"I think he's finally coming around. Horo, don't shake him, that will only make it worse!" came a voice from justoverof the boy that was laying on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him. His breating was labored, and it steadily quickened as his eyes opened a crack. His eyes eventually adjusted themselves to the light, and they fully opened. He tried to sit up straight, but he keeled over in pain and was forced back down. He looked around him quickly and saw Ren to his left, Horo to his right, and Faust standing over him slightly, dozens of operating tools in hand.
"Yoh! You're all right! We were all so worried about you, even Ren!" Horo said, pointing at Ren who, in turn, poked him furiously in the face with his hair. Yoh laughed a bit, but stopped almost immediately after feeling a heavy pain in his chest.
"Don't even try to get up. I have done all I could for now, almost have to tap into the old Faust's arts to save you!" Faust chuckled a bit, but it subsided as he noticed a strange look, that of worry, upon Yoh's face.
"Wh-where is Anna?" Yoh said, panic slowly forming on his face. The others looked at him once, and they too knew that something was wrong. They asked Yoh what was going on, and he told them all about it. They were left speachless, with confused looks upon thier faces. They stared at Yoh in desbelief for a moment, but they knew that he would never lie, and so what he had said had to have happened.
"But Yoh, are you sure it that it was Hao who took her?" Ren asked, knowing only too well that Hao was not supposed to be in this country, let alone this world. He was not even supposed to be alive anymore. Yoh merely nodded and went back to staring at the floor, his face turning red from his frustration.
"Oh man, this is bad! What if he hurts her? I mean, even though this is Anna we're talking about, she's completely defensless if she doesn't even know who he is! Or what he's capable of! And how are we supposed to know where he went? None of this makes any sense at all!" Horo shouted, having lost all patience in the silent people before him. He stood up, fire in his eyes, and so did Ren.
"Well, there is only one way to find out. We have to find him, and quickly too. We'll all help you, Yoh. This is not just about Anna, it is about Hao too. Him coming back could mean so much more than just one life being lost, and we all have some sort of reason to help you to defeat him. Now, let's go!" Ren shouted, poking Yoh to get him to move. Yoh stared up at him with lost eyes and, although none of them said it, they knew at that moment exactly how much Anna meant to Yoh, had meant to him, and always will. And it was their responsibility to help get her back.
They were just about to step outside and look in any possible places that Hao could be for Anna, when that question and many other ones were answered. And it all started with the letter, from Hao, that was sent to Yoh by way of one of his followers. Not only did it tell where Anna was, but it told of an important secret, one known by no one, that explained who Anna really is...
Dear brother,
I have taken Anna for the time being. You may try to save her, but know this, it will not be easy, for you. If you live, you may have her, but if you fail, which you will, you die and she becomes mine. She and I are hiding out in the mountains near Funbari. Why am I telling you this? It is very simple, you try to save her, you die, and I do not have to go through the trouble to kill you off myself.
But, I must tell you one more thing before you venture off to the mountainside, there is a secret I know, that may make you change your mind about marrying Anna. You see, she is, and has been for many years, my first wife.
Love Your Otouto,
Hao Asakura
