Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic reviews! I know you've all been waiting patiently for this and believe me when I say I'm working as fast as I can. No I haven't abandoned this fic, it's just taking me longer than I like to get it done.
As always, apologies for the un-betaed quality.
Possession – Chapter 8
As I gazed at the crowd gathered in my foyer the numbing cold that I felt earlier seemed to expand and solidify freezing me to the depths of my soul. A few weeks ago I would have been thrilled to see any one of them, but today there was nothing. I couldn't even summon the energy to smile at them.
Yoh, you're too late I thought to myself while looking at my one time friends I suppose it was just as well I was numb for if could find some last reserve of energy to react, I would probably would have broke down and cried.
Only the manners that my parents had ingrained in me since I could walk, forced me into action. "Hello Yoh. What brings you here?"
The group as a whole started exchanging odd looks with each other. If I could have laughed I would have. Instead I just waited for them to ask what I knew would be coming.
Sure enough, Manta stepped forward. "Well, you sent me that email about Hao. That was you, wasn't it?" He said sounding a little unsure. Mosuke's spirit hovered next to him in support.
"Yes." I answered simply. More than a few of my guests looked like they were expecting me to say more than that and were surprised when I didn't elaborate.
A small crease formed between Yoh's brows "Where is he Lyserg?" he asked.
Watching him, I took note of the changes since I'd last seen him. As expected, he'd grown into a handsome young man and there was a distinct imprint of my dream lover in Yoh's features. Figures, Hao's spirit was strong enough to imprint itself at a genetic level. Speaking of which, Yoh's twin was conspicuously silent all of a sudden. "It doesn't matter any more Yoh, he's my problem to deal with now."
Ren made a snorting sound and I was sure he heard Horo say "Typical" under his breath. Ryu's reaction was the most vocal. "But Lyserg! We came all this way! You don't need to do this alone!" Not to mention that you aren't strong enough. The heavily coiffed man said mentally unaware that I could hear the thought.
Poor Ryu. You just can't understand. I almost felt my lips try and twitch in a lame approximation of a smile. "It's alright Ryu; you would only end up dead if you tried."
They all gave him varying expressions of surprise at the warning. Yoh's expression darkened into a visage that had not been seen since the tournament. "Where are you Hao?" he demanded and the others waited to see if the bastard would appear.
He didn't Not that I was surprised. At best, he was probably only one tenth of the strength he had during the tournament. Even then that still made him damn powerful.
The others waited a little longer then started to look back at me for an explanation as to why their foe refused to appear. I could have told them, maybe I should have, but I didn't really feel like it so I didn't. Of course, what I felt never really mattered when Anna was nearby. "Isn't it obvious? He's hiding in Lyserg." She announced. Funny, her voice usually sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me, but right now I couldn't bring myself to care either way.
Hearing this, the others regarded me with mixed expressions varying from battle readiness to disbelief and even open hostility. Yoh's eyes narrowed. "Get out of him."
At first nothing happened, and even I thought Hao was going to remain hidden but then after a large pause we all heard. "No, I don't think I will." I knew for a fact my mouth didn't move, but I could plainly tell everyone knew where the voice emanated from by the way they were staring at me.
Yoh's brows drew even closer together and dipped further down. "Get out of him now. That's the last time I'll ask you nicely."
"Is that your idea of asking nicely? What kind of manners did those parents of ours teach you?" Hao asked with biting sarcasm. I didn't have time for this sibling rivalry. I had to put a stop to this and I had to get these people out of my home, or the plan that I'd been trying hide and not think about might surface. "Stop it both of you. Yoh I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I don't need you anymore."
The would-be Shaman King looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses. "Even like this you're not strong enough to take him." He warned.
"It doesn't matter any more Yoh, your too late. Just go and let me deal with Hao in my own way. And who are you to lecture about being rude Hao? Since when have you ever asked for anything?" Even I could hear the snarl in my voice.
