Wow! I haven't updated this in ages, I'm so sorry. The ideas have been in my head but I haven't had time to update. So since you've all wait nicely here is chapter 9.

Fate Fell Short This Time – Help Me, Please

"So Master, where is it that we are going?" asked Obacho.

"The desert," answered Hao, "where I have a nice surprise for both Anna and Yoh." Hao laughed as he looked at the two, who were knocked out in the Spirit of Fire's grasp.

After countless hours of flying on the Spirit of Fire, the five had made it to the desert.

Hao jumped to the ground. "What are you doing Master?" asked Obacho.

"Just setting up my surprise that's all," answered Hao. "Spirit of Fire, hand me Anna."

The Spirit of Fire dropped Anna into the soft, hot sand, where she let a moan escape her. Hao walked up to and sat her up against a nearby rock. He then proceeded to tie her hands up behind her back and her ankles. He then tapped her face to wake her up.

"Huh?" said Anna as she fully woke up. "Hao?" she was really awake now. She tried to get up but couldn't get up. "Hao what is the meaning of this?"

"Oh," he said playing with her. "I thought it would be fun to watch you struggle under the hot desert sun, while I take Yoh to my castle."

"Yoh," Anna said softly, just then the memories of the night before came flooding her brain. "Yoh," she said again as she looked at his poor battered body in the Spirit of Fire's grasp. "Leave him alone," said Anna turning back to Hao. "You said you'd leave him alone if I came with you, so leave him alone!" She struggled in her bonds.

"I did, didn't I?" said Hao. "Aw well, I can't really remember the last time I kept a promise. Besides, I think Yoh will enjoy watching his fiancée roast in the sun. Then after he's done watching you parish, I'm going to kill him." Hao laughed.

"No! No! You can't!" shouted Anna.

"Oh but Anna dear, I can and I will," said Hao slyly. "I hate my brother, so if I kill him, I'll have nothing to hate."

"If you kill him you are going to feel guilty for the rest of your life," said Anna.

"No I wont, because I want him dead and I have no second thoughts about killing him," said Hao happily.

"You can't do this!" shouted Anna.

"Anna, Anna, stop shouting," said Hao.

"Ya, it's starting to hurt my ears," said Obacho.

Hao laughed while Anna starred at him coldly.

"I will not stop shouting," she said. "I'm going to call for help."

"Oh no you're not," said Hao as he clamped a hand over her mouth. "Because if you do, I'll make sure Yoh's death is slow and painful. Understand?"

Anna nodded.

"Good," said Hao as he took his hand off of her mouth. He then took out some tape and a cloth.

"What's that for?" Anna asked.

"Well, when I leave, you just might scream for help, so this piece of tape," Hao tore off a piece of tape, "and cloth," Hao waved the cloth in front of her face, "are going to help me make sure you don't call out for help.

"Please, I wont call out for help," Anna pleaded.

"I doubt it," said Hao, between Anna's protests he was able to wedge the cloth into her mouth and then quickly pressed the piece of Anna over her mouth. "Well, I hope you have fun, and, uh, try not to die before Yoh is able to see you parish," said Hao as he got back onto the Spirit of Fire and flew off with Yoh.

"Yoh!" Anna tried to call out but it only came out as low 'mmph'-ing noises.

"I hate to leave Anna out there in this blazing heat," said Hao as the Spirit of Fire flew towards a castle.

"Then why did you leave her out there?" asked Obacho.

"Because," said Hao. "It's all part of the plan. This time Anna is going to have to save Yoh or at least die trying. Either way, it'll be fun to watch."

"I see," said Obacho. There was a small silence for a little while. Then, "Look Master, look!" said a happy Obacho. "The castle, there it is."

"Yes, I see Obacho," said Hao.

Within minutes the four were in the castle and in a dungeon. "Spirit of Fire, hold Yoh up against the wall."

The spirit did as he was told and held Yoh against the wall while Hao shackled his legs and wrists.

"There," said Hao quietly as he looked on at his brother who limply hung from the wall. "Is he in for a surprise when he wakes up." Hao laughed.

The laughed caused Yoh to stir in his chains,

"Ah," said Hao. "Finally, you are awake my brother."

Yoh fully woke up at the sound of his voice. "Where is Anna?" he muttered weakly.

"Oh don't worry about her. Right now I'd be worrying about your situation," said Hao dryly.

