Epilogue

Two years later

Pirika stood silently in front of the wooden railing staring at the slow stream below. The wind was slightly cool against her bare arms, and the evening sky was devoid of clouds, revealing a magnificent purplish haze from the moon. The baby blue evening gown she wore was much more comfortable than expected; the hem brushed the slim sandals at her feet, and one of the delicate, thin straps fell lightly against her shoulder. She propped her elbow against the wood and rested her head, releasing a heavy sigh as the nearby trees swayed in the distance.

"There you are!" She didn't notice Horo's approaching footsteps, and when he stood beside her he began tapping his hands against the flat surface of the railing.

"Stop that," she sighed. He frowned in slight disgust and stuck his tongue out at her, but she smiled at him in response.

"What?" he asked.

"Have I ever told you how great you look in a tuxedo?" she replied warmly.

He began pulling at the black jacket and then readjusted his tie. "It's stuffy."

"Yeah, but you really look handsome."

They stood in silence for several seconds as the sound of the wind filled their ears. He moved over slightly until touching her arm and sighed.

"That was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," she admitted. "It was perfect."

"Hey," He turned to her quickly with a worried expression. "we don't have to stay for the party. No one will notice if we leave."

"No," she sighed. "All of our friends are in there. We should speak to them at least."

He seemed disappointed in her answer and held out his hand. "Let's go."

The ballroom was full of life when they entered. Many of the guests were dancing in the middle, and others sat at the beautifully adorned tables engrossed in various cheerful conversations. Pirika hated the scene because it felt too magical and royal, like they were summoned to attend a king's banquet. Horo just didn't want to dress up for the occasion. They made their way through the crowd quickly until Pirika felt someone grab her hand.

"Hey! I thought you left."

"Hi, Ryu." She smiled politely, glancing around him for her brother who was now out of sight.

"How are things going with you two?" he asked cheerfully. "Yoh told me you moved back to Hokkaido?"

"We're doing very well," she smiled. "Life has been very peaceful."

"That's great." He seemed relieved by her answer. "Lyserg and Manta are here. I heard Faust made it as well, but I haven't seen him."

"Maybe we'll run into each other," she suggested warmly.

"How about a dance?" Ryu held out his hand, refusing to be rejected.

"Sure," she said softly.

As he lead her to the center of the floor, she noticed her brother made it all the way to the other side. He was talking to someone, but she couldn't make out the person since there were so many people in the way.

"Hi, Horo," he said warmly. "It's been too long."

"Lyserg," he replied. "Yoh said you were coming. I'm glad you're here."

"I wouldn't miss a day this important." Lyserg smiled at him. "You remember my wife, Jeanne?"

"Yeah," Horo replied when he saw the woman standing behind him. "Hi."

"Hi," she replied dryly. Horo was unsure if she was uncomfortable or irritated. She didn't look at him and quickly excused herself.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm not sure," Lyserg sighed. "She's been like this all day."

Jeanne made her way through the crowd with diligence. She had to find a restroom fast and didn't want to stain her yellow evening gown. When she finally saw a sign for the ladies room, she bolted into a sprint and almost fell when bursting through the door. She didn't address the woman who was standing in front of the large vanity mirror and quickly entered the first stall.

"Are you okay?" she heard her say but couldn't reply. Her stomach began violent spasms, and she moaned weakly before releasing her dinner. After several minutes of vomiting mixed with short breaks of pained moans, she exited the stall and washed her face.

"You're pregnant?"

Jeanne stared into the mirror at the woman, and after blinking her eyes a few times she realized she knew her.

"Anna..." Her tone was unenthusiastic, and fatigued overwhelmed her frail body.

"Morning sickness?" she added.

Anna waited while she brushed her teeth with a travel size toothbrush and smiled when Jeanne stared at her protruding stomach.

"Six months," she said warmly, although she didn't ask her any questions.

"Are you afraid?" Jeanne asked timidly after a lengthy pause. Her face twisted into an expression of a frightened child, and her eyes began to fill with tears.

