boy this age before. He felt a moments trepidation and ignored it. He was just imagining things. If he had listened to HoroHoro's thoughts at that moment he would have known fear. He reached out touching HoroHoro and then there was only screaming and laughter.
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Ren awoke abruptly his thoughts going back to last night and what had happened. Something unnatural had happened he was sure of it. Finally his nose told him something which sent him into panic. There was the smell of burnt flesh in the air. His head snapped to the side in the direction of HoroHoro. A small gasp escaped the Chinese shaman. He jumped from bed and raced to the Ainu's side. As he looked at the blue haired shaman he felt his gauge rise, but quickly controlled himself. He was Tao Ren and he had seen worse things than this. A voice in his mind screamed at him, do something! He leant forward scooping up HoroHoro into his arms and sprinting from the room holding the now smaller shaman as gently as was possible. He skidded to a stop as he entered Faust's room.
"Faust help him!" The German looked up from his book and Ren saw his eyes widen ever so slightly. He stood and came over to the side of the two boys. He took HoroHoro and then laid him on his bed. He dismissed Ren who moved grudgingly once he realised the doctor would not start work till he left. He moved out to find the others had gathered. They had obviously seen him running through the inn. He clenched his fist as he thought back to his friend in the other room. Anna frowned,
"What happened?" Ren took a deep breath and started to speak, but his thoughts weren't really with them. They were back to last night.
Ren awoke to find HoroHoro struggling against some unseen opponent. He was whimpering and tears slid from his closed lids.
"Please no. It hurts! No!" Ren moved over to the other boy and despite Horo's aversion to touching right now he shook his shoulder.
"Wake up it's ok. I'm here nothing is going to hurt you. I promise." The Ainu's blue eyes flew open and locked onto him.
"You can't keep that promise don't make it." Ren sighed,
"I will try my best to keep it."
He had failed him already. He had broken his promise and now HoroHoro was lying in pain next door. A strangled growl came from his throat and he jumped as someone put their hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Yoh's brown eyes full of compassion and understanding.
"I understand Ren. It wasn't your fault. We have to help HoroHoro. We have to find out who keeps doing things to him and stop them." His normally gentle eyes turned hard and within him Ren felt a flicker of comprehension. They were going to make whoever had done this pay and it would be good. He turned his thoughts to revenge to stave off the worry in him.
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HoroHoro felt consciousness slowly return to him, but no pain. He found himself lying on a bed and it wasn't his. He gasped in breath as a face suddenly appeared in front of him, but relaxed as he saw it was Faust. He wouldn't hurt him. He would try to help him. He was a doctor, but also a necromancer spoke a small voice in him. That was before though. He stopped as he realised he was arguing with himself. Maybe he was going insane? He looked down at himself to see parts of him swathed in bandages. Faust spoke in his soft voice,
"Horo do you feel any pain?" What a question. Physically he was fine, but mentally he was tortured. Couldn't he see that? Faust obviously guessed at his thoughts, "Tell me what happened do not hide it!" HoroHoro closed his eyes a second gathering himself,
"Nothing happened." If he told then they would die and he couldn't allow that. He opened his eyes and found himself looking straight into Yoh's face. For a moment he panicked as he looked into the brown eyes and he began screaming. Everything turned to chaos for a few moments as HoroHoro tried to escape from the bed and landed on the ground with a thud. He was shocked. He couldn't walk. He turned round to see all of his friends in the room and common sense asserted itself. He was panicking about nothing. He was safe here for now at least. He would be allowed to heal in time for the other shaman to return and enjoy himself. A slight shudder travelled through his body and he pulled his knees up so his face was buried in them. He didn't want to see anyone or talk to anyone. He wanted Pirika to be alive and for this to have never happened to him. He was sure that the injuries the other had done to him were not as serious as they looked or there was no way he would be healed in time to allow the other to ... enjoy himself. The thought sent a shudder through him. Why him? He didn't deserve this punishment did he? Had he done something to someone to cause this in a previous life? Was he just unlucky? There had to be some reason why he was the one that the shaman kept picking on. Had he done something in particular compared to the others that made him hate Horo more? Maybe he did deserve it. It was a punishment for failing Pirika. It was all his own fault. This was so pointless. HoroHoro squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think of other things. His thoughts went to Pirika. In his mind again he saw her smiling and laughing with him or shouting when he hadn't done what he was supposed to. That caused a small smile to touch the corners of his lips, but this contrasted heavily with the tears that ran none stop down his cheeks to soak into his shorts. He felt a calmness wash through him and looked up to see Faust standing at his side hands glowing with Furyoku. HoroHoro had lost all will to fight against them. He just sat as Faust calmed him. Eyes staring into the distance.
Horo sat as his friends all moved forward. As he didn't flinch away from them he saw the looks of relief on their faces. It almost made him want to laugh, but wasn't really appropriate. He had to find the amusement in things at the strangest moments. It was the only way to stay sane. He had to be able to laugh. He had to or else he would be lost. He firmly believed this. They moved some things and soon were sitting in a semicircle in front of him. Yoh looked so very serious, but it hurt HoroHoro to look into those brown eyes. It made him want to run or fight. Yet he wasn't strong enough and he knew it. Had known it since the moment this had all first happened. How he hated the colour brown. Those eyes haunted him. Why did one of his friends have to have the same colour eyes? It wasn't fair really. A constant reminder of what was going to happen to him. Yoh was the first to speak,
"HoroHoro we need to talk." Words he had dreaded and also hoped for. Now he was going to have to send them away from him. That was the only way. They would recoil from his wordshe was sure of it. He would make sure they weren't hurt. He didn't matter they were the ones who did. Only them and especially Ren. His gaze flickered around the group and in his heart he apologised. He begged for their forgiveness, but none of this could be seen on his face. The time for action was now.
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FallenTruth: That is it for this time and in my opinion is not a very exciting chapter, but hey that happens. :) I hope that this has been enjoyable and if anyone has seen any stupid mistakes do not be afraid to point them out. If you do then I can change them and not look so stupid. :D That is pretty hard thoug. I feel strangely happy today and this can all be attributed to Elemental Zero who is fabulous! Anyways please review and tell me what you think. Byes for now.