Yoh looked to the situation he was in, he didn't care right now, all of his thoughts were on Anna. 'I don't care about my situation, as soon as I'm strong enough I should be able to break out of here. Right now I need to know how Anna is,' thought Yoh. "Where is she?" he said weakly again.

"You want to see her, fine," said Hao simply. "But I warn you, you might not like the sight you are about to see."

'What's he talking about?' thought Yoh.

Hao was able to make a smoky looking cloud appear above and in front of them. Then the centre of it turned clear and showed a picture.

Yoh gasped at the sight of Anna. "What did you do to her?"

"Simple," replied Hao. "I just made her job in finding you a lot harder. You see, the heat of the sun might just kill her if she doesn't untie herself in time."

"You're sick," spat Yoh.

"I get that a lot," replied Hao. "How about we look on at Anna now, shall we?" he turned his head to the picture of Anna on the cloud.

'I swear, when I get my hands on Hao, I'm going to kill him,' thought Anna. 'Why do these damn ropes have to be so thick?' She had been trying to get free for about half an hour. Her arms got tired from rubbing the rope against the rock that Hao let her sit against. 'It's so hot,' she thought. Her face was drenched in sweat and her whole body was being to ache and feel tired. 'I can't let Yoh down,' she thought. 'He needs me. He's always been there for me, now it's my turn to be there for him. Besides, my arms are almost free. Just a few more strokes should do the trick.'

'Ah,' she thought as the last string of the rope finally broke. 'Finally,' she thought as she rubbed her wrist. She quickly took the tape off her mouth and spat out the cloth that Hao had shoved in her mouth, and then began to untie her legs.

"All done," Anna said to herself. "But where do I go now?" She looked around her, there was nothing in sight. She sighed. Just then her eye caught something in the distance. She looked hard at it. "It looks like a city," Anna said to herself. "Maybe they will know where Yoh is." Anna, seeing that that was her only way to find out, started to make her way to the city.

"Why, it seems that your precious itako is much stronger than she looks," aid Hao still looking at the screen, watching Anna closely.

"I swear, once I get down from here you're dead Hao, you hear me?" said Yoh trying to find a way out of his chains. "If any harm comes to Anna, I'll kill you with my bare hands."

"Dear brother," said Hao, now looking at him. "Stop worrying, you haven't even seen the surprise yet for your precious Anna."

"And just what are you planning?" Yoh asked.

"Wait and see," smiled Hao. "Wait and see." He turned around to look at the picture on the floating cloud.

'Be careful Anna, I have no idea what my brother is planning, but it doesn't sound good,' thought Yoh. 'Please be safe.'

'Be careful Anna.'

"Yoh?" questioned Anna, as she looked around no one was nearby and the town was a few more kilometers away. "That's odd, I could have swear I heard Yoh's voice."

"It's so hot," moaned Anna as she got close her destination. She was feeling really tired and started to drag her feet. "What I'd do to get a glass of water, I'm so tired." 'I can't give up,' she thought. She mustered up enough strength to carry her to a few feet into the town before she collapsed to the ground.

"Anna!" shouted Yoh, trying to get out of his bonds. "I swear Hao, if she dies…"

"Don't worry Yoh, if she dies you'll been joining her shortly," Hao smiled.

"What is she doing on the floor?" she heard people say in disgust.

"Please," Anna used every bit of strength she had left to whisper to the people that walked past her. "Please you must help me."

"And why would we help someone like you?" asked one guy who kicked her in the stomach and walked away.

"Please Hao has Yoh and is going to kill him to become Shaman King. Please, you must help me save him," said Anna trying to grab anyone's attention.

"Hao is our leader, if anything, Yoh was trying to deprive Hao of his rightful place as Shaman King. You are just one of Yoh's followers," said someone that just walked by Anna.

"You got it all wrong, Hao is the evil one, please, you have to help me," Anna tried reasoning with them.

"Lies, all lies," said one man who started kicking sand at Anna. Others joined into, kicking her here and there.

"Please," Anna said with tears in her eyes. 'I'm so tired,' she thought. 'I'm sorry Yoh.' "Please, help me."

People started to walk away from her and acted as if she wasn't even there.

Anna saw a blurry image walk up to her. "Help me, please," she whispered before she passed out into the hot, dry sand.

TBC...

All done. Hopefully chapter will be up in the near future not a year. LoL! Well until next time adios!

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