Sorrowful Seraphim: I hoped you all liked the last chapter, sorry it took me so long to update, my document manager was being a jackass, but it's working now. YAY! This is another HoroxRen chapter. They have no idea what to do when they meet Ashil! They don't have Yoh this time, and what's with Horo and Ren? I think I see another lemon in future chapters….XD

Disclaimer:Crap, I still don't own it… /throws magic wishing lamp into trashcan/

Warnings: HoroxRen fluff, language, and death ensue

AN: Just in case you're confused, it's Horo's POV

I wasn't too sure if I could ever talk to Ren again. I glanced at him and found him staring at me. I immediately averted my gaze. It was hard for me, always being around Ren, but never being able to have him, even though I wanted him so much.

I don't know when I first started to realize I had feelings for Tao Ren, but all I know now is I can't keep my thoughts from him. It was hard to accept to I was gay, I hadn't ever thought about that before. But it was even harder to accept I could never be with the one I loved.

Now look at the predicament I'm in. I know Ren hates me now more than ever, after I kissed him right in front of Lyserg, but I couldn't understand why he hadn't pulled away. He'd actually cuddled against me afterwards. Could Ren actually have feelings for me?

I reflected my gaze back over towards him and found he wasn't looking at me anymore. His stare was dead locked at something ahead of us. I followed his eyes and came to what appeared to be a… bus stop?

Something didn't click in my head as we sat down to rest. Why the hell would there be a bus stop in the middle of a desert? I dropped it. Thinking about stuff to much usually hurt my head.

I could see Ren was skeptical that there was going to be a bus, but Ryu insisted we stay and wait. I guessed Billy or Billi or Bili or whatever that guy's name was wasn't going to show up this time.

After an hour of setting, I could tell Ren was getting very aggravated. Ren had always had that problem: he couldn't stand doing something the slightest bit stupid, which was always why I though he hated me.

Just then, Lyserg stood up, a worried look on his face, his pendulum dangling from his hand. But I didn't see anything at all. What was he getting at?

"Lyserg, what is it?" Ren asked briskly, snapping up with his usual intensity. "I…" Lyserg didn't get to finish.

Suddenly the ground started shaking violently. In seconds an enormous stone spirit had risen from the earth, a huge mirror as its center.

On the shoulder of the massive ghost stood a boy about our age. He was dressed in a deep British-fashioned navy colored suit, ruffles and all.

He voice was even more distasteful. "Hahaha… you must the pathetic former friends of Yoh-sama." Huh? Did he say Yoh-sama and former friends? Obviously, he was another of Hao's followers.

Ren stepped up first. "What do you mean former?" He slimmed his eyes dramatically. For no apparent reason, the boy started laughing uncontrollably with his annoying high-pitched giggle. I couldn't stand it.

"You are very simple minded." Woops, that was a big mistake. Ren doesn't take insults. He clenched the hilt of his Kwan do. I couldn't understand why he was holding back his temper this time.

Then it hit me. Ren was trying to get information about Yoh from this kid. I stayed silent, not wanting to ruin his plan. "I guess you wouldn't know however, which I guess also means I have to explain it to you." He sighed as if it actually took an effort to speak a few sentences. I really didn't think I'd ever seen someone so arrogant.

"It's quite simple actually. Yoh-sama has finally realized that Hao-sama will be the future king and his Shaman Kingdom is right way to save the world." Lyserg and Ryu widened their eyes in shocked as they realized what this kid was implying. I got angry that he would ever say something like that about Yoh, and apparently, so did Ren.

"You're lying!" Ren screamed in rage, only to cause this guy to burst into more laughter.

"No, I'm not lying. Yoh-sama is with Hao-sama." He grinned wildly. "And if that's not simple enough for your tiny brains, try this. Yoh-sama has joined Hao-sama. And he is not your friend anymore." I couldn't stand anymore of this guy.

Yoh would never join Hao, ever. Unless… Hao had done something to him. I remembered the blood and felt a lump of fear rising in my throat. What if Hao had hurt Yoh and manipulated him somehow.

My mind was thrust back into reality as I heard my name being screamed. "Horo!" It actually wasn't until then that I noticed a large black hand blasting toward me. Oh Shit.

