Sorrowful Seraphim: I'm not going to give away anything in this chapter…you'll find out why soon. /wink/

Disclaimer: DOSK (Don't Own Shaman King)

Warnings: None…wow…there's actually no warnings in this chapter…but there will be in the next one.

AN: It starts in Yoh's POV

I was near ecstatic when Nii-san told me I was going to get a new spirit soon.

After he broke down and told me what he'd planned for me, I can't lie, I was angry, but he didn't do it, and he apologized, so it was okay with me.

Now he was taking me somewhere, a great underground cavern with a huge lake to retrieve my new spirit. Hao told me it wouldn't be long before we needed to head to Patch Village. He also told me I needed some training along the way even though I'd progressed rapidly. He almost mentioned something about refining my skills.

Ever since our first night together, I've been sleeping in Hao's room. Not that I mind, I love him now…in more ways than one. It may sound completely disgusting, but it doesn't seem that way. After all, we were once one…right?

The abilities that had surfaced in my body were automatic now. I used them everyday without thinking, like Hao's uses his skills. As for my reishi, Hao has taught me how to home in on certain people's thoughts, and to manipulate others' minds.

But what makes it really special is the connection we have through it. I can always talk to Nii-san, no matter where he is. He's always connected to my mind, as I am connected to his.

But something still sits in the bottom of my soul, a certain doubt. I don't entirely understand what it is, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with my fr…I mean… those weakling shaman. What am saying, they're not my friends anymore.

Nii-san is my only friend.

Ren might be my friend again one day, and possibly Horo too, but Nii-san said the others don't have the skills necessary to be considered worthy. And now he says Anna is with them, and Manta. Manta…I wonder what he'll think when he's sees me?

Not that it matters. Manta is human, and humans are pathetic creatures that need to be exterminated. Hao taught me that.

For the first few weeks after I'd arrived, I was skeptical of his views. So much, that he'd shown me the one thing that he'd never revealed to anyone: his memories. In the instant he gave them to me, I was convinced.

Humans need to be destroyed.

I brought my mind back to reality as I heard Nii-san calling me. It must be time to go. Hao had said we wouldn't be returning here until after the Shaman Tournament, but I didn't mind.

I took only a small black backpack with some clothes and a few books in it, Nii-sans techniques, and walked out the door.

Nii-san was waiting for me with Spirit of Fire. I'd discovered Spirit of Fire actually communicates telepathically. He used to only speak to Hao, and I was honored when he started talking to me. It may have been a bit strange to hear a growling monstrous voice telling you good morning, but hey, what was normal in the world?

"Ah, there you are, Yoh." said Nii-san, smiling gleefully at me. "Are you ready?" I nodded and smiled back before stepping onto Spirit of Fire's hand, Hao following me.

I was scared when I'd first taken a trip on Spirit of Fire. Teleporting in fire had a freaky sensation. But I'd gotten used to it.

After the flames had dissipated we were outside the entrance to a large cave. My mind flashed back to my accident. I shuddered at the thought, until I felt a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

I looked at Nii-san, who had a worried look on his face. "Daijobu?" I nodded but he didn't let go. "Otouto, are you alright?" I guess I must have looked really pale.

"Yeah, it's just…the cave brought back a few…unwanted memories." He smiled in understanding and motioned me forward.

"Don't worry, I'm here." I felt warm inside when he said that, and found myself unconsciously turning back to him and pecking him on the cheek. We smiled in unison and I took his hand, him leading me into the cave. We left Opacho and the others outside.

After about an hour of walking, Nii-san stopped at an ancient door. He let go of my hand and pressed both his palms on two symbols. The entirety of the door lit up and in an instant, it was gone.

My big brother was a truly incredible shaman.

He ushered me inside, the lake he'd spoke of was A LOT bigger than I'd imagined. And the water had an eerie glow.

"Erm…what do we do now?" I turned to him. This time however, he was frowning. I felt apprehensive.

"Not me, this is your job, Yoh." He walked towards me. I wasn't sure what he talking about.

"What do you mean?" He kept walking and I tried to take a few steps back, before realizing I was on a ledge. Wait a minute, I was on the shore of the lake before, how did I get up here?

The shore was on the opposite side of where I was standing, not to mention…really, really, really far down. The cliff face was at least 60 feet in the air. I turned back to Hao, startled to find him in front mere inches from me.

"Onii-chan?" He looked sadly at me. "I'm sorry, Yoh, but the spirit has to choose you, and I can't help you. It's for the spirit to decide, not me. I can only urge you forward." I was about to ask what he meant, but a moment later I didn't need to.

