Disclaimer: If Shaman King were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.

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Mou Hitori No Boku (The Other Me) – is a collaboration between Mankinfan and TheFlyingGazeebo. This style is different from the other fics! We will be alternating writing the chapters to this multi-fic, HOWEVER we will be updating on different accounts! Therefore, I will be writing the odd numbered chapters while FlyingG will be doing the even numbers! That being said, the next chapter will appear under FlyingGazeebo's name.

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He was stopped from finishing the sentence when Yoh raised a hand, looking...almost stern, for once. Unusually serious, that was for sure. "Yeah. He's been here the whole time. But!-" He waved his hand again when Lyserg opened his mouth to say something else; "-now that you know that, you're going to need the rest of the story. ...Best get comfortable." Another tiny sigh escaped him, looking unusually uncomfortable for Yoh.

"This might take a while."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

If Horo hadn't been stupid, this all wouldn't have happened. Well, at least it wouldn't have been brought to the attention of the victim.

Yohmei sat on the porch of the Izumo Asakura estate, sipping tea with what he hoped to be a tolerant expression which was in reality one of a twitching vein. He had heard the yelling and screaming up the mountain and he knew the spring spirits were not in the mood to hear human chaos up their sacred place. So when the twelve-year-olds came into view, Yohmei nearly snapped.

"Do you dysfunctional little children know the damage you could have caused?!" Yohmei shouted, flinging the cup of tea into the bushes. The pack stopped; loveable Yoh straightening with a start, the orange headphones quivering on his head, Lyserg, always a few steps behind him, gripping the Asakura's shoulder in comfort (or was it fear?), Ren, who was stretching while holding his ridiculously big kwan-dao, and Horo, in his trademark shorts even in winter. The four paused, unsure of how to approach this anger, before Horo opened his big mouth.

"It wasn't our fault, pops. This lady spirit just took over me and tried to seduce Ren."

"Luckily I'm not easily seduced by blue hair," Ren said, putting his weapon away boredly.

"That is not the point!" Yohmei screamed, the word 'pops' ringing in his ears. "Do you know how the spirits are affected by the atmosphere? Noise is not good for them!"

"Then obviously you're not helping," Lyserg said, rather untactfully. Horo glanced at him gratefully but Yohmei continued, becoming quite red in the face.

"Have the four of you heard of long-time possessions?" Yohmei yelled. "I'm sure all four of you have been possessed either willingly or unwillingly in your twelve years of life, but do you know about long-term possessions?"

None of the tweens could say a word.

"That's what I thought. Long-time possessions are just like the name suggests; the spirits possesses you for a long time. And you might be thinking, well, I have enough furyoku to expel this human or nature spirit, right? Wrong! Long-time possessions happen when you are in complete sync with the intruder, such as if you share the same views or the same desires."

"Well, it was no surprise that lady tried to possess Horo to get to Ren then," Yoh muttered, smiling vaguely when Lyserg chuckled.

"This is not a joke, Yoh Asakura! Hear me, all of you! Sometimes the possession is unnoticed, and it can go on for a long time if the spirit doesn't act up! These spirits around these parts are known for such behavior! If you anger them, they may just piggy back with you until who knows how long! Not only does this leave you with no privacy, but your shamanic powers are cut in half while you have another psyche with you!"

"Alright, we get it, pops," Horo said, waving his hand for the end.

If Yohmei was not a firm believer in life, he would have slaughtered Horo right then and there. But he was Yoh's friend, so he just took a deep breath. "Fine. Be quiet from now on. You may go. Except you, Yoh." A thoughtful expression crossed his face. "I have to speak with you privately."

"You got it!" Horo whispered loudly, before scurrying away with a loud whoop. Ren followed with a sigh, trailed by Lyserg, who let go of Yoh regretfully. The two were extremely close, since childhood and although Horo had loudly speculated one time during dinner if the two were an item, the truth was that they weren't. Giving the nervous Asakura a second glance, Lyserg followed Ren, out of earshot.

"Yeah, what is it, gramps?"

The bulging vein in Yohmei's head throbbed. "Yoh, I think it's time I tell you something. It's a secret the family has guarded from you for a long time. We didn't want to tell you earlier, but I just gave that spheal and I think it's time you know."

"About what?" Yoh squirmed uncomfortably. A secret his whole family knew about except him? How sketchy.