It hit me head on, and I heard Ren screaming my name at the top of his lungs. Hm… maybe he does care after all. I didn't feel any pain as I slammed into the ground. I thought perhaps I was already dead from the impact, but no such luck.

A wave of agony engulfed my body, and a searing hot pain shot through my chest. I heard my mouth sputtering for air, but it was obvious my lungs had collapsed. We were in the middle of nowhere, with this powerful shaman to fight. Looks like this is where I die.

I saw the boy attack again as he yelled something at my friends. It sounded like he had just told them his name: Ashil. This guy was really full of himself. I could feel my body slowly suffocating, but tried to ignore it. Then I heard it.

It's a pity, you know. You could have made a worthy follower for me, Horokeu. What? What was this voice? It sounded familiar but it seemed distant as well.

You know who this is, Usui Horokeu. Try a bit harder to place my voice. It was like a veil of unfamiliarity had lifted, revealing the answer to my battered mind. The voice belonged to Hao.

Hao! I mentally screamed at him, knowing it wouldn't make any difference at all. What have you done to Yoh!

Ah, I figured you would ask me this. I would normally taunt you, but seeing as the circumstances won't suffice for that, I just tell you straight out. Yoh is fine, better than he's ever been actually. He is with me now, as he shall be forever. There is nothing any of you can do to stop me, so do not attempt it.

I mentally scowled at him. What he was saying couldn't be true. Yoh had sworn he would never join Hao. I knew Yoh's ideals, his beliefs, and I knew Yoh would never consent to murder, nor would he stand beside one who did.

Hao had to be lying, but as far as he knew, Hao wouldn't have a reason to lie about something like this. It was infuriating.

When are you going to tell the others, Hao? I could feel a questioning notion coming from him. You're not going to tell them, Horokeu?

How can I tell them, I'm about to die! And stop calling me Horokeu! He laughed. He actually laughed at my words. What's so funny? I screamed angrily.

If that was the only thing stopping you, I can fix that easily. I was about to ask the meaning of his words, when suddenly my body felt like it was inflamed.

I screamed, not sure if it was contained within my mind. The blank scene that my mind had cascaded into was slowly fading back into reality. The battle was still in progress, and it wasn't looking good.

Ren, Lyserg, and Ryu were constantly getting battered by Ashil's huge oversoul. And when they got a hit in, the monster just regenerated itself. His oversoul was obviously connected to the earth, and I realized they needed me for this. If I could separate his oversoul from the ground long enough, they could defeat him.

With the pain still reaping my body, but slowly abating, as was the burning sensation, I pulled myself slowly to my knees. I wasn't sure what or why Hao had chose to heal me, but I wasn't giving up the chance to catch this guy by surprise. I strenuously scrambled to my feet, my snowboard in hand.

:"""""":Ren's POV:"""""":

He was going to pay. That thought kept replaying in my head. He was going to pay for he did to my Horo! My? How odd that I had suddenly adopted Horo as my lover. Though I couldn't exactly keep away from him, not after he kissed me.

I was enraged, after watching this impudent shaman take down Horo when was off guard. I wasn't going to stand for this, nor was about to give up, even if it seemed hopeless.

It was like this shaman was invincible. Every time we damaged his oversoul, he simply used the earth to reform it. We could have really used Horo at the moment. I didn't know his condition, and I didn't think I wanted to. I silently feared I would have to endure discovering a battered body was all that remained of him.

I felt my heart throbbing cold. Then, it was like my prayers were answered. A jet of ice came from nowhere and befuddled the giant gray beast, stopping it dead in its tracks.

I hesitantly turned my gaze to the direction the attack had originated from. And there, in its wake, stood none other than Horo.

Sorrowful Seraphim: HAHA! Cliffhanger! Sorry about that, but I didn't want to write anymore, seeing as I have surgery this week, and probably won't be able to update until next week. The next few chapters are where this really starts getting into the plot, and I didn't want to start it and not be able to finish such an important part.

So here's where I stopped. I promise the next chapter will be LONG! And action packed, and yaoi filled, and will have a lemon and betrayal and will involve dirty secrets and new powers and…./huff huff/ okay…I'm tired. You'll just have to wait to know more!