"No," Anna replied. "Neither should you be."

"He doesn't know," she whispered fearfully.

"This will work out," she said reassuringly. "Don't worry."

Jeanne seemed content with her words and allowed her to lead them out of the restroom. Horo and Lyserg joined them there, and Lyserg wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She nodded in response, and he smiled at her.

"Hey, Anna," Horo greeted cheerfully.

"Horo," she replied.

He felt awkward standing in front of her suddenly but his frown softened when he saw Yoh approaching. The jacket of his tuxedo was open, along with the first few buttons of the white shirt he wore underneath. His tie was missing altogether, and Horo smiled in amusement at him when he stood beside Anna.

"He's going to be strong," he said cheerfully, pointing at Anna's stomach. "Just like his mother."

"Hi, Yoh," Lyserg said cheerfully. Jeanne didn't speak but smiled at him, and Horo mimicked her action.

"Hey, guys," he replied. "Did you listen?"

"Listen to...what?" Horo asked in confusion.

Yoh knelt down in front of Anna, resting his ear against her stomach and holding her hip with one of his hands. She looked away with slight discomfort but did not refuse him.

"You can hear him moving around in there," he said. "He'll definitely be a fighter."

Although Yoh's display was amusing, the entire exchange made Horo and Anna uncomfortable, and this was evident in their expressions. Lyserg and Jeanne didn't notice the tension, and Jeanne smiled at Yoh warmly as he began rubbing her stomach.

"I'm going to find my sister," Horo said abruptly as he exited the conversation and reentered the crowd.

Yoh stood beside Anna again when he left and held her hand.

"How are you, Anna?" he asked softly.

"I feel great," she replied. "The doctor said everything is fine."

"That's a relief."

They stared at each other silently for a few moments, and Lyserg watched them with a confused frown.

"You look beautiful," he continued as his gaze intensified.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Uh, excuse us for a moment," Lyserg said quickly and pulled his wife away.

"That was uncomfortable," Jeanne admitted once they were far enough away. "I thought they were here together."

"Maybe they came separately," he replied with concern.

"But aren't they married?" she frowned.

"Anna," Yoh said weakly, "I hope I didn't offend you."

"No, it was cute," she replied. "I hope he turns out to be as strong as you say."

He stared into her eyes once more and hesitated. There was so much he wanted to say but couldn't find the words in that moment. They had to settle for silence this time, and she didn't seem to mind. Time appeared to stand still in the moments they remained locked in this gaze, and as soon as he decided he needed to say something, he was quickly interrupted.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," he said with a relieved expression and wrapped his arm around the back of her waist.

Yoh watched as he leaned in to gently kiss her on the cheek and felt his blood slowly boil when he noticed her blush.

"I was in the restroom," she replied calmly and smiled.

"Hi, Yoh." He finally addressed him, and they maintained eye contact for several seconds before he responded.

"Hao."

This was all he could say. There were no other words he could push out of his mouth, and the need to walk away became eminently mixed with nausea.

"I see you've been keeping my wife busy," Hao replied with slight sarcasm. "Thank you."

Yoh stared at him without responding. His jumbled thoughts prevented anything coherent from escaping, and he couldn't stop his expression from souring into bitter disdain.

"I'll let you two talk," he continued chivalrously. "I know it's been a while."

"Thank you," Anna replied in a tone that almost resembled a whisper.

He placed a strong hand over her stomach and rubbed it gently; Yoh felt his body cringe when noticing the gold wedding band on his finger. Anna smiled warmly and allowed him to kiss her lovingly on the lips before tracing her neck with his fingertips and finally walking away.

She paused and stared at Yoh with apologetic eyes before deciding to speak.

"Yoh...I-"

"It's not necessary," he interrupted.

Anna nodded as sadness became apparent in her expression, and Yoh took a step forward.

"I'm glad you're happy." He forced the words out; it pained him to do so, and she noticed.

"Thank you," she replied softly.

"By the way," Yoh paused slightly to fight off approaching tears. "I've been thinking...you should name him Hana."

