That voice Chapter 5: Talk, a shaman king fanfic

Disclaimers: I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me. Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing. May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all of the anime series, read the manga or heard the drama cds. Though I haven't read the manga at the time that I'm wrote this.

Chapter 5 - Talk

Hao found himself surrounded by darkness. "Yoh?" He asked, but there was only silence and the darkness. "Where have you gone off to now dear brother." He called out playfully though there was no reply. He looked around and wondered what exactly was going on in the mind of his little brother. Was Yoh angry? Perhaps bitter? Feeling abandoned? Would he continue to smile or has he finally realized what people are capable of doing and how fragile the human heart is? He felt himself becoming a bit agitated. "You can't hide forever Yoh." Hao stated. The darkness continued to hide Yoh, but Hao knew that he would find him. "So you want to play? Fine with me. Games are always fun especially when they envolves sweet, little, lost lambs like you Yoh." Hao smiled evily at his own words as all kinds of images formed in his mind as to what he could do to everyone if it pleased him in the least bit. Every test that Hao had mentioned before to Yoh had all resulted in Hao's favor. Everything seemed to be working out fine for Hao. He refused to let Yoh get into the way of his plans this time.

Yoh finally appeared several feet away lying on the ground. Yoh slowly sat up and stared into the darkness around him.

"What happened?"

"Ah ha, what's this?" Yoh stood up and turned around to face the voice that refused to allow him to live his own life.

"Hao." Hao read Yoh's mind and realized what had happened.

"You've been trying to run off on your own again and leave me behind?" Hao walked over to Yoh and frowned. "I'm hurt." Yoh glared at him.

"Stop messing around and tell me what you did!" Hao's frown faded. Hao leaned back. There was nothing there, but since this was a place made up of one's mind. Anything was possible. Something was propping him up as he lazily, laid against it.

"Messing around? Why, I wouldn't dream of it. Did? I haven't done anything.. yet." Hao smiled brightly for his brother. "I have missed you so Yoh. I know now that you live a rough life.. Or is it not so rough of a life?" Yoh continued to glare at Hao as he paused, lost in his own thoughts. "Have you realized it yet?"

"What are you talking about?" Yoh walked over and sat down on a rock that seemed to materialize out of no where. Yoh decided to calm himself and sat indian style as he watched his older brother. He hated the fact that his brother could get under his skin, but with his out of hand antics always happening. Yoh knew that he had his work cut out for him if he was planning to keep up with his older brother. Hao closed his eyes and pointed a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

"That everything is going according to plan." Yoh narrowed his eyes at Hao.

"Explain." Yoh noticed the thoughtful gesture from Hao and wondered about such a display. Had he never noticed before that his brother made such gestures. Yoh slowly shook his head to try and clear it so that he could focus on what was at hand. Trying to keep Hao from doing what he wanted.

"This." Hao opened his eyes and motioned toward everything. "That this was all planned out by me." Hao smiled again. "It was as simple as plan B." Hao pushed himself away from whatever he had been leaning against and walked over to Yoh. "I knew that you were capable of killing me. You have my power afterall, but I didn't believe that you would be able to pull it off." Hao looked down at Yoh and shrugged. "But it seems that you were able to make a come back at the last minute. When I thought that I had completely defeated you and that you had returned to me." Hao frowned at his little brother. "After I went to all that trouble. You were so weak and needed that little push though the Itako pushed you plenty." Hao grinned as the mention of Anna brought back some pretty tough times and bad memories for Yoh. Yoh closed his eyes tightly and turned his head slightly away from Hao. "Are you ignoring me?" Yoh didn't respond as he tried to block the horrible images of Anna's wraith directed on him during those long hours of training. Hao let out a long sigh. "And even now you continue to resist."

"Of course." Yoh's mind began to clear again. He wanted to be with Anna and everyone again even if it meant having to go back to Anna's special training. There had been moments that Yoh remembered all too well when Anna was beside him and not yelling at him, but it had always been moments when it was just the two of them. He felt almost safer when it was just Anna and him since there existed an understanding between the two of them. Anna knew him too well and knew when it was time to give Yoh the push that he needed. "I'll stop you again." Hao's brow lifted a little at Yoh's words. "I'm not about to let you take over my life again, Hao. I already defeated you once." Yoh smiled weakly at Hao. "Anna would never approve if I were to let you kill me again. She's already gone through alot because of us." Hao looked away from Yoh as he pondered about it.

"You are right.. I hadn't really thought of that." Yoh lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug thinking that Hao hadn't been around Anna as long as he had so he didn't know half the things that Yoh had gone through just to be able to approach his fiancee without having to suffer anymore because of lack of control.

"I'm ready to move on with my life, away from the destiny that you caused me to have." Yoh turned his head toward Hao and opened his eyes. "I'm going to become Shaman King and live an easy life." Yoh grinned at Hao.