Hao gave a cynical chuckle, "Aw Lyserg, I think my feelings are hurt. My lapse in manners didn't seem to bother you the other night."
My teeth clenched together so tightly my jaw hurt. "Shut up Hao." I grated out.
If anything, Hao's chuckle got louder. "Oh now my feelings really are hurt. I think you're ashamed of me!" He gave a theatrical wail.
"Shut up Hao."
By now my spectral parasite was laughing in earnest and I could tell by the way their eyes were shifting to a spot above my head that Hao had emerged somewhat from my body to make himself visible to everyone else. Their expressions were now a mixture of confusion and hostility.
"You didn't know that did you?" he asked all of them and I could see most of them were thoroughly confused now.
"Shut up!" I yelled at him one last time knowing there wasn't a hope in hell that the bastard would listen.
"You didn't know that our little Lyserg prefers someone with a little more balls and a little less breast?" he asked. Any confusion about his question was completely erased by the lewd way Hao's spectral arms were fondling my chest and groin.
I tried to ignore the looks the others were giving me. Ryu and Manta were clearly shocked, Ren and Anna had expressions so forcefully bland they could have been statues, Horo at looked concerned and Yoh shot me a look full of pity and guilt. It was his look that pissed me off the most. It was bad enough that Ryu always treated me like one of his stray-puppy/Dead Enders but now Yoh?
Foolishly, I tried to slap the groping hands away but he just made them insubstantial forcing me to slap myself. "Don't touch me Hao. Not now, not in my dreams, not ever."
I didn't need to see the smug grin on his face to know it was there when he slowly slid his hands off me. He knew, as well as everyone else in the room that he'd won this battle of wills.
Yoh had apparently had enough. "Get out of him!" he demanded and I could feel the bored amusement Hao directed at him.
"Really brother, why on earth would I do that? Lyserg's proven to be an excellent vessel to regain my strength with. What possible reason could I have to give that up?"
"How about your own body?" Yoh asked carefully with a calculating look I never would have expected from him. Although I wasn't sure what he meant, the others with him were clearly shocked. Did he mean he could find Hao a body of his own or did he mean… no I thought to myself horrified.
The lapse caused my surprise was enough for Hao to take hold of my body and lunge at his twin. In a heartbeat my foyer was crowded with oversouls all pointed at me.
"Where is it?" I heard him growl through my teeth while I fought to regain control of my body.
"It's safe." Yoh answered vaguely. I could tell Hao was desperately trying to pull the location from any one of their minds, but they either didn't know it or they were carefully guarding the secret.
"You lie. I would have returned to it as soon as I regained my strength." Hao challenged and I could tell he was hopeful but skeptical. In response, Yoh threw something at his/our feet.
It was unmistakably one of the star earrings that Hao wore. It was a bit singed and there was a piece broken off but it was definitely his. Using the same trick Hao did to take over my body; I regained control when he was distracted by looking at the earring. Having been pushed back, Hao was forced to use his spirit form to talk. "Where is it?" he asked again while I picked up the earring to examine it. As soon as I touched it I knew where the rest of Hao's body was. I knew my powers had increased, but this time I didn't even need a pendulum to dowse. I could tell that his body was lying in a hospital bed in Eastern Europe and of course, what I knew Hao knew.
"Of course. How silly of me not to notice. It's with the necromancer. I should have noticed that he wasn't here." The smugness had returned to his voice.
"Before you get any ideas to get it back, you should know we've barred your spirit from returning to it." Anna said, cutting into his gloating and I could feel Hao's fury at her. Hmm, maybe Anna isn't that bad. "We spent months on the spells and sutras binding your body so don't get your hopes up."
I had never felt Hao so furious and it took a moment for him to regain his composure. When he did though, it felt like a cool calm had washed over both of us. He closed his thoughts off from me and I could tell he was calculating and planning. That frightened me more than his rage.
tbc