"I can't name him Hana," she frowned. "That would be..."

Her voice trailed off, but it seemed she didn't intend to finish the sentence anyway.

"I told everyone else, and they like it," he countered. "Hao wouldn't object."

She met his eyes again and sighed. "I'll consider it."

"That's all I can ask." He smiled at her briefly, but the expression quickly faded into something else.

Anna knew that expression. The deep longing and regret that filled his body was difficult to hide. She knew there was a hole in his heart that nothing could fill, and watching his eyes increased her sadness.

"We should find the bride and groom," he said as his voice faltered slightly.

She looked away from him, knowing he could no longer stop the reddening of his face or the tears that began rolling softly over his cheeks. He smiled at her and held her hand, and she held her stomach as he led her back into the crowd. At a clearing, they ran into their old friends. Lyserg and Jeanne were talking with Pirika and Ryu about the pregnancy. Faust was explaining to Manta why he was still single. Ren was listening intently to his father Yuan's advice, and Tamao was pleading for Mikihisa to release her, stating she couldn't breathe.

"Come on, Dad," Yoh called playfully. "You're going to suffocate her."

"My daughter is married now," he sighed in protest. "I have the right to be devastated."

"Yoh!" Tamao's cheerful smile returned when she finally wriggled free from his grasp, and as she approached, Yoh stared at her long gown with weak eyes.

She hugged him warmly and smiled at Anna, who rubbed her stomach a few times before smiling back. Yoh brushed her reddened cheek with his hand and kissed her on the forehead.

"I knew you would be a beautiful bride," he whispered softly.

"I'm glad you came, Yoh," she replied. "I'm so happy everyone is here."

She glanced over at Anna again and noticed Hao was now standing with her and running his fingers through her hair. Yoh noticed her slight frown and pulled her close again.

"I'm okay, Tamao," he assured her. "Don't worry about meaningless things on your wedding day."

"I'm glad," she said sadly.

"You can let go of my wife now," Ren demanded when he approached. "You had your chance and failed."

"Silly," Tamao replied as she released him, and Ren's frown quickly faded into a sheepish smile.

"I can't believe you're married now," Ryu added when he joined the group.

"Congratulations, Ren," Yoh cheered happily. "I won't forgive you if you ever make her cry."

"I plan to make her happy for the rest of my life," he replied and wrapped his arm around her. "You shouldn't worry."

Tamao couldn't stop herself from blushing feverishly and smiled at him warmly before kissing him gently on the lips. Pirika watched them from afar and folded her arms tightly over her chest.

"Hey Sis," Horo said eagerly when he joined her. "Let's go get drunk and throw rocks at people."

She considered his suggestion carefully before closing her eyes and exhaling. "Sure. Why not?"

"Cool!" He grabbed her arm and began roughly dragging her toward the exit. "Let's get out of here already!"

Yoh watched them flee and laughed lightly to himself. He considered the same action but was distracted when he began watching his friends. This was the first time he realized something significant. They were all finally happy. Tamao was no longer driven by blind obligation and guilt in her decision making. Ren was able to find his princess, although the path he created was filled with sharp obstacles. Ryu was the same as he had always been. Having a constant in the midst of change is always welcoming. Pirika found peace in Hokkaido with her brother. She knew he was the one man in the world that would never break her heart, and he knew she would always allow him to protect her. It was an arrangement that worked for the time being. Neither of them could complain.

He stared down at his open palms held out weakly, and they trembled when he curled them into fists. Yoh couldn't stop the nagging urge to stare at them. His brother captured all of his attention as he ran his fingers through the soft blond strands of her hair. As he kissed her delicately on the neck. As he whispered something endearing in her ear that made her giggle with amusement. As he lovingly rubbed her bulging stomach. The way he stared into her eyes with unequivocal surrender knowing he had fallen under her spell long ago and would never be rescued. And she returned this gaze with unwavering clarity.

He couldn't stand this any longer.

Anna noticed immediately when Yoh suddenly darted into the crowd but did not follow him. Hao told her long ago that she had every right to be happy and no one should make her feel guilty for it. She wasn't sure if she agreed with his assessment.