As Nii-san's strong arms pushed me roughly, I felt my feet slip over the ledge. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I plunged into the icy water, and suddenly…I couldn't move.

I tried to struggle but my muscles were frozen in place. I felt my lungs straining to support my body with the little air they had. The fall hadn't taken the air out my body. I was going to drown.

And then there was light. A bright blue light encased me, and strong tendrils wrapped around my body and dragged me farther into the water. The light kept getting brighter and I was forced to shut my eyes. Then I heard the voice, a telepathic voice that was different from that of Spirit of Fire.

"Young shaman…." The voice was slightly higher than Spirit of Fire's. "I deem you worthy of my presence." The light reached an all time brightness and I screamed again.

Then I felt myself surface into two strong arms that carried back onto the shore. I looked up to see Hao smiling at me.

"I'm proud of you, Yoh, so proud." Those were the only words I heard before I let hypothermia overtake my body.

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

Patch Village…how long we had waited to arrive here. After finding our way through the blue cave, we'd been astonished to find ourselves in Patch Village, a councilman waiting to escort us to our temporary home.

The village was a very Native American based town, but with all the commodities of a present day city. A large stadium was centered in the village, and it was surrounded by a desert, a forest, and large cliffs for an optimal battling experience. Goldva had announced that we were to be divided into teams of three.

The only problem was, there were four of us. Luckily, Faust had opted to drop out. He'd only come to help Yoh, who obviously wasn't here.

Currently, we were seated in a Patch Café, ordering lunch, when I saw Silva running towards us. He stopped angrily in front of us.

"Silva…" I tried to speak but he cut me off. "Tell me it's not true!" I stood up, pretty sure of what he was talking about. "Silva…" but he wouldn't let me talk.

"Tell me Yoh is not with Hao!" I took this chance to cast my feelings.

"We don't know. What have you heard?" He finally seemed to be calming down. It was then I noticed everyone in the open walled café as well as the shaman outside were staring at us, probably at the mention of Hao's name.

"Not much, I'm afraid. I've just heard the talk around town of Hao's new follower…a boy who looks just like him." I looked down. It was the final assurance that Yoh was gone.

"Then…" I could hardly bring myself to speak. "I guess it's true." I could hear whispering from all around us, the other shaman were obviously interested in our conversation.

But suddenly, I heard a series of gasps as TWO powerful auras cam into my shamanic sight. I turned to the opened doorway, but not before I heard the words in the most familiar voice to me.

"You guess what's true, Ren?"

Yoh.

Yoh was standing there in the doorway…with Hao right behind him. "Yoh, you're alright."

"Yah, I'm fine, but you don't look so well. Is something wrong? Are you sick?" I tried to shake my head, but I was stunned, just as the rest of us were, to see Yoh there, his hair slightly longer, his clothes black and slate, his ears pierced, and above all, the immeasurable power he was emitting.

Then Anna spoke up. "What are you doing, Yoh? What are you doing with Hao?" Yoh chuckled, it wasn't a good sign.

"Well Anna, he is my twin. Who else would I be with?" I heard a few exasperated gasps from the other shaman. I had to talk some sense into him.

"Yoh, he's evil! He murders! I know he's you brother, but you said yourself you'd never join him! Have you really betrayed us?" He took a few steps toward me and stopped.

"Don't think of it as betrayal, Ren, think of it as reaching enlightenment." He leaned forward until his lips brushed against my ear. "You'll find out soon." He whispered eerily calm. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

But as fast as he'd appeared he's walked back to Hao. "Let's go Nii-san. There's nothing else those weaklings need to know." Weaklings?

The twins smiled at us in perfect unity and were about to walk away, when another few strong auras surfaced.

"Yoh?" I knew that voice.

Lyserg.

It was Lyserg and the X-Laws, and Lyserg was more than obviously surprised to see his former friend with the pyromaniac.

"Hello, Lyserg, it's been a while. I see you've sided with the X-Laws. That's a foolish choice." It sounded like Hao, just like Hao, but those words had come from Yoh.

We'd lost him.

We'd really lost him.

Yoh was on Hao's side, and there didn't appear to be any way to get him back.

Hao had corrupted the once pure Yoh.

The only question was…

Could Hao ever be defeated…with Yoh on his side?

Sorrowful Seraphim: The secret has been revealed! And more secrets will be in the next chapter! Whew, this chapter turned out way longer than I'd expected!