Author's Note: Gasp! It's the second-to-last chapter! Oh, boo-hoo. I aplogize if this chapter is sickeningly sappy, corny, and sentimental.

There were times when Horohoro was glad he was farely athletic. This was one of those times.

He ran as fast as he could, leading Ren with him by the hand. He didn't stop running until he was totally out of the campsite, and they were dashing through a forest.

What bothered him the most was that Hao was making no effort to go after them. What was the psychopath thinking? He hoped they wouldn't have to find out.

The Ainu kept running. He could see a freeway overpass on the side of the mountain. It couldn't have been much more than a mile away. They had to get there, it was the only way they'd ever reach safety.

He stumbled, sliding down a slope. He felt his hand lose its grip on Ren's as he slid painfully over bumps, rocks, crags, and tree roots. He heard the Chinese boy yelp as he tumbled down the incline.

At last, he stopped at the bottom of the slope. The freeway was still a long distance off. If they hurried, they might still be able to make it.

"Ren?" he called. "Ren?" Are you alright?"

"Y...yes...Where are you, Horohoro?"

The Ainu crawled shakily to his feet. His face, arms, and legs were littered with scratches and cuts from gravel and branches. He wiped his dirt-stained hands on his pants and unsteadily made his way towards Ren, head still spinning.

There was a crash from overhead. Horohoro looked up, his eyes widening.

So this was what Hao had in mind.

The Spirit of Fire.

Tree branches, leaves, and debris rained down upon them. Horohoro leaped through the air, flinging himself on top of Ren in an effort to shield his frail body with his own.

"Ah. I've found you two," Hao announced smugly.

Horohoro stood, pulling Ren up. "Leave us alone, Hao," he demanded, though he highly doubted his words would be obeyed.

The Spirit of Fire swung its huge arm, knocking down more trees and branches. The earth felt like it was shaking, and Horohoro felt himself being seperated from Ren yet again.

"Now, as I promised," Hao's voice rang in a thin, amused tone through the forest. "Why don't you just sit back and enjoy the show, hmm, you Ainu brat?"

The Spirit of Fire's arm descended yet again, this time towards Ren's prone form on the forest floor. The Chinese boy squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for impact.

"NO!" Horohoro screamed at the top of his lungs. "REN!"

As he whipped out his ikupasuy, he felt like a hypocrite, but he didn't care. He leaped to Ren's defense, holding out the prayer stick, creating a solid barrier of ice in front of them. The Spirit's massive arm glanced off the ice with a loud clang.

"H...Horohoro?" Ren stammered.

"Ren..." Horohoro said quickly. "I want you to listen closely to me."

The boy nodded.

Horohoro licked his dry lips nervously. "I've only got enough furyoku to cover you for a short time. While I'm doing that...I want you to run. Run and never look back. Go all the way to that freeway and hitch a ride. Don't you dare stop until you're miles away where it's safe, you hear me?"

Ren's eyes widened. "No...I...I can't, Horohoro. Don't make me do this...I...I don't want to leave you here to die..."

"Please," Horohoro begged, desperate. "Ren, don't think about me. Please, I'm telling you, just run."

"Horohoro..."

"GO!" the Ainu screamed as the Spirit of Fire's arm came down again, making a crack in the ice. "I can't last much longer. Please, Ren, please...I'm begging you." Tears were steaming from his eyes. "Ren...I love you."

Ren was crying too. "I...I'm sorry..." he sobbed as he turned away. "Horohoro...I...I love you too..." And then he ran. He ran as fast as he could, the tears pouring from his golden eyes like a storm that would never stop.

He kept running until he finally reached the freeway. He looked left and right. Cars whizzed past. Determined, Ren decided he wasn't going to leave. He was going to get help.

He waved his arms, screaming as loud as he could.

"Please!" he screamed. "Somebody, please! Please help us...please!"

It seemed like an eternity passed by, and not a single car stopped. Ren was getting desperate. As a police car approached, he had no choice. He flung himself into the middle of the street, holding his arms out and squeezing his eyes shut.

The car screeched to a stop right before it was about to hit him. Breathing in relief, Ren ran around the side of the car to address the policeman of the situation.

Meanwhile, Horohoro couldn't hold himself up anymore. He was entirely out of furyoku, his ice barrier was gone. He felt his head spinning, like he was going to pass out.

He felt a pair of thin arms wrap themselves around him, and he felt tears dripping onto his face. A voice was calling to him.

"Ren?" he murmured. "Didn't I tell you to run?"

He heard sirens, shouts, and a loud commotion.

"Horohoro...please...please hang in there..."

And then everything was dark.

Author's Note: Mwahaha! Cliffhanger! I end the chapter here! The final installment will come soon.