"He's fine," Hao whispered softly. "He can take care of himself."

When Yoh reached the exit he wearily rubbed his chest and neck with nervous hands, and his rapid breathing was difficult to control. He grabbed the wooden railing at the edge of the courtyard and tried desperately to calm himself.

"Yoh? Are you okay?"

He didn't notice Pirika had been standing there watching him. She stood beside him with eyes of great concern and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Where's Horo?" he replied weakly without looking at her.

"He's getting the car," she sighed.

Yoh leaned his arms against the railing and lowered his head. The cool wind feathered his hair with vigor, and he exhaled heavily before clasping his fingers together.

"I don't understand," Pirika whispered bitterly and released him. "I don't understand why you let her go."

"I didn't have a choice." His voice was frail, and he glanced at her briefly upon hearing an exaggerated groan.

"Yes you did," she countered. "You could have been happy and you blew it."

"She loves me," he sighed. "But, that wasn't enough."

Pirika frowned in disgust but didn't reply.

"Anna made this decision," he continued. "She's in love with him, and he makes her happy. He can give her the life she wants...the happiness she wants. I can't compete with that. So, I let her go. She needed my forgiveness to move on; I gave her that."

"Were things really supposed to end up this way?" she asked sadly. "Why can't you be happy? Why can't I be happy? It's not fair."

"You couldn't hold on to Ren just as much as I couldn't hold on to Anna," he sighed. "They're happy now, and we have to be happy for them. That's what friends do."

"So what do we do now?" she replied bitterly. "We pretend we're not miserable? You may be able to fake it, Yoh, but I can't. I feel like I'm suffocating."

Yoh stared at her worriedly and watched as her hands began to tremble.

"I can't stand it," she whimpered as the tears quickly developed. "I don't know why I came here. Knowing they're happy just makes me feel sick."

"We have to live our lives now," he responded wearily. "That's all we can do. Living in the past will just make all of these raw feelings worse."

Pirika held his hand abruptly with one of hers and wiped her wet face with the other. "I'm so sorry for being selfish. Losing Anna was devastating, and I shouldn't go on about something as trivial as Ren."

Yoh didn't respond and squeezed her hand.

"I thought you'd be together forever," she whispered and stared blankly ahead. "Things just don't make sense now. Everything feels wrong."

"Things change," he sighed. "People change. I guess that's life."

They heard footsteps of someone approaching behind them, but Yoh ignored it. Pirika turned around to see who was invading their privacy and slowly clenched her teeth.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bitterly.

"I want to talk to my brother," he replied calmly.

Yoh closed his eyes briefly and exhaled without turning around.

"He doesn't want to talk to you, Hao," she blurted angrily. "Why don't you-"

"It's fine, Pirika," Yoh interrupted her softly. "Can you give us a minute please?"

She glared at Hao once more before putting her arm around his shoulders. "Horo and I will wait if you want to leave."

"Okay," he replied and watched as she reluctantly walked away.

"You don't plan to date her, do you?" Hao said when she was no longer in sight. "That would be-"

"What is it, Hao?" Yoh asked weakly and leaned his back against the railing to face him.

"You have a dilemma," he sighed and took a few steps closer.

"What are you talking about?" Yoh frowned.

"Anna chose me," he replied plainly, "and you can't stand it. You thought if you were gracious she would want you back, but she needed to clear her conscience in order to be happy and guilt free."

Yoh mumbled something inaudible under his breath, but his brother continued without addressing it.

"You no longer have a rebound either," he sighed. "Ren has officially sealed that path. So, the two women you thought would always be around have now abandoned you."

"I didn't hear a point anywhere," he growled bitterly.

"Your sarcasm has increased with the resentment," Hao replied with amusement. "But yes, there is a point."

"Are you trying to rub this in my face?" Yoh added angrily. He couldn't control the emotion, and the heat filled his face.

"I wouldn't do that," he replied and paused. "Well...I would...but no, that's not the purpose of this conversation."