"You know what I said about long-time possessions?"

"Yeah?"

"And you know about how you were born?"

Yoh's face scrunched up. "I don't quite see how possessions are related to se-…"

"Not that, young man. Get your head out of the gutter. Anyway, do you know the story of your birth, I think Keiko's told you about it…"

"Oh, yeah…about how I was supposed to be part of a set of twins but the other died?"

"Yes…well…the truth is…the body died, but not the spirit."

"Okay." Yoh wasn't quite on the ball and Yohmei nearly smacked his forehead.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Yoh?! The other spirit of the child is in you! You have two psyches!"

Yoh's eyes widened. "I'm part of this long-time possession thing? Wicked."

Yoh was taking this rather well. Then again, Yoh took everything well. However, Yoh was not all without sense. "I don't get it, gramps. If this spirit's in me, why haven't I sensed it yet? You've given me all this training…I'm sure I would have sensed a grain or two."

"Yes, but since you were a developing spirit while you were in the womb, when the other twin merged with you…well, in other words, you two are about as close as an ingrown toenail."

Wincing at the imagery, Yoh shrugged. "Yeah…but still…how come the others haven't sensed it yet?"

"Like I said, you two are practically joined at the hip. Your furyoku masks it by a long run." Yohmei crossed his arms. After a moment, a smile crossed his normally stoic face. "By the way, if your brother had lived, we would have named it Hao."

"Hao, huh?" That moment, as if he had uttered the password for entry, something in his mind clicked and something akin to a yawn reverberated through his thoughts. Well, that took some time.

"Oh my god I have voices in my head!" Yoh shouted. "Get it out get it out get it out!!"

Yohmei's eyes widened. "Yoh…calm down. What's going on?"

Hey brother! Wow, finally I can actually talk to you or something. Your furyoku's been a closed door all this time so I couldn't get through.

"Oh my god I have a voice in my head!" If Yoh's eyes could spin, they would have been dizzy in five seconds flat. Calm down, stop screaming. We're connected telepathically, so you don't need to talk for me to hear you.

"Long-term possession!" Yoh clapped his fist into his hand. "So Hao can take over me at random?"

Yohmei was starting to look concerned. One moment Yoh was screaming his head off and the next he was calm at the verge of a revelation. Maybe this spirit wasn't as calm as Mikihisa had claimed it to be. "Yoh…are you alright?"

Relax, I won't come out. It's much funner watching you struggle by yourself.

"That's not fair."

With this, Yoh started having a full conversation with 'himself', as Yohmei watched with a sick fascination and horror. Normally, long-term possessions did horrors to normal personalities and schizophrenia was a common outcome of most of them. However, Yoh seemed to get along with this spirit as easy as water flows. Breathing a sigh of relief, Yohmei realized, that maybe things would work out. Just maybe.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

By the time Yoh finished his story, practically everyone's mouths were gaping open. "Then…then…" Lyserg seemed to have found his voice before the rest. "Why did Hao suddenly take over like that?"

"That's what I was wondering myself."

"Do you really want to know?"

A split second is an understatement to how fast Hao appeared. It was quicker than a blink of an eye. But the familiar red glint was back in those brown eyes, turning the warmth into something sooty, like ash. In the same instant, oversouls were created and Yoh sat calmly in front of a glowing kwan-dao, bronze shimmering gauntlets, and long tendrils of white.

"Do you three really think you can take me on?" Hao laughed. "This body has Asakura blood running through its veins. Even at half power, Yoh and I are more than enough for all three of you. And I'm not here to start a fight."

"Then what are you here for?" Ren asked, calm, although his eyes betrayed his anger.

"I believe I already made that clear," Yoh said, calmly straightening the creases in his shirt. Finally abandoning his interest in his clothing, Hao looked up and stared into the piercing green eyes giving him a death glare. "I'm here for Lyserg."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"It's been a long day."

Lyserg glanced behind him. He was currently staring at the stars from the balcony and he had barely heard Yoh come on the deck behind him. After a dinner of nervous staring at Yoh before he exploded and said that Hao was sleeping, the air in the Inn was tense. Horo was presently freaking out in his room while Ren was this close to killing him while doing research about the whole long-term possession thing. Smiling as Yoh's warmth engulfed him on the breezy night, Lyserg stared back up at the night sky.

"I can't believe he's been here all this time."

"I know."