"Ah, boring."

"With Anna." Hao twitched slightly at the mention that Yoh regarded her in such a way. "And with everyone else." Yoh stared at his brother. "Maybe things could have been different." Hao's gaze traveled over to Yoh.

"Different?" Hao supressed his laugther. Hao walked over to Yoh and narrowed his eyes at his little brother. "Nothing could be different. This is who I am. This is what humans, what history has made me become. You are a part of me and had become a part of me again. You've seen my memories, the doubt and fear that humans held toward me all because I was a Shaman. Because I was too powerful."

"People fear and hate what they don't understand. It was a long time ago, Hao."

"And it continues to happen even in this present day and time! Those that follow me do so of their own free will. They have faced the wraith of the human heart before. They want to rise above that. They want to exist in a world of Shamans where the Earth can return back to its former beauty and never be trifled on again by human hands." Yoh cut Hao off before he could continue on anymore.

"Maybe if you haven't put up a fight with our parents when we were born. Things could have been different." Hao laughed.

"Did you know that they were going to kill us?" Yoh stared at Hao.

"Not at first, but I.." Yoh had only recently learned what truely happened at that time not to long ago when his father had explained the Hao and Yoh's birth to everyone.

"They were going to kill us because they knew that I would be reborn. They only allowed you to live because of me. It didn't bother them that the fact was that you were a part of me, but they planned to use you from the start little brother. They were going to use you to defeat me. Their creator. Its because of me that you all existed and yet they continue to fight me." Hao shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"But if you had stayed and been raised by our parents like I was.."

"It doesn't matter."

"You would have realized that there was more to life. That perhaps things would have..."

"Silence!"

"Hao, talk to me!"

"You know nothing, Yoh." Hao motioned to the darkness around him and the scene changed. "This is what you know." It was the Asakura house and the surrounding area around it. It was a peaceful area that spirits dwelled and lived in harmony with the Shamans in the area, namely the Asakuras. Hao motioned again and the darkness returned. "This is what I know."

"Hao.."

"Did you know Yoh.." Hao closed his eyes for a moment and released the breath that he hadn't noticed he had been holding in. "About Matamune?" Hao opened his eyes and stared at Yoh. For a moment Yoh could have sworn that he saw a painful look in Hao's eyes, but then it vanished as Hao's stern gaze rested on him. Yoh went stiff at Hao's gaze and slowly nodded. "He was... my friend and also one of my spirts. It was because of the Asakura's that he was taken from me. To the point that he was turned against me. It funny... betrayl. Its a funny thing, isn't it?" An evil grin formed on Hao's lips.

"I wouldn't know.." Yoh said softly.

"But you will."

"What are you going on about, Hao?"

"What its like for a friend.." Hao paused and seemed to be lost in thought as an old memory flashed through his mind as a certain neko once stood beside him. Hao closed his eyes for a brief second and pushed such images away. He opened his eyes again and centered them on Yoh for a moment. "For a brother to betray you." Yoh stared at Hao. Hao's smiled had faded and his gaze seemed to be focused off to the side. He was no longer looking at Yoh. Hao was serious and hiding his emotions though Yoh could feel something. This bond that always existed between the two though he didn't quite understand it.

"Is that so?" Hao refused to be convinced by Yoh's lack of enthusasuim. He noticed the sweatdrop of doubt appear on Yoh's forehead. "Is it really worth it Yoh?" Hao stared at Yoh with a serious expression trying to read into his little brother as much as possible. Yoh nodded.

"To be with everyone.. even Anna. Its worth it." Hao walked over to Yoh and reached out to grab him. Yoh scooted out of Hao's reach, but he wasn't fast enough as Hao shoved him. Yoh tried to keep his balance, but was unable to do so as he was sitting indian style and felt himself falling off the rock. He let out a yelp as his back hit the ground and the rock that he had been sitting on disappeared.

"That's what you get for talking to your aniki that way. And now if you will excuse me." Hao turned and began to walk away. "I'm going to return to the real world. And to that sweet Anna of yours." Hao waved as he disappeared. Yoh tried to get up quick enough, but it wasn't fast enough for Hao's figure had disappeared.

"Hao!"

A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews since I most definitely read them all. Sorry that I hardly reply to anyones reviews, but reviews are what keeps me writing fics. That way I know if an idea for a fic is worth writing or not. I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter cause I wasn't sure just what all I wanted to happen. It turned out that when I first wrote it. I ended up breaking it down into three chapters so I have my ideas for the next couple of chapters, but I was ify about what all was going on inside of Yoh's head. A talk between the two seemed like the best idea for right now. I recently bought the drama cds and listened to them so I know a lot more about what is going on in the manga though it sucks that I won't be able to incorporate it into my story, but I might just start another fic envolving more of Matamune. Look forward to more chapters coming in the future. And feel free to nag away so that I'll write faster, hehe. ^^