"Spit it out, Hao," he sighed. "What is it?"

"I want us to be real brothers," he said calmly.

"What?"

"If you had died long ago life would have been much easier," he continued. "But since you're still here, we should make the best of it."

Yoh rubbed his face vigorously in frustration then dropped his hands weakly at his sides. Hao remained silent and watched his agitated movements. He was serious, much to Yoh's disgust, and waited patiently for a response.

"Being your brother wasn't my choice," Yoh responded defiantly.

"You don't have to love me," he countered. "But, for Anna's sake you should be civil. She cares about you, and this is important to her. So it's important to me."

"That could create problems," Yoh sighed. "I would be around constantly."

"You're not a threat to my marriage," Hao added quickly. "Don't flatter yourself."

Yoh looked into his eyes briefly and noticed the subtle irritation he successfully hid. He wondered if accepting this was the mature thing to do, but he was sick of not listening to his instincts. Developing a relationship with his brother would keep him close to Anna, and he wasn't sure if that was healthy for any of them.

Of course, being close to Anna was probably what he desperately wanted.

"Fine," he mumbled weakly after several moments of hesitant silence.

"And...I'll help you regain your power." Hao seemed almost disgusted to make the statement, and Yoh stared at him with slightly widened eyes.

"Why?" he frowned.

"Because you have to fight when the tournament resumes," he responded. "I can't kill you if you're defenseless; Anna would never forgive me."

"But, what if I kill you instead?" Yoh asked with a smile. "Is it safe to help me?"

"You can try to kill me," he replied dismissively. "Once you're done flailing about, I'll put you out of your misery. It's that simple."

He walked away from him, and Yoh stepped forward to follow.

"By the way," he added without turning around, "Anna told me about the name."

"It's good, isn't it?" Yoh replied calmly.

"Naming a son after his uncle is probably normal in some cultures," he replied dryly. "I don't like the idea, but because she does I won't rip you apart."

"I guess I'll see you around then, Brother." Yoh's tone was greatly irritating, as was intended, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Hao didn't respond and disappeared into the crowd. Yoh stopped short before entering the ballroom with an excited grin. He didn't understand this new feeling initially; he wanted to be bitter and resentful, but those emotions were quickly fading.

He wanted his power back. He wanted Anna back. Yoh wanted his life to be normal again. Anna loved him; he was certain of this. But for some reason he couldn't understand, she chose his brother. She married his brother. They were having a baby together soon. It made no sense to him, and unfortunately one thing stood out.

Anna would never leave Hao again. He would have to die.

"Come on, Yoh," Pirika called to him suddenly and disrupted his train of thought. "Let's get out of here."

No, that was useless daydreaming, wasn't it? His anger was controlled now. The problem was fixed. There was no need for revenge, and the only way he could justify killing his brother would be within the confines of the Shaman tournament. And, that would mean he would have to win.

Becoming the Shaman King would eliminate Hao, and Anna would realize her mistake. Hao was partially correct; life would be easier if he were dead.

"Yoh." Pirika's voice startled him, and he realized quickly they were walking on a narrow sidewalk. "You seem distracted. What happened with Hao?"

If he was going to make this decision, there would be no turning back. He would permanently alter their lives.

"We're going to become real brothers," he replied warmly.

"What?" Pirika asked with a disgusted frown.

"Yeah," he continued. "It will be the greatest thing you've ever seen. Just wait and see."

THE END

Were you confused by this ending? Allow me to explain. (or attempt to explain at least) The meaning lies in the title. The Death of Reason focused initially on Anna's strange compulsion to stray. It also encompassed Yoh's unstable thoughts and feelings in the aftermath. But, Birth of Clarity refers to Anna's disposition; the ability to allow her emotions and intellect to blend, leading her to a controlled decision. Yoh's "problem" was never fixed, and this is something his friends seemed to ignore.

I hope you enjoyed the story, even if this is not what you expected. Please share any and all thoughts; I happen to take criticism very well.

Thank you for reading.

Pulchrite