"I can't believe we didn't notice it."

"I know."

"You're Yoh, right?"

"Yeah."

Lyserg's gaze fell from the sky back to Yoh. "Do you have any idea how to pry you two apart?"

"Gramps said that doing so might fatally harm both of our spirits. He says that somehow, if Hao is willing to part, things would get complicated but there would be a slight chance of us getting out unscarred. But Hao's in no position to go at the moment so…" Yoh chuckled anxiously. "You know babies getting born with their heads connected…it's all dangerous to get them apart. It's kind of like how we are."

Lyserg sighed. "I was really hoping I could continue sleeping with you without worrying about someone else being there." Yoh chuckled and enveloped him into a tighter hug which led to the two of them in a soft kiss, surrounded by the twinkling stars above.

"You know…I think we're going to have to figure out a way to get Hao out of the picture," Yoh murmured, as they broke away for a breath.

"Yeah…" Lyserg smiled, although when Yoh leaned down for another kiss, his hand shot up between them. "But saying those words is not going to get my guard down. I'm pretty sure this moment did not involve you in the first place, Hao."

"Aw…" Hao mock-sulked, while his vice grip around Lyserg tightened. "But you know how it is. Me and Yoh are so connected I can just slide in when he doesn't notice."

"Hence why I broke the kiss off," Lyserg glared.

"If only you weren't as observant," Hao sighed, staring down at the indignant boy in his arms. "Then maybe I could steal a few kisses here and there."

"How many times…" Lyserg asked, his voice nearly shaking as the realization suddenly dawned on him. "…were you there when we were in bed together?"

Hao glanced up thoughtfully. "Hmm…once, I think. But I think you really liked it. 'Yoh' was being a bit more risqué than usual, remember?"

Almost gagging, Lyserg struggled to get out of Hao's grip, again failing for the third time. "I can't believe I slept with you, Hao!"

"Why? We look the same."

"But you're not!" This sentence hung in the air, and unexpectedly, Hao let go and Lyserg stumbled back a bit before regaining his posture. Staring at the boy in front of him skeptically, Lyserg tried to read the blank face, the glinting red glittering amidst the brown.

"We're not the same," Hao said in a low voice. "You're right."

"Yeah." It was unnecessary for him to have spoken, but Lyserg needed the clarity of being right in a moment like this.

"But that's because I'm better." Hao looked up with an absence of humor or sarcasm in his eyes. "Don't deny it…you think something's missing, aren't you?"

Flushed with the guilt of truth, Lyserg took a step back. Be careful, Yoh was still there. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't worry, I relayed this to Yoh already. He knows you feel lacking. He's known for a bit already."

Opening his mouth to deny, yet words spilled out to betray him. "How could you ever know?"

"For someone always on the sidelines, you'd think I'd be the master at reading people," Hao said, a slow smirk growing on his face. "But don't worry…I think you'll find what you're missing in me, Lyserg."

"You are not the same," Lyserg repeated, finding familiarity in these words. "And I will never fall in love with someone I don't know." Shivering in the cold, Lyserg turned back to the Inn, but not before a hand reached out to grab him and swing him around.

Hao may have been fast, but Lyserg was faster. His hand sweeping across the balcony railing, Lyserg smashed a cold handful of snow onto Hao's face, saving him from the sure assault. "Don't you try and get fresh with me, Hao. The only one I'm ever kissing now is Yoh." Wretching his hand free, Lyserg scurried back to the warm and safety of the Inn.

"Don't you know pushing me away makes me want you even more?" Hao murmured, a sick smile creeping up to light his face up.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Something lacking? There was something lacking? How could Hao see this but not him? And Lyserg had even admitted it. He thought things were fine between them.

He never really saw Hao as being a threat to anything in his life, but for once…maybe…

I don't want to be alone, but now I feel like I don't know you.

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Note: Third chapter is up. And guess how many reviews Flying G and I have accumulated? Less than three, I believe. And guess what, readers? If you don't start reviewing and showing your love, this story will either be put on hiatus or deleted and reposted at a later date! So if you don't want this to happen, you'd better know what to do. Reviewing takes only a second guys. Don't make us shut this fic down. Personally, I think this can become big, but if we don't have readers, then look what happened to the Tutor and Pretty. Odd, to use me as an example.

Note 2: The last line is a stanza from Never Let This Go by Paramore.